Yuppie Author McInerney Reads Work at Advocate

Over figs, white wine, and the traditional runny brie, author Jay McInerney gave a reading at the Harvard Advocate last night of the works that have earned him the sobriquet "chronicler of yuppie angst."

An audience of about 35 students listened to McInerney recite episodes of random violence, drug abuse, drunkeness and social alienation that make up his best selling first novel Bright Lights, Big City.

"I think a lot of people bought the book for the wrong reasons," said McInerney after the reading. "But I would hate to write a book that couldn't be misunderstood."

The boyish-looking author also spoke about the difficulty of following up on a runaway success like Bright Lights. "If Bright Lights hadn't been so successful, my second book would probably have been very similar."

Instead, his recently released second novel, "Ransom," was based on his experiences while living in Japan. "I tried to write it for ten years. Working on it is how I learned how to write," he said.

No Spokesman He.

McInerney, who graduated from Williams College in 1976, said he dislikes being tagged as a spokesman for his generation. "I object to that because it is based on a sloppy reading of Bright Lights. I was even a little dismayed by the favorable press."

"I often have to answer for the sins of my generation," he said, adding that being considered a representative of upscale decadence is sometimes a strain. "I had a reporter follow me into the bathroom to see if I was snorting cocaine. So I asked her if she had any," McInerney said.

McInerney has written a screenplay for the movie version of Bright Lights, and he recently began work on his third novel. Screenwriting, he said, "is not like writing a novel--it's camel by committee time--but the perks are great."

The movie is scheduled to begin filming in May.