Synopses & Reviews
The swank apartment, the killer job, and the perfect boyfriend/girlfriend haven't yet fallen into place. Is this andlt;iandgt;reallyandlt;/iandgt; adulthood? Welcome to life before the mortgage. Here's what you need to know. andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt; Christina Amini and Rachel Hutton have brought together the very best writing on this unpredictable -- and often hilarious -- time. This book features essays by celebrated writers such as Joel Stein, Thisbe Nissen, Thomas Beller, andlt;iandgt;Foundandlt;/iandgt; magazine's Davy Rothbart, and andlt;iandgt;ReadyMadeandlt;/iandgt;'s Shoshana Berger, as well as exciting new writers.
Review
"A great collection about those strange, confusing, slightly uncomfortable, exhilarating days. I laughed and I cringed. It almost made me want a 'chore wheel' again."andlt;BRandgt; -- Beth Lisick, author of andlt;iandgt;Everybody into the Poolandlt;/iandgt;
Review
"Unflinching and hilarious, Before the Mortgage is mandatory reading for people of any age who've ever wondered if they are ill-equipped to live an adult life."andlt;BRandgt; -- Laine Bergeson, andlt;iandgt;Utneandlt;/iandgt;
Review
"Read this well-done, funny, brutal collection of stories about young adulthood, and you will actually look forward to being a middle-aged suburban sellout."andlt;BRandgt; -- Rodney Rothman, author of Early Bird
Review
"A road map for the times when you're not going anywhere. If I'd had this book back in the day, my lean and hungry years wouldn't have been so miserable. What am I saying? Of course they would have been miserable. But at least I would've had a good book."andlt;BRandgt; -- Daniel Handler, aka Lemony Snicket, author of andlt;iandgt;A Series of Unfortunate Eventsandlt;/iandgt;
Synopsis
The swank apartment, the killer job, and the perfect boyfriend/girlfriend haven't yet fallen into place. Is this really adulthood? Welcome to life before the mortgage. Here's what you need to know.
Christina Amini and Rachel Hutton have brought together the very best writing on this unpredictable -- and often hilarious -- time. This book features essays by celebrated writers such as Joel Stein, Thisbe Nissen, Thomas Beller, Found magazine's Davy Rothbart, and ReadyMade's Shoshana Berger, as well as exciting new writers.
About the Author
Friends and collaborators andlt;bandgt;Rachel Huttonandlt;/bandgt; and andlt;bandgt;Christina Aminiandlt;/bandgt; started the zine andlt;Iandgt;Before the Mortgageandlt;/iandgt; after leaving their first nine-to-five jobs in New York. Christina is an associate editor at Chronicle Books in San Francisco. Rachel, an editor and writer for andlt;Iandgt;Minnesota Monthly,andlt;/iandgt; lives in Minneapolis.Friends and collaborators andlt;bandgt;Rachel Huttonandlt;/bandgt; and andlt;bandgt;Christina Aminiandlt;/bandgt; started the zine andlt;Iandgt;Before the Mortgageandlt;/iandgt; after leaving their first nine-to-five jobs in New York. Christina is an associate editor at Chronicle Books in San Francisco. Rachel, an editor and writer for andlt;Iandgt;Minnesota Monthly,andlt;/iandgt; lives in Minneapolis.
Table of Contents
CONTENTS INTRODUCTION
WORK: STILL AN INTERN AFTER ALL THESE YEARS
Put Your Best Face Forward
by David Kolek
I Was an Entry-Level Fiction Writer
by Thisbe Nissen
Regrettable Interview Quotes
Confessions of a Professional Flunky
by Barbara Rushkoff
Getaway
as told to Ariana Lamorte
Outstanding Intern Moments
Portrait of the Bagel as a Young Man
by Thomas Beller
Overheard in the Cubicle
Brian-Sensei
by Brian Grivna
HOME: WHERE THE COCKROACHES ARE
The First Thanksgiving
by Sarah Vowell
Apartment Search Horror Stories
Paradise Considered
by Evan Ratliff
Roommate Pet Peeves
In My Tribe
by Ethan Watters
Budget Recipes
People Like You
by Sarah Eisenstein
Parents Are the New Friends
by Rachel Hutton
"So...Are You Two Together?"
by Pagan Kennedy
LOVE: THE FLING, THE DISASTER, "THE ONE"
Taking Off
by Davy Rothbart
On the Fringes of the Physical World
by Meghan Daum
Fake Dating
by Tim Gihring
He Said/She Said
The X-Factor
by Sasha Cagen
Relationship Red Flags
Always a Bridesmaid
by Christina Amini
Top Ten Signs He Might Not Be Prince Charming
by Opal Desaire
On Finding the It Guy: An Inquiry into the You'll Know Theory
by Shoshana Berger
Unacceptable Dating Behavior
LIFE: FROM COSTCO TO YOGA AND BACK
Peaking at Ten
by Anna Chlumsky
Costco-Obsessive Disorder
by Carson Brown
Forty-three Tickets for Brooklyn
by Jordan Harrison
The Breakfast Club
by Joel Stein
Budget Living
Co-op Confessional
by Catherine Price
Another One Rides the Cometbus
by Jessica Nordell
Last Twenty-four Hours in New York
by Rachel Hutton and Christina Amini
Things to Do Before the Mortgage
Contributors
Acknowledgments