short films, “Mourning Glory” and “The Break Up,” which she wrote, directed and produced, were official selections at several film festivals.King applied the Page 69 Test to her debut novel, The Seasonaires, and reported the following:
On page 69, Jade, one of my novel’s seasonaires says, “Millennials are ‘stupid.’” I used the single quotes around ‘stupid’ because she is referring to the negative stereotype given to her generation. My novel, The Seasonaires, is about six twenty-somethings who are paid to live a dream summer on Nantucket as brand ambassadors for a fictional clothing line, posting this aspirational life on social media. Although their job might seem superficial as they work to present a curated perfect image to the world, the characters are more than meets the eye, each with complexities and struggles.Visit Janna King's website.
As a mother of a 19 and 21-year-old, I can confidently say millennials are not stupid. They must navigate a world that has fallen apart, saddled with mistakes made by my generation. Social media has definitely become an obsession, plagued with its own set of evils. Yet more and more, young people are using it to connect and speak out on important issues. I am constantly inspired by their thoughtful, articulate and passionate words and actions.
Page 69 is representative of the rest of the book because the story centers on an image of millennials that transforms into various shapes. There is no singular definition. The clueless and the heartless exist at (almost) any age. As humans, we’re flawed, and my characters are no different. However, I believe that refraining from judging an entire generation is a smart and sensitive step toward a brighter future.
Coffee with a Canine: Janna King & Melvin and Olive.
--Marshal Zeringue