Kamenetz, Anya 1980-

views updated

Kamenetz, Anya 1980-

PERSONAL:

Born 1980; daughter of Rodger Kamenetz (a poet and author) and Moira Crone (a novelist).Education: Graduated from Yale University, 2002.

ADDRESSES:

Home—New York, NY. Agent—Katinka Matson, Brockman, Inc., E. 59th St., New York, NY 10022. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Author and journalist. Village Voice, New York, NY, author of biweekly column "Generation Debt: The New Economics of Being Young," 2005—; freelance fact-checker, copyeditor, research assistant, and writer.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Pulitzer Prize in feature writing nomination, 2004, for work on the "Generation Debt: The New Economics of Being Young" series.

WRITINGS:

Generation Debt: Why Now Is a Terrible Time to Be Young, Riverhead Books/Penguin (New York, NY), 2006.

Contributor to periodicals, including the New York Times, Washington Post, Salon, Slate, Nation, Village Voice, and New York magazine.

SIDELIGHTS:

In 2004 author and journalist Anya Kamenetz was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in feature writing for her involvement in the series "Generation Debt: The New Economics of Being Young." That series developed into a biweekly spot in the Village Voice for Kamenetz. In addition to her writing projects, she has also reported from Palestinian territories, the 2004 Republican National Convention, and the Gulf Coast after it was devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. In 2006 Kamenetz published her first book, Generation Debt: Why Now Is a Terrible Time to Be Young. In the book, Kamenetz details the financial struggles of twenty-something college graduates entering the job market for the first time. She explains that increased college tuitions paired with decreasing government funding has left new graduates with insurmountable school loans and credit card debts. The attempt to repay the debt is thwarted by low-paying entry level jobs, while the cost of livingcontinues to rise. Based on interviews with young people and economic professionals, Kamenetz uses her own experiences as well as those of others to illustrate her argument.

Reviews of Generation Debt were mixed. "Kamenetz's generational cynicism prevents her from imagining ways to turn this situation around, and she restricts most of her solutions to embracing her peers and teaching them how to cope with their lot in life," observed David Madland in the Washington Monthly.Susan Berfield, writing in Business Week, agreed; Berfield felt that the book is "full of youthful outrage and disappointment, marred by too little perspective." However, Booklist contributor Kristine Huntley felt differently, stating, "Kamenetz makes a passionate argument for young people to take action, such as lobbying the government as a cohesive group and being practical and frugal about money matters." Additionally,Mother Jones reviewer Jim Rossi called the book "sometimes brilliant, sometimes banal," while a Kirkus Reviews critic concluded that it is "a decent guide to the coming financial reckoning." Finally, a Publishers Weekly contributor rendered Generation Debt "an analytical overview" which "make[s] clear how imperative it is that we find solutions to these problems as quickly as possible."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, February 15, 2006, Kristine Huntley, review of Generation Debt: Why Now Is a Terrible Time to Be Young, p. 24.

Business Week, February 6, 2006, Susan Berfield, "Up Against It at 25," review of Generation Debt,p. 100.

Kirkus Reviews, December 15, 2005, review ofGeneration Debt, p. 1311.

Library Journal, January 1, 2006, Carol J. Elsen, review of Generation Debt, p. 132.

Mother Jones, January-February, 2006, Jim Rossi, review of Generation Debt, p. 77.

Publishers Weekly, December 19, 2005, review ofGeneration Debt, p. 57.

Washington Monthly, May, 2006, David Madland, "Debt to America: Twenty-Somethings Complain They've Been Shafted. And They're Right," review of Generation Debt, p. 49.