Songs of My Selfie: An Anthology of Millennial Stories

by Constance Renfrow (Editor), Meagan Brothers (Primary Contributor)

Being twenty-something isn’t as cut and dry as it once was. For many, the early twenties is a time of tumultuous upheaval: unpaid internships, tiny apartments filled with roommates, and worries about what the future holds. For others, this is a time of stagnancy: of waiting and hoping and hometowns, and wondering what the hell college degrees are good for anyway. Instead of first jobs, first marriages, and first homes, millennials have been faced with greater stresses and challenges than any other generation—yet, in the process of navigating a fast-changing world, they have been publicly maligned again and again.

SONGS OF MY SELFIE: An Anthology of Millennial Stories celebrates the millennial through the works of up-and-coming fiction writers, all under the age of twenty-six. This collection features seventeen short stories by millennial writers about actual millennial issues, exposing this generation's true ambitions and frustrations, humor and heartbreak, despair and joie de vivre. With fresh new voices and edgy prose, these compelling stories offer a cross-section of vibrant millennial characters: unemployed grads deep in debt, expectant mothers on the cusp of adulthood, online relationship addicts, and millennials at war with their families' expectations—even while stuck living at home. Here are the strong and the weak, the self-aware and those who reject reality—all carefully crafted to buck the common perception of the millennial. And yet, with a knowing wink, each story is accompanied by a selfie of its author.

Forget what the media says—SONGS OF MY SELFIE reveals what it really means to be twenty-something today.

Stories include:
The Most Laid-back Guy Ever by Suzanne Herman
Becoming John Doe by Stephanie Bramson
Small Bump by Mina E. Holmes
Use Without Pity by Jared Shaffer
Victoria by Theresa Buchta
Baby Teeth by Angus McLinn
The Lovesick Picture Show by Angela Sloan
Minnows by Xingyue Sarah He
On Call by Joshua Tuttle
Ten Things i Learned Since College by Tyler Barton
On Loving Like a Human . . . by Aaron Thorpe
Glitter and Glue by Tiffany Ferentini
Here in Avalon by Tara Isabella Burton
Because You Were Under Thirty by Katherine Sloan
Pill Pusher by Carolyn A. Drake
The Ostrich Effect by Ifra Asad
The Edge of Happiness by Constance Renfrow

Genres: Short Stories, Nonfiction, Anthologies, Short Story Collection

176 pages, Paperback

First published April 5, 2016

About the author

Constance Renfrow is a New-York-based writer and editor. She is the lead editor for Three Rooms Press and a freelance editor/ writing coach. She hosts a monthly open mic series at the Merchant’s House Museum. Her fiction and poetry have appeared in such places as Cabildo Quarterly, Denim Skin, Petrichor Machine, Restless, and Two Cities Review, and her articles have been featured on DIY MFA and LitroNY, among others. A lover of nineteenth-century literature, she's currently completing a three-volume governess novel, her first full-length work.

Reviews

[Lala BooksandLala · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Most Laid-back Guy Ever by Suzanne Herman 2.5 stars
Becoming John Doe by Stephanie Bramson 4 stars
Small Bump by Mina E. Holmes 2 stars
Use Without Pity by Jared Shaffer 5 stars
Victoria by Theresa Buchta 2.5 stars
Baby Teeth by Angus McLinn 2.5 stars
The Lovesick Picture Show by Angela Sloan 1 star
Minnows by Xingyue Sarah He 3.5 stars
On Call by Joshua Tuttle 3.5 stars
Ten Things I Learned Since College by Tyler Barton 2 stars
On Loving Like a Human . . . by Aaron Thorpe 2 stars
Glitter and Glue by Tiffany Ferentini 3.5 stars
Here in Avalon by Tara Isabella Burton 3 stars
Because You Were Under Thirty by Katherine Sloan 2.5 stars
Pill Pusher by Carolyn A. Drake 4.5 stars
The Ostrich Effect by Ifra Asad 2.5 stars
The Edge of Happiness by Constance Renfrow 2.5 stars

[Hollowspine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well edited anthology of stories from Millennials, ranging in scope from unemployed or underemployed grads struggling with debts and creditors and the feeling that they deserved more than a job at the local CVS to adults living with their parents making noise every morning at six am to being able to look so laid back in order to hide a secret fear...

