A Memoir“It was an intense read & honestly I was very surprised. My only complaint is that it ended & wanted more...write 20!”
- M.A.
“I was prepared to be thoroughly bored, as the field of male clothing models was likely to be of no interest to this medical scientist. Was pleasantly surprised, astounded perhaps, that Daryl’s colloquial and humble style brought everything alive from a personal perspective such that I couldn’t put it down and plead for a sequel as soon as he can write it!”
- W.S.
“I have too many words to describe your book! I think that these words are the most appropriate: captivating, excellent writing and an awesome story! I can’t wait until the day the second book is finished! I hope that there is one soon!!”
- W.S.
“I want to let you know how much I loved every word of your book. You captured that moment in time perfectly, and in such detail. I felt as if I was reliving some of the same experiences!”
- M.R., Entrepreneur
“I finished reading your book in one day! I think it is great!! So many things about Milan, Paris and NYC mirrored my own experiences as a thirty year old on the same circuit!”
- M.J.O.
“Great details in every part of your book, loving the read! Great book, you dialed into so much of what we all went through, the doubt, the egos, the highs and lows of the business! Well done!! I love it, brings back that world to me again, you are a great writer! I like everything. You are certainly honest, and I love that.”
- R.R.
“Finally completed your book after my insecure roommate ripped off the cover (your face). I found it to be an interesting read, and completely related to your experiences. Loved the read! Continue to write, you have the gift. :)”
- D.G.
“Finished your book, VERY WELL DONE!! A great read, describing an amazing journey!”
- J.D.B.
“Blacklisted embarks on a likable young man's journey from a less than ideal, small, midwestern upbringing to the bustling, make-it-or-break it streets of Manhattan. Daryl soon finds himself lured with a one-way ticket to Milan, where many wannabee models dreams have burst and left them desperate and living as scavengers in the city park. Daryl takes you through the world of the high fashion industry with fascinating detail which puts you amidst an extreme clash of ego, beauty, and self-wonderment. You'll be rooting for this level-headed kid to make it through this crazy art of deception industry. Walk along the streets of New York, Milan, and Paris. Find yourselves on exotic islands or a French countryside castle with Daryl, he takes you there with amazing detail and sense of being.”
- John Hanrahan
“Blacklisted by D.L. Janney is the gritty story of a vulnerable but spike-tough young man determined to make a better life for himself.
He has a “look,” and this will catapult him into the glam-fashion model world of the 80’s. You live Daryl’s story by his side as he barely survives in a grubby postage-stamp room outside NYC, to an equally depressing prostitute-ridden boarding house in Milan, and finally on to exotic locales only the rich and famous may ever see.
Daryl’s journey invites us into the mind of a young man who, when he was small, was repeatedly nearly drowned by his father in the public swimming pool of his mid-western town. A young person who saw little love and even less encouragement growing up. A young person of rare physical attraction and toughness and decency, but drained of self-confidence and wracked by painful and persistent self-doubt.
There is no fairy tale ending for this young man … but there is hope.”
- J Bean Palmer, Award-winning Author
“With a lot of determination and a little luck, perseverance pays off! Blacklisted by D.L. Janney is a great read for anyone who ever fantasized about what it's really like to maneuver in the world of beauty and fashion and what it takes to be successful in a truly competitive realm.
A fascinating story for both the gritty reality it portrays and the hard won realization that true joy is found in the unexpected moments of everyday.”
- James
“A surprisingly engrossing first novel by a compelling writer. Evocative scenes alternate with meditative descriptions of a journey through real and imagined terrain. Its searching protagonist is at once young, naive, wise, cynical, searching, hopeful and jaded. A book I found difficult to put down.”
- Anonymous
“Blacklisted by D.L. Janney is a roman á clef rooted in his life. His story is a story of supposedly one year of his life which happens to be the year that he sets forth into the world of modeling and recounts this brief span of time. Even though the idea is to speak about the ONE year, Mr. Janney surely provides us with more than enough of his personal background and information than one might need to know but all of it surely leaves the door open for the next installment ... if there is one.
The thinly veiled characters might be known to the reader if the reader happens to have travelled in that orbit at that time but otherwise will remain unrecognized. To say that this is a coming of age in one of the contiguous areas of the fashion business would be pretty accurate as he tells and explains to the reader what it takes and what is needed to rise to the top of an unbelievably competitive field. Make no mistake that our chief protagonist in Blacklisted has his demons to deal with every step of the way no matter the apparent success.
Janney tells his story meticulously as if he was planning this novel when he was 19. All details aside, this is a book that reminds us all that life is about timing ... being at the right place, at the right time and that all it takes is one person to believe in you!”
- Jeffrey Felner, Book Reviewer
“Blacklisted presents Daryl, a determined young man whose appearance lends to modeling jobs that take him away from a brutal childhood in a small Midwestern town to the glamour of New York City.
Daryl's trials in life aren't over, even though he's successfully left his past behind: indeed, they're just beginning, since he has no support systems, money, or contacts which could make the difference between success or failure in both the modeling world and in life.
Sometimes a fierce determination to rise above it all isn't enough. Sometimes the elements that contribute to success in life remain ever-elusive. And often the savviest of young men remain frustrated as they reach for a carrot of success that never quite seems to land squarely in their hands.
Such is Daryl: and as readers follow his successes and failures, so they come to admire and understand the foundations of his beliefs as he begins to acknowledge that he is "…the one person who brings me all the pain: myself."
Revelations such as these charge an emotional story of determination even when odds are firmly stacked against the protagonist. It's the processes of Daryl's coming of age in the world which makes his story so involving a read ("Whatever I loved in my family would be taken away from me, teaching me that to love anything or anyone would result in loss. I changed myself from an overly emotional and caring child into a careful and distant adult."). And, ultimately, it's the nature and circumstances of Daryl's life and choices that keeps readers immersed to an end which offers no pat answers or simple solutions.
Blacklisted is a coming-of-age story on the level of Catcher in the Rye and other classic writings, and is highly recommended for advanced and mature teens into new adult and adult audiences; especially those interested in pursuing novels about the nature of transformative processes.”
- D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer
“Your book is an eye-opener. Also for me!! I thought I knew everything on fashion life. Wrong! Beside, it is well written, very easy to read and very enjoyable. Thank you for the good words on me. I should advise everybody in the business to read it, there is a lot to learn. Bravo. "BLACKLISTED," by D.L. Janney, I repeat, it is a very important book for EVERYBODY in THE BUSINESS...”
- Fabrizio Gianni, Photographer
