Songs of My Selfie: An Anthology of Millennial Stories

This anthology dispels the myths that millennials are a generation of self-absorbed, shiftless, shallow children. Instead, these 17 writers—all age 26 or younger—paints a new cohort of intelligent people dealing with very real problems unique to their challenging economic and social situations.

Many of the essays center around the issue of crippling student debt, and while this is a prevailing issue for the millennial generation, it was almost refreshing to get to the stories that uncovered the millennial experience from a different, more unexpected angle. One such story is a heartbreaking look at the extreme poverty that can ensue when a student does not have the kind of background to absorb that debt, all in the name of higher education. A couple more deal with the terrifying consequences of unexpected pregnancies on a minimum-wage salary. A few delve into the frustration of working jobs that don’t seem to be worth a four-year degree and lifetime of debt, including one notable excerpt that marries the broke, starving millennial lifestyle with a pharmaceutical degree.

Altogether, the collection is an excellent showcase of up-and-coming writers, which not only offers a sample of their larger works but also speaks to the particular influences of each author, providing insight should the reader pursue any of their other works.