Over the course of nine stories, the teens of Carvel, Pennsylvania, slip in and out of each other's lives during the final days of the 1990s. Rachel, struggling to come to terms with a crush while longing for ever-bigger stages, incites a showdown between the prom queen and an old rival. Shannon's fury at Evie's trivial betrayal has its roots in more serious deception. Wes accepts an invitation to Melinda's birthday party, only to be confronted with the ramifications of his choices. And Irene, often on the fringe because of strict parents, steps into the spotlight during a humdrum night at work that turns anything but ordinary.
Together, we find young people on the cusp of adulthood and the edge of a new century as they leverage the possibilities of AIM, and rely on answering machines and Post-it notes, all while hiding their landline phone calls from nosy siblings. As the stories unfold, they all prepare to outgrow a hometown where the cracks have begun to show. Will they also outgrow each other?
Abigail E. Myers grew up in Northeastern Pennsylvania and studied English at King's College before moving to New York City. After fifteen years as an educator in the city, she moved to Long Island, where she lives with her husband, daughter, and elderly cat and writes fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. "Black Balloon" was nominated for a Pushcart Prize; other nominations include two consecutive nominations to Best Small Fictions as well as Best of the Net and Best Spiritual Literature. The Last Analog Teenagers is her first collection of short fiction. Read more of her work at abigailmyers.com and connect with her @abigailmyers.bsky.social.
167 pages
Published in print on June 3, 2025
PRINT ISBN: 979-8-89292-671-3
Advance Praise for The Last Analog Teenagers
This brilliant collection speaks to the timeless age of budding adulthood: friendships, desires, disappointments, intellectual leaps, and the indelible imprint of music. Soar and crash with these teenagers, for they are us!"
— François Bereaud, author of San Diego Stories and A Question of Family (Stanchion Books, Feb 2026)
"In her debut collection, Abigail E. Myers skillfully weaves together nine stories about teenagers on the edge of a new century, new technologies, and new adult lives. Her vivid descriptions offer sensory and nostalgic touchpoints of black nail polish, pink lip gloss, JanSport backpacks, clove cigarettes, Walkmans, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and a mall staple, Claire’s. Myers’ stories are a study of generational contrasts and commonalities as she also explores harder topics like religion, AIDs,
haves and have-nots, invisibility, and popularity."
— Amy Barnes, author of Child Craft
"Open The Last Analog Teenagers and you’re immediately pulled back in time. The Vans on your feet, the Goo Goo Dolls on the radio, the taste of high school on the tip of your tongue. Abigail E. Myers has created a visceral, sepia-toned world, filled with all the chaotic emotions that accompany the transition to adulthood. This is no ordinary story collection. The Last Analog Teenagers reads like a novel and feels like a best frenemy. By the last page, you’re both relieved and broken-hearted to be graduating. You’re annoyed at your parents. You can practically hear the buzz and groan of the modem. I’ve thought about this book every day since I finished reading it. What a gift Myers has given us."
— Hannah Grieco, author of First Kicking, Then Not