Friday, February 02, 2007

Punk Legends, At-Home Dads, Updates, Irony, Etc.

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that my former classmate, Ivor Hanson, a) had a book out and b) was doing the at-home dad thing. I failed to note, however, that Ivor also had a first-person piece about an old motorcycle (but really about the shift in perspective that came with his fatherhood) published by the New York Times:
... I just never pictured myself a father. Indeed, when my twin brother’s son was born four years ago in Manhattan, I remember telling my mom in the hospital’s waiting room, "I am not ready for this." Now I can’t picture another sort of life.
Needless to say, I think you should buy Ivor's book. Whether or not you listen to his music is up to you. (Though I often wonder if I should be outgrowing my punk phase, I'm having a hard time leaving it behind.)

And while we’re talking updates (and punk sensibility), I should note that I’m derelict in not bringing you the other dustup over Neal Pollack’s Alternadad (to follow on the Globe and Mail commentary suggesting that Alternadad was boring/unhip/unoriginal).

The new uber-hip parenting site Babble published an attempted takedown of Pollack by Lisa Carver -- and allowed Pollack to respond -– and even after reading the pieces, I still have no idea what it is about the book or the author that has everyone in a tizzy. Look, I understand that first-person parenting writing isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. And you may not like Pollack’s style. But that hardly explains the vitriol, as if parenting is some sort of sacred topic and must be written about just so.

But the most bizarre point in Carver’s rant (which Pollack points out) is her contention that no one in his or her right mind would ever write about parenthood and that she – as a paid parenting writer (albeit for Babble) – is covering the subject under duress (she writes -- literally -- "my editor makes me.").

So I figure it’s worthwhile to warn readers of this blog: if you don’t like extended navel-gazing about fatherhood, please don’t visit.

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