Book review: "Before the Mortgage"

When Christina Amini and Rachel Hutton left their first 9-to-5
jobs in New York to head home and live with their folks, each
realized they had a long way to go before becoming what the average
post-college, pre-picket fence American would call
“adult.”

That transition from college to the “real world” was
somehow not all cash and glory. They were confused. They needed
answers. Where to live? What to do? Who to love? And if they needed
answers, they guessed there must be others just as lost as they
were.

So to connect with those other displaced individuals, Amini and
Hutton did what any creative aspiring writers might do: They
started a zine, a cheaply made, cheaply priced publication, often
in black and white and usually mass-produced via a photocopier and
bound with staples.

The result was a collection of photos, essays and quotes called
“Before the Mortgage,” a sort of guide to the
post-college experience ““ a time filled with messy roommates,
lost loves and bad jobs ““ all before, well, the mortgage.

Years later, Amini and Hutton (both successful and no longer
living with their parents) have compiled an entertaining extension
of their beloved zine. “Before the Mortgage: Real Stories of
Brazen Loves, Broken Leases, and the Perplexing Pursuit of
Adulthood” displays the talents of several young writers in a
series of essays discussing the trials and tribulations of young
adulthood.

Each of the essays is highly entertaining, well-written and
quick to read. What the book lacks in laugh-out-loud humor it makes
up for in its ability to relate to its readers. Each author,
including recognizable names such as Anna Chlumsky (yes, that girl
from “My Girl”), Sarah Vowell (“This American
Life”) and a slew of published novelists, journalists and
comedy writers, sincerely strives to be accessible to the
20-something crowd.

Notably, Evan Ratliff writes of the euphoria achieved by
apartment hunting on Craigslist.com. Meghan Daum recalls her
courtship with an online stalker. Carson Brown enumerates the
symptoms of the ever-prevalent “Costco Obsessive
Disorder.” And Tim Gihring discusses the benefits of a new
invention called “fake dating.” Almost every tale is
worth reading if only for the writer’s wit and pure lack of
inhibition.

But amid horror stories and tales of embarrassment,
“BTM” (as affectionately called by its editors)
succeeds in speaking to a generation who, if compared to their
parents, should already be settling down and starting a family.
This is a generation that takes comfort in community, knowing
others are lost as well.

Among the essays are pages of “Budget Recipes” (I
recommend the five-minute key lime pie), “Relationship Red
Flags” (listing Friendster.com status as single ““
uh-oh), or quick-lists of post-college dos and don’ts.

And while these lists are cheesy, they genuinely emphasize the
collaborative feel of the work. “BTM” is a series of
voices, a reflection of vast experiences, and ultimately a coherent
collection of the days spent pretending to be a real adult. One
takes comfort in knowing others have showered at the gym just to
save money. Or toured an apartment labeled “SIK,”
before knowing it meant “shower in kitchen.”

“Before the Mortgage” is filled with those
pre-picket fencers who can laugh at themselves and then still learn
from their mistakes. They know the only way to truly know who to
love, what to do, and where to live is to realize you are not alone
and go for it. This is not a book filled with advice; it is a book
filled with comfort.

And no need to live on instant noodles and hot dogs just to buy
it: Not surprisingly, it is only offered in paperback.

“”mdash; Devon Dickau

E-mail Dickau at [email protected].