Fathers: A Literary Anthology edited by Andre Gerard
About the editor:
Andre Gerard (Publisher) has an MA in English Literature from the University of Washington and over twenty-five years of private tutoring experience. As for the skills required to manage the constant chaos associated with publishing, Andre credits marathon running with building stamina, discipline and toughness: bird banding with sharpening curiousity and a sense of adventure; and lengthy stints as a Postal Production Planning and Quality Assurance Officer and, later, as a Fish Processing Plant Manager with teaching him practical business skills. His favourite refrain is Melville’s “Oh, Time, Strength, Cash and Patience.”
About the book:
Fathers: A Literary Anthology is a literary treasure trove. Wise and wonderfully varied essays and poems by five Nobel laureates and by writers such as Margaret Atwood, Alan Bennet, Angela Carter, Virginia Woolf and Franz Kafka also make Fathers a powerful self-help manual for all children trying to understand and improve their relationships with their fathers. As well, the inspired musings in this collection will help all fathers—fathers young and fathers old—better appreciate the complexities of their role and the rich rewards it offers.
My take on the book:
Fathers: A Literary Anthology has something for everyone interested in reading about different perspectives about fatherhood. This compilation of essays, poems and excerpts has been meticulously put together by the book’s publisher/editor Andre Gerard. The inclusion of such amazing literary and historic figures such as Winston Churchill, James Baldwin and Leonard Cohen is really impressive and will be a huge draw for literature enthusiasts such as myself (My B.A is in Literature).
The introductions to each piece in this collection are very well written and give the reader excellent insights into the reason for their inclusion. One of my favorite essays in the anthology is “In the Name of My Father” by Ken Saro-Wiwa Jr. Saro-Wiwa Jr.’s father was a political activist in Nigeria who spoke out against Shell Oil’s activities in his country. His father’s death in November of 1995 rocked the world and many throughout the world condemned the Nigerian government’s actions included such figures as Nelson Mandela and Bill Clinton. Saro-Wiwa Jr.’s essay is very moving and is sure to bring out sympathy from readers.
Another must-read, among the many, from this anthology is James Baldwin’s Notes of a Native Son, a stirring piece on racism and its consequences through several generations.
All in all, I’m thrilled to have had the opportunity to read and review this collection. For lovers of literature, it is a worthy book to add to your shelf, and for those interested in the multi-faceted views on fathers will not be disappointed in adding this to their shelves as well.