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Fathering Daughters: Reflections by Men
A landmark collection of original essays that fills the void of writing by men about their daughters. Contributors include Phillip Lopate, Rick Bass, Gerald Early, Gary Soto, Scott Sanders, Nicholas Delbanco, and Alan Cheuse.
- GenresParenting
237 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
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February 5, 2016
I have wondered what fathers understand about daughters. I have tried, never successfully, to put my own feelings about having a daughter (and a son) into words.
Here are nineteen essays that do the job. They are grouped by the different stages in a daughter's (and so a father's) life, from anticipating the birth to beholding the emerging adult.
These are not how-to essays, but express very personal experience. Every voice is distinct.
I had favorites, of course: Lopate on his anticipation of a transcendental experience and the concrete reality of the labor and delivery room--hilarious; Schwartz's gratitude to the birth and foster mothers of his daughter's infancy--profound; Early's surprise at his daughter's driving lesson; McPherson's dedication to keeping close across distances, and fostering an internal diz-Disneyland.
Every one of the essays has something good to share. The final one by Smith closes the circle with "Ordinary Blessings" capturing the parent's fear of bringing vulnerable life into this harsh world, and yet knowing the wonder of creating the inexhaustible gift that is life.
Here are nineteen essays that do the job. They are grouped by the different stages in a daughter's (and so a father's) life, from anticipating the birth to beholding the emerging adult.
These are not how-to essays, but express very personal experience. Every voice is distinct.
I had favorites, of course: Lopate on his anticipation of a transcendental experience and the concrete reality of the labor and delivery room--hilarious; Schwartz's gratitude to the birth and foster mothers of his daughter's infancy--profound; Early's surprise at his daughter's driving lesson; McPherson's dedication to keeping close across distances, and fostering an internal diz-Disneyland.
Every one of the essays has something good to share. The final one by Smith closes the circle with "Ordinary Blessings" capturing the parent's fear of bringing vulnerable life into this harsh world, and yet knowing the wonder of creating the inexhaustible gift that is life.
Displaying 1 of 1 review