The stories inside include some bordering on the fantastical, some treading the line of horror and many rooted in the everyday life fiascoes associated with being twenty something here and now. Unsatisfying work situations, living with older relatives or undesired roommates, becoming nostalgic for times that were only five years ago (ah, those were the days), all of these are well known memes among Millennials. The collection is from diverse authors and despite all relating to a central theme the stories represent a wide group of readers.

I have to say that almost every single one of these stories resonated with me in some way. It was the first time I've read something where I saw myself represented so fully, in each story. Which makes sense since I did have a quarter life crisis (I think I'm still stuck in mine though) and have only recently crawled out of debt and like a proud two-year old I hung my last statement on my parent's refrigerator, since in order to keep paying off my debts I moved back in with them after I failed at adulting enough at my first job in my field. All of the feelings I've had through all of those experiences are represented in this collection and much more well written.

I'd highly recommend this to any Millennial or anyone who knows a Millennial. This collection cuts right to the heart of an entire generation.

[Kelly Jacobson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t intend to spend my snow day reading my ARC of Songs of My Selfie.

Instead, I intended to use today as a work day, to grade the never-ending composition papers sitting in my inbox or perhaps plan some promotional events for the spring.

But then I started the book.

At twenty-seven, I am just over the cutoff mark for the millennials who wrote the short stories in Songs of My Selfie, but when it comes to identifying with the stressed out, sleepless girl in the airport in Suzanne Herman’s “The Most Laid-Back Guy Ever” or Ryan Fitzpatrick escaping college loans in “Becoming John Doe,” I am just the right age.

In the world of literary fiction, most books are written by older writers discussing older things. Marriage. Children. Divorce. Not often do I read a short story like “Small Bump” or “Victoria” and think to myself Yes, that’s familiar, I’ve been there. Not actually there—I’ve never had a pregnancy scare out of wedlock or run away from home—but there emotionally, there where the heart of the story speaks of the adventure and pain of being out of college and broke and struggling to find your place in the world.

Though there is some speculative fiction in the collection, I think the realistic stories are where Songs of My Selfie works the best. Stories like “Pill Popper,” in which a customer yells at a young pharmacist, ring true for every reader. They also help the book fill an important gap in literature, not just as a short story collection about millennials, but as an anthology written by them—an anthology that conveys its themes of what editor Constance Renfrow calls “a common experience new to our generation: the quarter-life crisis” with a collective, resounding millennial sigh that any reader can identify with.

***

Original review on www.kellyannjacobson.com/blog

[Ron Dakron · Rating 5 out of 5]

In "Song of Myself," Walt Whitman brays “I too am not a bit tamed — I too am untranslatable; / I sound my barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world.” This April 2016, Three Rooms Press publishes a flock / murder / bevy of “barbaric yawps” – Millennial writers all under 26 – in “Songs of My Selfie.” In wry tales that yearn, squirm and slam, newbie scribblers Stephanie Bramson, Mina E. Holmes, Jared Shaffer, Katherine Sloane, Carolyn A. Drake, Constance Renfrow and (sorry!) too many gifted others to cram in this brag - grab your sagging Boomer throat with glee and moxie.

[Krista Varela Posell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the stories are better than others. But overall, it's a solid anthology. I think it would be a strong choice for those teaching at the college level. I think a lot of these stories could be paired with texts from the canon (I thought of Joan Didion and Thoreau for a couple of them) to invoke discussion on the differences and similarities on how we tell our stories.

[Tiff Ferentini · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you've been searching for some groundbreaking, refreshing literature from some of the newest voices in literature today, look no further. Songs of My Selfie is a phenomenal collection of some of the strongest, thought-provoking writing written by today's emerging millennial writers. The protagonists of the stories in Songs of My Selfie hail from their own unique walks of life and differ in many ways, but they all ultimately connect under the same common ground. They are all struggling in their own way, and face a coming-of-age unique and exclusive to them - and their respective authors - in the form of a quarter-life-crisis. If you find yourself in your twenties looking for relatable fiction, or are curious to as to just what today's young generation of writers has to say, pick up this anthology.

