Wednesday, August 18, 2010

I've Got a Crush On: Michael Lewis and Tabitha Soren


I'm 35, the perfect age to remember and adore Tabitha Soren as an MTV dj: plucky, intelligent, cute and never trying too hard when surrounded by the uber-cool. When bought the memoir Home Game from Borders, I quickly realized it's author, Michael Lewis, had made 2 uber-cool moves: married Tabitha Soren, the erstwhile MTVdj and recent photographer, and written the book The Blind Side which was made into a movie and another crush of mine- Sandra Bullock- had starred in.
And then I read his book.

The first rule of fatherhood is that if you don't see what the problem is, you are the problem.

I get her ( daughter Quinn ) to school and enjoy a brief feeling of self-satisfaction: I am coping manfully with a big mess.... This cheering thought lasts until I get home and find my wife in tears. Often I try to hide, but usually she spots me, and when she does, she will usually say something poignant. " I feel like I'm going through this alone, " for instance. Or, " I don't know how much more of this I can take. "

The other day on the way to school Quinn demanded, unusually, that I shut off the nursery rhymes. Then, even more unusually, she sat silently, staring straight ahead and ignoring my attempts to engage her in conversation. I tilted the rearview mirror to make sure she wasn't choking on something and was greeted with a gaze of what can only be described as mad intensity. Finally she said, " My daddy is dead. "
Four weeks ago, before the birth of Dixie, this would have shocked me. Now it's almost pleasantly familiar.


This book ( culled from Lewis' column on parenthood at Slate ) brought praise but also took a lot of flack for it's man-cave mentality, but I am here to tell you it's laugh out loud and wake your family funny, more than worth it's 14$ paperback price. Of course he drives the points home harder than necessary, of course he pushes the edge to get the laugh, but there is a frank honesty about this memoir- which chronicles the birth an first year of their three children- Quinn, Dixie and Walker- and the marriage that is immensely appealing and sweet. I read it and Mr. Curry read it and we both still quote from it, grinning.


What a cool family.* love children's names!
Caroline said...

Definitely sounds like something I'd like to check out. Thanks for the review.

redsneakz said...

Odd that you and I have the same girl-crushes :-)

I've found that the real first rule of fatherhood is "Shut up and listen."

Lindsey said...

I read that book last year and laughed out loud the whole time. On every page there was something that made me giggle. Honestly. I thought it was hi-larious, wise, honest, true. xo

Anonymous said...

Thanks for dropping by,

I love that your blog is titled Flux Capacitor, it is my one ambition in life to have a De Lorean. Also true the kids names are great, I want another girl just so I can call her Quinn and have an Ivy and a Quinn like the dork I am

Amanda said...

That sounds fascinating. Thank you for the recommendation! :)

Elizabeth said...

I think I've read parts of it or essays from it and laughed like an idiot! There's another really good man-memoir about fatherhood by Michael Chabon. He's married to Ayelet Waldman who got so much flak for writing about mothering and how she loves her husband more than their five children. Anyway, happy reading!

White Tapestry said...

Thanks for the recommendation...sounds like one of those books that you can refer back to:)

PS...having a giveaway today if you'd like to stop over!
Juliexo

88highburycorner said...

Thanks for checking out my blog, I love yours its like a breath of fresh air, so inspiring.

Phoenix said...

Awesome. I'm still giggling at just the two anecdotes you posted. I'm adding it to my "To-Read" list!

Maggie May said...

it is seriously funny! and check out the link i put up of Tabitha's photography site...her photos are really cool.

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