It's a Wonderful Lie : 26 Truths about Life in Your Twenties

by Franklin, Emily; Robbins, Alexandra

• ISBN13: 9780446697774
• ISBN10: 044669777X
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-01-03
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Summary

These provocative original essaysaim to empathize with, encourage and inspire 20-somethingwomen. Itrs"s a Wonderful Lie will pick up whereQuarter-life Crisis left off and will offer perspectiveand wisdom. Writers will shed a light on what one shouldand should not expect from what you've been led tobelieve are the best years of your life. The essays rangefrom comedic to reflective and pensive, all looking atthe uphill battle that exists as women live through theirfirst jobs, loves, and losses. Cleverly titled essayssuch as, 'My Own Mr. Big', 'Twentysomething Seeks Samefor FRIENDSHIP' and 'Tradeoffs: Why I Sold My Soul for MyApartments' will look back on the various areas thattripped up women in their twenties the most. Thecontributors then move forward, figuring out that whilethis crucial decade might have its many downsides, thepluses are numerous.Itrs"s a Wonderful Lie entertains,encourages and empowers women who are living throughtheir twenties now, about to graduate from college, and,finally, those who have loved and lived through itall.

Table of Contents

Foreword	xiii
Alexandra Robbins
Introduction	xvii
Emily Franklin
LIE #1: ``I'll have an amazing apartment and love my job''
A Letter to My Crappy One-Bedroom	3	(8)
Jill Kargman
Girls Can Do Anything!	11	(10)
Leanne Shear
Tracey Toomey
An (Un)Literary Tour of My Twentysomething Mind: Journals 1995--1999	21	(13)
Megan McCafferty
Hired, Fired, and What I Wore	34	(12)
Alison Pace
Trade-offs: Why I Sold My Soul for Apartments	46	(17)
Donna Freitas
LIE #2: ``I'll have everything I need to live the life I've always wanted''
Breaking Up (with MasterCard) Is Hard to Do	63	(12)
Cara Lockwood
Money Doesn't Buy Happiness, but It Comes Damn Close When It Buys a White-Tableclothed Meal and a Few Bottles of Wine	75	(8)
Laura Caldwell
The Real World	83	(10)
Erica Kennedy
Plan B	93	(12)
Megan Crane
LIE #3: ``I'll know myself---and what I want''
Pride and Prejudice	105	(6)
Anna Maxted
The One Who Got Away	111	(11)
Melissa Senate
Twenty-eight Is the New Eighteen	122	(12)
Shannon O'Keefe
A Thousand Times Yes	134	(6)
Beth Lisick
The Pursuit of Happiness	140	(11)
Rebecca Traister
LIE #4: ``I'll have satisfying relationships, great sex, and fabulous friends''
The Best-Laid Plans	151	(9)
Jennifer O'Connell
I Can't Have Sex with You	160	(10)
Pamela Ribon
Twentysomething Seeks Same for Friendship	170	(9)
Leah Stewart
The F-word	179	(10)
Caprice Crane
I Hate You. Let's Be Friends!	189	(8)
Deanna Kizis
Back to the Pacific Beach Cafe	197	(7)
Hollis Gillespie
My Own Mr. Big	204	(10)
Kristin Harmel
Knot Tied Up in a Bow	214	(15)
Laurie Graff
LIE #5: ``I'll be where I'm supposed to be, doing what I'm meant to be doing''
Please Let's Speaking English	229	(10)
Heather Swain
The Road Almost Taken	239	(11)
Anna Jane Grossman
Homesick for the Place You've Never Been	250	(9)
Julianna Baggott
Twenty-Nine-Year-Old Nomad Seeks Home	259	(10)
Giselle Zado Wasfie
About the Editor	269	(2)
About the Contributors	271