to write plays, poetry, and essays―while working an eclectic series of jobs at a video store, shoe store, a regional television station, and a public library. When not writing he can be found contemplating how we got here.
Zagets applied the Page 69 Test to his new novel, #AuthorLife, and shared the following:
From page 69:Visit Joe Zaget's Instagram page and Zoje Stage's website.Every omission and perceived slight reminded him that he hadn’t reached a level where he was viewed as Someone Important—a real talent who had valuable stories to contribute. He wasn’t sure why he was being overlooked, especially given the advantage he held, in this regard, as a white man. By his observation, men still earned more praise and more respect, as a patriarchal society was committed to believing that men were innately more creative and started from a place of greater intellectual ability. And it was often true that books by men were considered of greater mass interest. (There was no such thing as Men’s Fiction, after all.)I think this is a fascinating excerpt to see if/how page 69 represents #AuthorLife. In certain ways, this text is the heart of the matter with its expression of misogyny, ego, and entitlement—as well as the main character's authorly frustrations. But in other ways, such as tone, it isn't quite a fully accurate representation of the book.
Mack recognized, sheepishly yet jealously, that the geniuses of the world were men—the iconoclasts, the standard bearers. Men’s accomplishments were passed down through history, and that all might be unfair, but in theory shouldn’t it work to his advantage?
Mack is prone to having truly cringeworthy thoughts, and while this excerpt is cringe in certain ways, it's also a fairly well argued observation about society. In that sense, it's a little more philosophical or intellectual than much of what usually pops into his head. These isolated paragraphs might give the impression of Mack being a deep thinker, but more often his thoughts are overtly pathetic or ridiculous.
Given the satirical nature of the book, there are elements of truth behind much of the exposition. But, also due to the satirical nature, it's typically presented in a more over-the-top, groanworthy sort of way. Yet, this excerpt could serve as an explanation for why I chose to make the main character a white man—precisely because he has expectations of success that are based on real world biases. Any other demographic wouldn't have felt so entitled to accomplishments that include such precarious odds; with any other demographic, I think it would have been harder to believe that a character would make such drastic decisions in the face of something as unlikely as becoming "Someone Important."
--Marshal Zeringue
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