“Generations of family memories wash away in Silver Falls.”
fathers
Fighting the Tree
“Maybe I wasn’t the son Dad wanted. Maybe, if he could have, he would have picked another kid, a son he could enjoy parenting.”
Extraordinary Circumstances
Kenneth Watkins’s son, Kenny, was 6 days old when he was taken away by ACS, New York City’s child-welfare agency. Kenny was then placed with an affluent foster family. To regain custody, Watkins had to prove that being poor didn’t make him a bad father. Despite Watkins’ constant efforts, it took years to get Kenny […]
The Bees In My Brain
“I’d sometimes wonder if my dad had bees of his own. Little creatures that spoke to him in his native tongue, telling him he wasn’t good enough, too.”
The Kitchen Dad
“Place the oyster on a bed of ice and go to the next one. It’s possible to refine this technique to perfection. Like changing a diaper.”
Carrying Histories of Protest
Jaquira Díaz witnesses her father’s rebellious fight for a better life, and her homeland’s fight for its place in the world.
One Man’s Poison
The only way to protect herself from her father was to erase him from her life, but she survived being his daughter by acting just like he did.
Finding My Father
At age thirty-two, after years working as an exotic dancer, the daughter of a mysteriously absentee father finally puts together the pieces that had been missing her whole life.
Father’s Little Helper
A personal essay in which, while under the influence of Valium, Scott Korb reflects on all the fathers he could have been and the father he has become.
Father’s Little Helper
While under the influence of Valium, Scott Korb reflects on all the fathers he could have been and the father he has become.