Very Recent History: An Entirely Factual Account of a Year (c. AD 2009) in a Large City

Very Recent History by Choire Sicha is an idiosyncratic and elegant narrative that follows a handful of young men in New York City as they navigate the ruins of money and power—in search of love and connection.

After the Wall Street crash of 2008, the richest man in town is the mayor. Billionaires shed apartments like last season’s fashions, even as the country’s economy turns inside out. The young and careless go on as they always have, getting laid and getting laid off, falling in and out of love, and trying to navigate the strange world they traffic in: the Internet, complex financial markets, credit cards, pop stars, micro-plane cheese graters, and sex apps.

A true-life fable of money, sex, and politics, Choire Sicha’s Very Recent History: An Entirely Factual Account of a Year (c. AD 2009) in a Large City turns our focus to a year in the life of a great city.

Sicha’s account of one year (c. AD 2009) is a portrait of a generation navigating:

• A New York City Story: Follow John, Chad, and their friends through a city reeling from the financial crisis, where billionaires shed apartments and young men get laid off while trying to fall in love.
• Gay Men in NYC: A deeply personal look into the lives of young gay men, from navigating the world of sex apps and online dating to forging lasting friendships and relationships in a precarious time.
• Post-Recession Reality: Witness the stark economic landscape of 2009, where freelance gigs replace careers, student loan debt looms large, and financial uncertainty is the new normal for a generation.
• Literary Nonfiction: Told in a unique, fable-like voice that explains everything from credit cards to social hierarchies, this book transforms a year of true events into an unforgettable piece of social history.