There You Feel Free

4.8/5 ( ratings)

There You Feel Free is the story of five people whom you might call hipsters. The Kid struggles to put his life together after his relationship, and the economy, falls apart. Cheyenne tries to define herself against the members of her kickball team. Doug faces isolation amid his long list of online friends. Paul attends a support group for struggling geniuses. And Nick battles the sinister feeling that life isn’t going as planned. They all cross paths inside and outside a poem: a loving rewrite of T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land refinished with contemporary references to indie music and pop culture. Packed with laughter, levity, reflection, and revolution, There You Feel Free captures the intricate quandary of the Millennial Generation.

“In There You Feel Free, Nate Ragolia merges poetry and prose to explore what it is to be a Millennial. Presented as an annotated poem, the real story blossoms in the endnotes, as we are drawn in by Ragolia’s wry commentary and the narrative of the lives, loves, mating habits, and aspirations of this generation. And despite hipsterdom’s love of irony, the tale is told with humor and sincerity. An ultimately hopeful work, Ragolia draws on T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land to craft this modern exploration of what it is to be both trapped and liberated by the story of your life.”

-Marisa Roemer, Editor