Vol. 18, No. 11	Nov. 12, 1998

Exhibit showcases today's authors

The Next Generation: Tales for an Accelerated Culture," a book exhibition of the young authors of the 1980s and 1990s, is on view in the Morris Library through Jan. 8. Included are authors who tried to capture the zeitgeist-the general intellectual, cultural and moral climate-of their times.

"F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote about the decadence of the jazz age; J.D. Salinger the anxieties of the 1950s; and Jack Kerouac the antisocial rebellions that inspired the countercultures of the 1960s. It follows that young novel writers of the 1980s and 1990s would attempt to capture their times," a library spokesperson said.

"Unlike their predecessors, this generation of writers has matured in a consumer society and absorbed a barrage of words, sounds and images from televisions, stereos, T-shirts, personal computers and boomboxes. These writers have come of age in an accelerated culture, and their innovative fiction documents their efforts to come to terms with the social issues they are facing.

"Common themes of youth- precocity, powerlessness, first corruptions-are overprinted with the concerns of globalism, terrorism and sensory overload. The literary styles of these writers borrow techniques from rock music, pop art, television, independent films and cartoons and the Internet," the spokesperson said.

Some of the featured authors are Douglas Coupland, David Foster Wallace, Banana Yoshimoto and Amy Homes.

The exhibition was curated by Linda Stein, reference. For hours or more information, call 831-2231.