In honor of Father's Day, Oprah (yes, I am coming out of the closet about my TV habits) had a whole show about single dads. These two stories brought tears to my eyes--and they're both related to writing and books.
The first is about Gregory Maguire, author of Wicked, and his family. Now I'll be honest, I still haven't seen the Broadway show (though I've entered the lottery for reduced-price tickets several times) and the book was over my head/too much fantasy for me to finish. But now I admire Mr. Maguire even more. I love how Maguire and his husband are co-parents, splitting the caring of their family equally, which is something many "conventional" couples could learn from. It annoys me to no end when dads who are just being good dads are called "Mr. Mom" or praised for "helping" their wives or "babysitting," when they are just being the parents that all fathers should be. Or when commercials and TV shows perpetuate the myth that men are somehow inadequate at housework and child care. Let's get with 2009, people.
The second is about New York Times editor Dana Canedy's book, A Journal for Jordan, which tells the story of the amazing diary her husband left for their son before returning to his deployment in Iraq, where he died. Among all its other moving messages, I was struck by how powerful and life-changing writing can be, and how it can be the legacy one leaves behind.
- L'Editrice
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