Seattle native’s debut novel captures the energy of Gen X coming of age in a city on the brink of change
interview by Cathy Carroll
The Sylvan Hotel: a Seattle Story brings 1990s Seattle vividly to life in this Gen X coming of age story. At The Sylvan, a small luxury hotel in Capitol Hill, rock stars slip by in low-lit spaces, and the switchboard crackles with drama. Joann’s working at reception, but not planning to stay long—she’s “just paying bills” while figuring out a career. The hotel world draws her in, however, with love affairs, late-night confessions and friendships forged in quiet spaces between phone calls and cigarette breaks, while everyone’s trying to get somewhere else. Hilarity, joy and angst ensue as the ’90s roll forward, sweeping all the Sylvans away as they navigate the swing shift—and the bittersweet adventure of growing up. We spoke with author Frannie James about her love letter to the people and places that shape us, whether we mean to stay or not.
What inspired you to revisit ( 1990s Seattle, and what did you hope to capture about Gen X coming of age in that moment?
First, I’ve always liked the coming-of-age genre—there’s such a good, brutal honesty to it. And coming of age in a city that’s also coming of age adds an interesting parallel—similar to my experience in ’90s Seattle—a personally epic “crossroads” that spanned from about 1991 to 1993. At that time, the Emerald City was like a magical incubator, overflowing with creativity and community. Yes, there were drugs; yes, we were still coming out of an economic slump.
But somehow, the “magic” held its own during this wonderful, albeit fleeting, moment. Fast-forward to 2017, and I noticed that ’90s Seattle continued to be portrayed through a pretty narrow lens. But if it’s “Seattle’s most storied era,” shouldn’t there be more kinds of stories about it?
Plus, Gen X kids were interesting. We grew up without tech, then watched it unfold. And we were the first generation to bear witness to a new business model: shareholder value as prioritized over workers. Therefore, a lot of Gen Xers “dared” to hit the pause button when it came to traditional career paths. But even if you wanted a corporate gig, entry-level positions weren’t necessarily available due to the economic climate.
Ultimately, I don’t believe Gen X lacked work ethic. Rather, they were truth seekers who eventually became the most entrepreneurial generation.
How did the main character, Joann, take shape for you, and how much of her story draws on your own experiences in that world?
A collage of people and experiences informed the writing in The Sylvan Hotel—starting with me! For example, I grew up across from Genesee Park, was 20-something in ’90s Seattle and worked for two hotels during that era. Like Joann, I was also brought up in a working-class household. What’s key is that the city was more affordable then. My parents in fact, owned their house outright—but (like Joann’s parents) they were determined to send me and my siblings to Catholic schools, which made for a lot of selfinflicted hardship. Also, we attended school in the North End, but our “real life” was in the South End (similar to Joann). Later, I was interested in an advertising career but needed to pay rent while I figured things out (same as Joann). And, of course, I loved early ’90s Seattle. It was just a more “down-home” place—but one charged with possibility, art, connection. Most of all, it was still accessible and manageable for workingclass folks. Sounds almost mythical, right? Like a grungy Camelot (haha)!
In 1991, Nirvana had catapulted us into global fame, tech was rumbling, and espresso was brewing. We were beautifully “on the brink” so to speak … but it couldn’t last forever. And as we saw with Joann, sometimes, it’s just hard to say goodbye.
