TGFE: Thank God for editors.
Jonathan Franzen -- America's Next Top Curmudgeon and the celebrated author of novels including The Corrections, Freedom, and the upcoming Purity -- tells The Guardian that once upon a time, he thought about adopting an "Iraqi war orphan." Not because he wanted a child -- but because he just doesn't understand kids these days.
Seriously.
The full quote:
Franzen said he was in his late 40s at the time with a thriving career and a good relationship but he felt angry with the younger generation. “Oh, it was insane, the idea that Kathy [his partner] and I were going to adopt an Iraqi war orphan. The whole idea lasted maybe six weeks.”
He added: “One of the things that had put me in mind of adoption was a sense of alienation from the younger generation. They seemed politically not the way they should be as young people. I thought people were supposed to be idealistic and angry. And they seemed kind of cynical and not very angry. At least not in any way that was accessible to me.”
Which brings us back to the first line of this post. Franzen says his New Yorker editor, Henry Finder, discouraged the adoption strategy -- and proposed instead that the writer spend some time with a group of recent college grads.
Evidently, this less ambitious plan was enough to mollify the literary lion: According to Franzen, "It cured me of my anger at young people." Which means Franzen responds differently to millennials than just about every other non-millennial on the planet.