A 2000 Bellefontaine High School graduate who now resides in Los Angeles and works as a screenwriter said his childhood and teenage years in Bellefontaine and spending leisurely days at the Bellefontaine Municipal Pool and the adjacent Mary Rutan Park provided much of the inspiration for the recent publication of his first novel, Summer of ‘95.
Author Aaron Kennedy said his aim for the book was to document what life was like growing up in Bellefontaine and other small towns in the early 90s to early 2000s, before some of the cultural shifts that occurred more recently with the advent of the cell phone and computer revolution and rise of social media.
“Surprisingly, I’ve heard some of my older extended family and parent’s friends remark how the story depicted reminds them of their own childhood in the 60s and 70s as well,” said the son of city residents Mike and Karen Kennedy who also has a brother who resides in West Liberty and two other siblings who live in Columbus.
“Cable TV certainly played a role in the lives of 90s kids, but the foundation of everyday life still consisted of going outside and socializing whether at the pool, friend’s private pools, or finished basements.
“Finished basements were a huge thing in the 90s that shaped the whole Blockbuster/Pizza Hut sleepover culture that most teenagers from that era still look back fondly on. Ultimately, all generations of kids growing up in the 20th Century sort of lived the experience of leaving the house on your bike, and not seeing your parents until dinner.
“What you did while you were gone was between you and your friends, and it never got back to your parents — hopefully!”
He remembers the city pool and Mary Rutan Park as the “epicenter of park culture in the 90s.
“My memory of the pool back then was that every square inch was packed like a ‘Where’s Waldo’ book, and the parking lot spilled over onto Allison Road, and well up the block. It was a real beehive of activity from the pool, to the basketball, tennis and wiffle ball courts.”
Following his graduation from Wright State University, Kennedy said he moved to Los Angeles almost 15 years ago to pursue screenwriting. While he has wanted to write about his earlier years in Bellefontaine since college, he explained it took some time to determine how to shape some of his thoughts and ideas into a narrative.
“After writing screenplays for a decade, I’ve become very conscientious about supplying a story with a clear plot thrust, but I wasn’t sure what that thrust for the book would be until recently,” the author said.
“Shaping the book turned into a juggling act of finding a place for all these different characters and personalities that shaped the social landscape of that era, and place them into a plot of a teenager becoming alienated by his group of friends who want to fast track their lives into the teenage experience of chasing girls, sneaking out, and becoming young adults.”
Summer of ‘95 follows main character Troy Turner in his summertime adventures before eighth-grade and interactions with his circle of friends. He discovers that his buddies are changing in front his eyes and are no longer interested in some of the simple pleasures of childhood.
“Troy’s idyllic small town existence becomes threatened as he tries to balance the looming presence of a testy father also on summer break, the pressures of teenage party culture, and examine his anxieties towards the opposite sex,” according to Kennedy’s website, Aaron-Kennedy.com.
As far as getting the book published, Kennedy said he queried a few dozen publishing houses and book agents, but wasn’t able to gain interest. However, in this era of self-publishing, the BHS graduate said it was “a blessing in disguise” because it enables the author to work even harder to get their book into the hands of readers.
“Getting a book deal is the author’s dream, but in this day where all the technology empowers self-publishing, books like Summer of ‘95 can live on the Internet and progressively find its audience.
“It’s humbling in the sense that you have to start from the ground floor, fighting and scratching for every sale, like, and share. But if the writer’s expectations are in check, the process can be a fun side-hobby and learning experience.
“In a way, you’re your own business, and you have to handle everything from editing, formatting, cover art, social media presence, and marketing yourself. There’s no red carpet book launch waiting to herald you as a literary genius, but with this book, the feedback I’ve received from friends and family has been worth the effort.”
For other individuals who are interested in the self-publishing endeavor, he encouraged them to take the plunge, but also to take their time and be patient with the outcome.
“The experience of self-publishing will be completely different for everyone. Some will excel at the self-promotion and marketing aspect, or write in a genre that will find an audience faster than others.
“Either way, as long as the writer’s expectations are that it will probably take time to find their audience, and they won’t be able to quit their day job right away — it can be a very rewarding experience. Since you’re doing all the work, it requires that you really believe in your story.”
In addition to writing Summer of ‘95, Kennedy has been writing screenplays and making short films for the last decade. His short films have been comedic for the most part, but also includes a recent dramatic short called, “The Meaning of Work.”
After reaching out to so many of his personal contacts, Kennedy said the next challenge will be getting the book into different circles and reader’s hands who don’t know him personally.
“My thought is that most small towns across America were similar to Bellefontaine in the 80s and 90s, and that others my age will recognize elements from their own experience.
“My hope is that the book finds readers who take a chance on it because they feel like this is the story of their childhood they’ve been waiting to read, but just didn’t know it yet.”
His novel is available on Amazon.com, and more info can be found at Aaron-Kennedy.com or on the “Summer of ‘95” Facebook page. Readers can reach out to him via e-mail at [email protected].