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LOCAL CATHOLIC SCHOOLS ALUMNI DISCUSS THEIR NEW BOOK, “THE LAST BEAUTIFUL BABY”

By PATTY MAHONEY     5/15/2024

THE LAST BEAUTIFUL Baby,” the self-published book by Catholic school alumni Annabelle Elise and Steven Sliwoski, is an allegory on social media and how we shouldn’t focus on a perceived notion of perfection.

Instead, we should focus on what makes us beautiful and unique — what nature and God intended for us.

The book, the first installation in a series titled, “The Last Beautiful Books,” was cultivated from years of shared experiences.

ANNABELLE ELISE HOLDS A COPY OF “THE LAST BEAUTIFUL BABY” DURING A VISIT WITH ORANGE COUNTY CATHOLIC SCHOOLS STAFF, DR. DENISE VALADEZ, DR. BRAD SNYDER AND DR. ERIN BARISANO, ALONG WITH HER WRITING PARTNER, STEVEN SLIWOSKI. PHOTO COURTESY OF ANNABELLE ELISE

A DECADE OF FRIENDSHIP
Annabelle Elise and Steven Sliwoski go way back.

They first met when they were in middle school — she at La Purísima Catholic School in Orange and him at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School in Yorba Linda.

Running in similar social circles, their paths crossed several times during their high school days while they were at Rosary Academy (’16) and Servite (’15) respectively.

But they forged a deeper friendship and ultimately, a creative partnership, during their college years. The two would talk about their future plans and the creative paths they wanted to pursue.

One day, Sliwoski shared his book idea.

“Steven was the one with the idea for this book series and I’ve always been a talented writer, so we decided to join forces and co-author this together,” said Elise.

THE MAIN IDEA
The idea for “The Last Beautiful Baby” came from Sliwoski thinking about the mental health crisis affecting the world, especially young people in this country, with the primary cause being social media.

“I thought about myself and pretty much all my friends,” he said, “and how we had been affected by it – for the most part, negatively.”

He continued: “A lot of that negative perception was coming from these fake ideals of perfection that can be created online, and these digital facades that we were comparing ourselves to, whether intentional or not.”

It’s easy to get lost in the endless scrolling on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok – and being confronted with seemingly endless images of perfection.

“Steve and I grew up in a very unique time,” said Elise. “We truly did grow up alongside social media. When we were going into high school, that was the dawn of Instagram and all of those things.”

She added: “As a young woman going through all those changes in high school and finding yourself and self-worth, social media was very harmful and very toxic. When Steven brought this idea to my attention, it threw me for a loop. What kind of example do I want to set for my kids?”

While social media does have its pros — like creating different online communities and being a means of world-wide communication, it’s hard to ignore this relentless pursuit of perfection.

“You’re seeing post after post that is specifically curated to be meticulously perfect in every way,” said Sliwoski, “whether it’s edited or part of an ongoing photo shoot and by the end of your scrolling, it’s hard not to feel inadequate.”

By the end of our social media session, we may find ourselves asking — what is wrong with me? Why am I not thriving like them?

DESIGNER BABIES
Sliwoski pondered the future and the fear that things are going to get tougher as we get deeper into these technological growths and evolutions.

“I can’t imagine the world that my kids and grandkids are going to grow up to and be subjected to,” he said.

Creating a “designer baby” involves hand-picking genes, or genetically modifying an embryo to have specific traits. The advantages include removing genes that contain diseases, but as Sliwoski says, “it’s a slippery slope.”

Current ethics have halted designer babies from becoming mainstreamed, but Sliwoski said, “that could shift at any time. It seems like every day the ethical, or moral landscape slips away further.”

If designer babies were to become the norm one day, what then would mental health look for tomorrow’s children?

Sliwoski, for one, “would like to put all my trust and faith into nature and God’s plan.”

Sliwoski and Elise said they hope the book serves a thought project for young families to consider the world that we are developing into with technology and perhaps every reader will reflect on what they want in their life and what example they are going to set for their kids.

THE GROUNDWORK FOR SUCCESS
Both authors point to their Catholic school education as fueling their drive to succeed. Sliwoski has dyslexia and school was a challenge for him, but he credits the patience and the nurturing guidance of his teachers for inspiring him to succeed.

Elise says she was a quick learner at school — outspoken and always on the go. But she had mental health challenges “directly stemming from social media.”

She credits her English teachers who told her “to write about it” and she never stopped.

“This book is a true testament to the teachers I’ve had along the way,” she said.

Dr. Erin Barisano, superintendent of Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Orange, said she is proud of their accomplishments.

“Their personal stories are a beautiful testament to the power of Catholic schools and their book series offers a strong moral message on cultural topics,” said Dr. Barisano. “They are a great example of how Catholic school graduates transform the world.”

To learn more about the “The Last Beautiful Books” series, order a copy or subscribe to the newsletter for the latest updates, visit https://www.thelastbeautifulbooks.com/

“The Last Beautiful Baby” can also be purchased on Amazon.com

“Our book shouldn’t be looked at as anti-technology,” added Elise, “but as pro-humanity.”