Baby, Bring Back 1997, by Scott Laudati

Prose, chapbook, 48 pages, from Bottlecap Features. Baby, Bring Back 1997 is a collection of stories by Scott Laudati that weaves between personal memoir and illuminating journalism, pointing a spotlight on a generation constantly plagued and always trying to keep its head above water. Though these stories are often tragic, they are told with a humorous nihilism that will make you forget the danger and uncertainty just around the corner. Following Laudati through his teens - twenties - and thirties - gives us a 360 view of a writer trying to find purpose in Staten Island, New Jersey, Maryland, and finally, while standing on a cliff overlooking a Denny’s just outside of Phoenix. From a job at Barnes & Noble, to buying a dog to save a relationship, to forming a cosmic bond with a groupie on a pop-punk tour, Baby, Bring Back 1997 can be read as the Genesis chapter of Laudati’s life. These stories take the reader on a journey through a young man’s heart and half- way across America