Too Cool to Get Married and Other True Stories

These tales of two cities, Dallas and New York, draw a memorable portrait of rootless young people of the 1970s and early '80s. Freelance writer Seeley is a reflective, detached member of that generation, a generation spending its youth on casual sex, liquor, drugs, punk rock and the search for peer acceptance. The title story tells of a triangle involving Seeley, a young woman he thought he loved and a businessman who, like the author, considered marrying Hilary. There are other selections about a writer manque, an East Village addict who is cured, Texas lifeguards, the impact of AIDS on night life coast-to-coast and a ``modern marriage.'' The summary piece, which considers the rebellion against restrictions, ``The No Decade,'' is right on target. (Jan.)