She writes poetically, and at times songlike, as she unearths a generation that deserves to be remembered.” -Lindsay Stenico “Liz Prato sheds a light on not just a generation, but a society that in every line, every thought, every story, and every loss, can be found and related to the society we live in today. Yet it hurts less after having read Kids in America.” ––Joe Milazzo, FULL STOP but what’s perhaps most surprising-and affecting-about Kids In America is how Prato leverages form to bolster her arguments. There would be no book to discuss otherwise. “Spoiler alert: Prato believes in caring. A rewarding look at what shaped Prato’s life and generation.” -PUBLISHERS WEEKLY “Prato mixes memoir and cultural criticism in this clever look at ‘the generation who was mesmerized by the gloss of MTV for the first time.’. This book is a long-overdue examination and reconciliation of the people and the era. Prato is also Editor at Large for Forest Avenue Press, and has been a licensed massage therapist for over 25 years.“Liz Prato writes with clear vision about the generation that followed the baby boomers, the generation that today moves into the spaces created by that older generation. Her essays and stories have appeared in numerous publications, including River Teeth, The Rumpus, Hayden’s Ferry Review, Salon, and Subtropics, and was chosen as notable selections for Best American Essays and Best American Sports Writing in 2018. Liz Prato is the author of Volcanoes, Palm Trees, and Privilege: Essays on Hawai‘i, a 2019 New York Times Top Summer Read, and finalist for the Oregon Book Award and Baby’s on Fire: Stories.

Kids in America illuminates a generation that is often cited, but rarely examined beyond the gloss of nostalgia. Prato is unflinching in asking hard questions of her peers about what behavior was then acceptable or overlooked, and how we reconcile those sins today. In her revealing and provocative essay collection, Kids in America: Essays on Gen X, Liz Prato reveals a generation deeply affected by terrorism, racial inequality, rape culture, and mental illness in an era when none of these issues were openly discussed.Įxamined through the lens of her high school and family, Prato reveals a small, forgotten cohort shaped as much by Sixteen Candles and Beverly Hills, 90210, as it was by the Rodney King riots and the threat of nuclear annihilation.

Yet, Gen X's impact on culture and society is undeniable. Generation X was born between the legions of Baby Boomers and Millennials, and was all but written off as cynical, sarcastic slackers.

Kids in America by Liz Prato