[Ifra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have so many feelings about this book. The fun, whimsical cover makes you think, this'll be another fun self-referential sort of book where our generation pokes fun at itself. And then you start reading it, and after every single story, you have to put down the book and wait for a while for all the feelings to be absorbed. It makes you, in a way, feel better about your crisis, in some ways, worse. More than anything, it's such a balm--there are others out there and so on--everyone's equally lost, equally perpetually nervous, equally with little to no direction about where on earth they're headed. I absolutely loved it, and would more than recommend it to anyone. Particularly to all those in their twenties--you need this. You'll feel better.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being a millennial leads to a lot of bumping and fumbling around, trying to find your place in the world, so this book filled with so many characters going through similar experiences gave me a fun and familiar reading experience. The lives of the characters ranged from the mundane to the magical and it was easy to get swept up in each successive story. The writing flowed very well, making it a very smooth read.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Songs of My Selfie is a fantastic collection featuring wonderfully talented young writers. The individual stories capture the essence of being young in today's world and are for anyone who has experienced growing up. The stories are unique and entertaining and would make a great gift for a recent graduate! Highly recommend!

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I receievd this book for free from Goodreads give aways.

I am 26 so this book completely spoke to me. Once I started reading it I couldn't stop. I thought it was a good mix of stories and enjoyed all of them. I would definitely recommend to any millennial.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enchanting, heartrending, and utterly relatable read for any and all millenials. A wonderful collection of stories from some of the brightest young writers today.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wide range of strong interesting new voices. A must read for understanding twenty somethings.
Watch for these authors elsewhere!

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Songs of my selfie is a great book. These short stories are fun and quick reads. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a great and short read!

[Khayyam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book instantly grabbed me and didn’t let go all the way through. I'm well out of my 20s but I enjoyed this immensely either way. Highly recommend to anyone, specially those that are well out of their 20s.

[Debbie Colon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed only three of the stories in this anthology
The Most Laid-Back Guy Ever page 1-11
Becoming John Doe page 14-23
Pill Pusher page 156-163

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

The stories get better as you go--don't give up on this one. There is a lot of blooming talent in these pages.

[Sophie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really, really wanted to like this book. To be precise, I wanted to love it. I'm a proud millennial, and God knows I've consumed enough fanfiction to know that I have a lot of really, really talented peers when it comes to writing. Yes, short story anthologies are always a mixed bag, with some gems, some crap, and some in between. And to be fair, this collection didn't have a lot of outright crap (only three stories, and I still managed to read two of them without skimming at all), but nor does it have anything really special. Out of the 17 stories, I only liked four enough to return to them at all, and none of those were really spectacular. (Those four being Becoming John Doe, On Call, Glitter and Glue, and The Edge of Happiness.) So I walk away from it feeling unfulfilled more than anything.

It's also disappointing that the collection really doesn't live up to the editor's promise in her introduction of "writers and characters of all genders, ideologies, creeds, sexualities, religions, backgrounds, etc." Judging by the author photos and bios - which I realize is risky business - only three authors are people of color (Mina E. Holmes, Xingyue Sarah He, and Ifra Asad), and Holmes' story is the only one where the characters are explicitly stated to be people of color. By the same token, only one author (Tiffany Ferentini) is stated to be LGBT+, and only two stories (Ferentini's Glitter and Glue, and Tara Isabella Burton's Here in Avalon) feature queer characters.

Thematically, several of the stories have some fantasy elements (Minnows, On Call, On Loving Like a Human, Here in Avalon, and The Edge of Happiness), but none fully dive into it. I don't have a problem with that at all, but it was interesting to see it continually happen. As you might expect, sex features heavily in several, which frankly I found annoying by the end - yes, people love sex, but there are so many other topics to write stories around. Additionally, a good half of the stories are set in New York City, which also got tedious.

