Welcome to Litsy!

Selected as the winners of Random House�s national contest, a stunning collection of essays ranging from comic to poignant, personal to political, by the newest, brightest young writers you haven�t heard of . . . yet. Here, for the first time, current twentysomethings come together on their own terms, in their own words, and begin to define this remarkably diverse and self-aware generation. Tackling an array of subjects�career, family, sex, religion, technology, art�they form a vibrant, unified community while simultaneously proving that there is no typical twentysomething experience. In this collection, a young father works the late-night shift at Wendy�s, learning the finer points of status, teamwork, and french fries. An artist�s nude model explains why she�s happy to be viewed as an object. An international relief worker wrestles with his choices as he starts to resent the very people who need his help the most. A devout follower of Joan Didion explains what New York means to her. And a young army engineer spends his time in Kuwait futilely trying to grow a mustache like his dad�s. With grace, wit, humor, and urgency, these writers invite us into their lives and into their heads. Twentysomething Essays by Twentysomething Writers is a rich, provocative read as well as a bold statement from a generation just now coming into its own. Praise for Twentysomething Essays by Twentysomething Writers �Being in your twenties is weird. The world tells you you�re a grown-up, but damn if you feel like one. With 29 sharply observant and well-written snapshots of life between the ages of 19 and 30, Twentysomething Essays by Twentysomething Writers couldn�t have captured this more perfectly.� �Nylon �You�ll devour this compilation of essays by funny, smart, insightful young writers in just a few hours.� �Jane Magazine �[Twentysomething Essays by Twentysomething Writers offers] a wide variety of experience. . . . If we are still looking for a voice for this generation, I�d nominate this eclectic choir instead.� �Orlando Sentinel �[Ranging] from playful and absurd to poignant and earnest . . . [Twentysomething Essays by Twentysomething Writers is] a bold reminder that this generation is extremely diverse and very capable. . . . These essays will speak to you no matter your age.� �Austinist.com �Delightful . . . Whether admitting they are only just beginning to see their own parents as people or struggling to balance graduate study and parenthood, the essayists blend morbid irony and idealism. . . . This highly readable collection of voices is more assured and memorable than one might have expected from such a venture.� �Publishers Weekly �Earnest, honest, and well-written . . . a propitious look at writers coming of age right now, and it�s a pleasant surprise.� �The Phoenix (Boston) �A slice of Gen Y life: everything from OCD, rape, and depression to a nude-art-class model, online communities, and how to find (and keep) a drummer. Pick up your copy.� �stuff@night (Boston) �The essays . . . have an urgency, an immediacy, even as the subject matter runs the gamut from sex to death.� �Los Angeles Times Book Review From the Trade Paperback edition.