Nineteen: A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Model
D.L. Janney, 2016
E F Lee Publishing
390 pp.
ISBN-13: 9780997467802
Summary
Depressed, broke, and suffering the effects of a brutal childhood; our hero heads to New York City. He leaves behind college life in a small midwestern town to earn a living in one of the most competitive fields in the world.
Pushing aside his overwhelming self-doubt and insecurities, he arrives in New York City with only a bag filled with clothes.
Nineteen is his story. Enter his world and walk beside him as D.L. paints a portrait of his life as an outsider in the 1980s fashion world. Without help or any contacts, our protagonist attempts to make enough money to go to a good university and change his life forever.
Embark on this intimate journey into a world remembered and created from the troubled, yet determined mind of a nineteen year old boy. His pragmatic mind coupled with a tortured soul will lead the way. (From the publisher.)
Author Bio
• Birth—21, 1962
• Where—Moorestown, New Jersey, USA
• Raised—state of Illinois
• Education— B.A., Boston University
• Currently—lives in the state of Connecticut
D.L. Janney is a married writer and father of seven children. He currently lives in Connecticut. Born in Moorestown, New Jersey he moved with his family to Illinois when he was three years old.
At 17 D.L. left home to attend Monmouth College in Monmouth, Illinois, but left college in the fall of his sophomore year and headed to New York City. After two years working as a professional model he returned to school at Boston University and obtained a degree in English literature with Distinction.
D.L. has worked as a carpenter and contractor for the past 25 years. He spends his time with his beautiful wife watching his children grow up (much too fast!). He spends his remaining time writing, reading and sleeping. He is currently writing a sequel to Nineteen, as well as a book of short stories.
When modeling, D.L. was featured in GQ, British Vogue, Italian Vogue, Mademoiselle, Lei, Cosmopolitan, and Esquire. He also did campaigns for Christian Dior, Wrangler, Daniel Hechter, Perry Ellis, and Panchetti. He worked with many of the top photographers in the early 80’s, including Fabrizio Gianni, Bruce Weber, Arthur Elgort, Knut Bry, Steven Meisel, Richard Avedon, Hans Fuerer, Francois De Connick, Ken Haak, Michel Momy, Alain Larue, Rico Puhlman, and Neil Kirk. (From the publisher.)
Visit the author's website.
Follow D.L. on Facebook . . . and on Twitter.
Book Reviews
Nineteen by D.L. Janney is the gritty story of a vulnerable but spike-tough young man determined to make a better life for himself. He has a “look,” and this will catapult him into the glam-fashion model world of the 80’s. You live Daryl’s story by his side as he barely survives in a grubby postage-stamp room outside NYC, to an equally depressing prostitute-ridden boarding house in Milan, and finally on to exotic locales only the rich and famous may ever see.
Daryl’s journey invites us into the mind of a young man who, when he was small, was repeatedly nearly drowned by his father in the public swimming pool of his mid-western town. A young person who saw little love and even less encouragement growing up. A young person of rare physical attraction and toughness and decency, but drained of self-confidence and wracked by painful and persistent self-doubt. There is no fairy tale ending for this young man...but there is hope.
J Bean Palmer, Author, Massachusetts
Nineteen is everything you expect from a novel about the modeling biz, and less: sure, the glamour and high drama are there, but the story conventions are overshadowed by a little something extra: the naked truth.
Ron Skla - Modern Magazine
Discussion Questions
1. How do Macklevane’s principles conflict with the world of modeling?
2. If you were in Macklevane’s shoes, what would you do differently in the 1982 world of fashion?
3. How is Macklevane similar to a classic hero? How does Macklevane differ to a classic hero?
4. How would you characterize Macklevane’s childhood? Do you think Macklevane’s childhood has a significant impact on his perceptions of the world and the way that he fits into that world?
5. If Macklevane were to marry one female in Nineteen, who would he choose and why?
6. After reading Nineteen, would you want to be a model. Why or why not?
7. Would you be friends with someone like Macklevane? Why or why not?
8. Do you find the way in which Macklevane behaves to be admirable, or self-serving?
9. Do you find the attitude which Macklevane brings to his own life inspirational. If so, why?
(Questions issued by the publisher.)