In the end, Songs of My Selfie is a great idea that just wasn't carried out very well. I hope it will at least stimulate other publishers to put out similar, hopefully more enticing, anthologies.

[Darling Bookish Swiftie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book sounds so cute doesn’t it? Songs of My Selfie sounds reminiscent of the great Walt Whitman poem and promises to be sweet and wholesome.
.
WRONG!
.
According to this collection of short stories, all Millennials are drug addicts or dirt poor or accidentally pregnant or dangerously self absorbed or feeling depressed because they live in New York City. It would honestly be laughable how many stereotypes are covered in this collection if it weren’t for the fact that these stories were WRITTEN by Millennials.
.
Are some of these stereotypes legit? Sure. Lots of millennials are heavily burdened by student debt, struggling to find themselves, and deal with big life issues. (At least they were when this was published… most millennials are actually in their thirties now.) But seriously….thirty award winning authors writing about their generation could only come up with stereotypes?
.
For the record, I was born in a weird in between year that is neither the tail end of the millennials nor the first years of the now-called Zoomers. But even if I was a full fledged millennial, I don’t think I could relate to much of anything in this book.

[Diane · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a Boomer and these are short stories called Songs of My Selfie: An Anthology of Millennial Stories. Was that why I didn't enjoy them? I don't think so. I think for the most part they were poorly written and the characters were terribly self-absorbed. "Small Bump" was okay. "Pill Pusher" was okay. "Glitter and Glue" was okay. Nothing was terrific and some were downright dreadful. *sigh*

[Jay Miraldi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of these stories were just phenomenal. These are the stories of the eternally jaded, the people of my generation who wake up one day and realize they are a living existential crises and reading some of these made me feel like I was looking in a mirror.

[Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite having turned the big “3-0” almost half a decade ago, it feels as if I’ve only just succeeded in clawing my way out of that “quarter life” crisis in which one is unsure what one is doing, lost and alone in that confusing world of shifting responsibilities and expectations, self imposed and other. In fact, I still feel occasionally like I’m not really an adult at all! I’m not sure if the concerns and conceits of the Millennial generation are that different from the growing pains of previous generations, but the ubiquity of social media and the current climate of economic uncertainty has definitely shone a unique light upon their experiences.

For this reason, I could definitely identify with the themes explored by the group of 20 something first time authors assembled in this anthology of short fiction, Songs of My Selfie. A feeling of arrested development, of being stuck between one’s past and one’s future, and not really being sure how to break out, is an element that connects many of the stories in the collection. The contributors of Songs of My Selfie each take on this sense of ennui in their own way, whether discussing being stuck at home in your childhood bedroom even as you begin your adult life, or struggling to scrape by in a world you scarcely understand that seems unable to understand you. The diverse authors engage in a wide variety of approaches to their stories, both in terms of genre, subject matter, and mood, capturing a wide variety of experiences. Feelings of comedy, drama, horror, sadness drift throughout the collections’ depictions of relationships, sexuality, and careers (or lack of them). A few utilize supernatural or fantastic themes to highlight the absurd nature of their predicaments, while others use a more naturalistic approach, each to varying degrees of success. On occasion, one could see the unpolished natures of writers still in the process of developing their styles, leading to some awkward or ill conceived pieces but each at least had a kernel of an interesting premise.

On the other hand, in spite of the collection’s diversity, of the contributors, more than half are based in New York, and NYC also features heavily in many of the stories, making one wonder that if one wants to make their way as a creative in this world, one has to move to New York. I guess it’s not too surprising for a collection featuring the work of young aspiring writers, but still, for millennials not steeped in the New York lit scene, it feels a little parochial.

[Ashley Cunningham · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good collection of relatable stories. Not entirely impressive, but a few of them had some good twists and turns. I was quite unimpressed with the theme of running away from responsibility that permeated most of the stories. It's really a dozen love letters to NYC. Every writer in this book lives in or is from NYC.

[Meghan Fasnacht · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn't the biggest fan of this anthology.
I found most of the characters selfish, and a lot of the stories trying to be deeper then they needed to be. I did really enjoy a few of the stories but for the most part this book gets maybe a 2 from me.