From Granta.com comes a beautifully written piece by Alexander Chee on his father, which is actually a series of recollections on authors and their fathers. I don’t think there’s anything more that needs to be said by me since I’d just give it away. Just read it.
It made me wonder how I’d write about my own dad. Given that he is unusually taciturn, even for Asian American dads–I’ve gotten used to having whole conversations where his only responses were nuanced grunts that seemed to convey more meanings than him actually speaking full sentences to me, I’d probably write more about that. In fact, I know he needs my help if he actually needs to talk to me, as in, have a conversation. I think that’s how his marriage to my mom lasted for so long–and how I have an apparently hyperacute sense of intuition and reading body language, since I look at those cues more than anything when having a conversation with anyone. Having a conversation with my dad otherwise can be pretty infuriating if you don’t pick up those signals.
(Hat tip: Christine, via twitter)
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2 Comments to “Granta.com’s “Portraits of My Father””
Moye wrote:
Ditto here. I like how it reflects the diversity of having an Asian father that’s not limited to the predictable “My dad made me to go to med school instead of art school” tearjerker.
Posted on 11-Mar-09 at 10:41 am | Permalink
jennifer wrote:
awesome story, efren…i wish i could write one about my dad but there are so many things that he doesn’t know I know
Posted on 11-Mar-09 at 10:54 am | Permalink
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