January 5, 2013 Samantha Samel Brooklyn Daily Eagle
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When we think of the advertising business, many of us conjure an outdated Mad Men-like scene, replete with dark drama fueled by a constant supply of alcohol. Certainly, advertising today can be sexy — but day-to-day, is it really as fascinating as we imagine? In his debut novel “Truth in Advertising,” Brooklyn writer John Kenney sheds some light on this question; drawing upon his extensive experience in the industry, Kenney explores the true goings-on in the modern-day advertising world. With a candid perspective and consistent humor, Kenney follows Finbar Dolan — a fictional advertising professional who clumsily navigates the pressures of work, his love life, and his family. Kenney’s novel presents an absurd yet accurate window into the advertising world and one man’s struggle to make sense of his life’s work.
Comedian Andy Borowitz conducted a Q&A with Kenney, uncovering the truths behind “Truth in Advertising.”
ANDY: You spent many years working in advertising. What made you decide to set your first novel in that world? Is the real world of advertising both as funny —and sad— as your fictional version?
JOHN: It’s a cliché but they say write about what you know. So for me it was write about advertising or the inside world of being a busboy. Advertising, certainly in the post-Mad Men era, seems to have an allure. People find it exciting and fast-paced. It certainly can be. But day to day it’s far more boring, certainly for creative people, whose days are spent sitting in an office trying to think of ideas, most of which aren’t that great (in my experience, anyway). I don’t think it’s a sad business at all but it can test one’s resolve. There are times when it’s easy to step outside of the project at hand and say, “Do we really need to be this serious about the new sodium-free ketchup spot?” That said, I liked it better than being a busboy.
ANDY: What’s the biggest misconception about advertising, and why does that interest you as a novelist?
Kenney will appear at Greenlight Bookstore on January 23, in conversation with Brooklyn author Jami Attenberg. The event will begin at 7:30pm. Greenlight is located at 686 Fulton Street in Fort Greene.