Nine dollars and ninety-five cents. That`s how much you`ll pay to own a copy of Angela Nissel`s book: The Broke Diaries. Considering that most trade paperbacks cost upward of twelve dollars, Random House is practically giving away Nissel`s journal style memoir about being a broke college student at the University of Pennsylvania. The bargain basement price is not a poor reflection on Nissel`s talent as a writer. Rather it is a decision made with you, the broke consumer, in mind.

In The Broke Diaries, Nissel offers new insight into that age-old question that has eluded so many -- exactly how do you make a dollar out of fifteen cents? In one episode, Nissel becomes involved in a scheme to get free textbooks by pretending to be a teacher`s assistant. In another, she describes how disappointing it is to look forward to a meal of steaming hot grits only to find one single solitary grit left in what she thought was a tube full of grits. Passages like these had me laughing out loud on the subway ride to and fro my barely keeping me not broke job.

However, as the book veered into territory that belongs to the realm of the working poor and not just the bohemian broke, i.e. check cashing places and food stamps, I became a little uncomfortable. After all, college is a tremendous privilege that many cannot afford and the simple fact that Nissel is enrolled ensures her at least one step up the social ladder. But Nissel is well aware that her temporary hardships are just that. Her narrative is intended to be lighthearted and humorous, a fact easily devised from Chris Rock`s advance praise: The best book I`ve read since, Snoopy Come Home.

Nissel`s perspective is in fact refreshing. Far too many believe the authentic Black experience in America is one strictly of poverty and oppression. Many do not know that Black people like Nissel exist. In fact, you may not immediately pick up on the fact that this is a broke Black person`s diary. Furthermore, at first glance, you cannot easily tell the race of the person on the cover. While probably not intentional, it may help the book avoid the dreaded way off in the corner by the restrooms Black Interest Shelf that so many African American writers find themselves regulated to in large bookstore chains.

To read The Broke Diaries is to pay homage to all the creative efforts put into making ends meet -- when there simply aren`t any ends to be met. Students will undoubtedly enjoy The Broke Diaries because chances are they are living The Broke Diaries. However, those who`ve since graduated may be a little resentful of Nissel`s misadventures. Particularly if, like me, you are slowly coming to terms wit h the fact that you are still broke because you`re in student loan debt, hold a job at a non-profit (or floundering dotcom startup) and insist on pursuing a career in writing or the arts.