Local author releases comedic take on modern dating

Jena Kinglsely, the author of Darcy Dates, brings humor, heart, and a fresh voice to the Park City literary scene. Photo: Jena Kingsley

PARK CITY, Utah — Jena Kingsley, the New York-born comedian, writer and viral video creator known for her sharp wit and bold social experiments, is now bringing her latest project, “Darcy Dates,” to the mountains of Park City.

Kingsley, who has called Thaynes Canyon home for the past two years, recently released “Darcy Dates,” a comedic dating diary born from a blog she first wrote anonymously during a culturally specific moment—before Instagram, when BlackBerrys were ubiquitous and skinny jeans reigned unironically.

“It started as a blog under a pen name, and very quickly gained popularity,” Kingsley said. “People who read it loved it. Darcy was my number one labor of love.”

After years of putting the project aside to focus on stand-up comedy and her viral prank videos—some of which have been featured by CNN, TIME, and The Today Show—Kingsley said she felt it was finally time to “set Darcy free.”

“I’m getting married in October, so it seemed like a great time,” she said. “And I’m so glad I did, because it’s been so well received. People are just loving it.”

Though “Darcy Dates” chronicles the absurdities of dating, Kingsley says it’s also about something deeper. “Ultimately, I think in the journey of finding love, Darcy realized she was actually trying to find herself,” she said. “You can’t be in a relationship until you’re able to stand on your own two feet.”

Originally a journalist with a degree from NYU, Kingsley transitioned from writing the blog to performing stand-up, then into social experiments that took off internationally. Her pranks—like pretending to be a bouncer at Starbucks or enforcing no-selfie zones in New York—have become case studies in law and marketing classrooms around the world.

“This is the first time Darcy is in the public eye under my name,” she said. “But I’m loving the reaction. Single people are like, ‘I’m not alone,’ and married people love to live vicariously through Darcy.”

Her comedy is dedicated to her father, who encouraged her sense of humor until his death from pancreatic cancer. “Six months before I started writing Darcy, he said, ‘You’re funny—really funny—and one day the whole world is going to know it,’” she recalled. “Publishing this book was a great way to honor him.”

Kingsley celebrated the launch of “Darcy Dates” locally with a signing at Dolly’s Bookstore, a Park City institution she called “an absolute favorite.” She’ll appear next at Barnes & Noble in Kimball Junction on June 29 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“I love hearing from my readers,” she said. “Come say hi at the signing—or write to me. I engage with every message. It’s my favorite thing.”

Asked what she hopes readers take from the book, Kingsley keeps it simple: “I hope they laugh. I hope it’s a great escape from the heaviness of the world right now.”

For more, find her on Instagram at @jenakingsley.