The Fear
The paper came home in Eliza’s folder, innocently waiting for us to pull it out and give it a read. It looked like another book fair notice, or maybe an update on holiday events. But it was actually a notice alerting parents that on Nov…
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Bad Papa West Origins, A Trilogy – Episode 2
Part 1: Isolation, Anhedonia, and Heath Ledger For Episode one click here. Disclaimer: This is a blog post. As such I am rushing through events and condensing timelines, leaving out details and explanations that I would include in a memoir or a screenplay. I don’t…
Bad Papa West Origins, A Trilogy – Episode 1
Episode One: Coke Dick, Fetus, and Panic Hey man, how come you treat your woman so bad? That’s not the way you do it. No, no, no… you shouldn’t do it like that. -Pulp “A Little Soul” I didn’t turn into a father the moment…
#MyEvilGenius
This week’s installment is a bit of a departure in terms of format. Hope you like it. #True story all. — Bad Papa East
A Space Mountain of Lies
Parenthood is about letting go. Letting go of power and of control. Control, in the early stages of childhood, can manifest as deceit at times. OK, lies. I’ve turned to Bush Jr. White House tactics. I was lying to my son for his own good:…
Sorry, Kid.
Yes, yes, I know. We’ve been having a blast watching the Mets get to the World Series. Cheering on home runs, outs, calling balls and strikes, yelling “Thor” whenever the camera caught his blonde mane. It’s been a good run. It still is. The Mets…
My Spider Sense is Tingling
It’s up to you to be a superhero. -Cat Power Sebastian spots Spiderman among the costumed characters and caped crusaders. We’re mingling with Elmo, Despicable Me, Woody and Buzz. There’s a grimy Batman who’s making the rounds and then I spot another Elmo. That’s two…
Where’s the Magic?
Yesterday Sebastian turned six. What a ride so far. When he was born we were subjected to a torrent of baby gifts and greeting cards. One of the cards stood out to me at the time. “Have a magical childhood, Sebastian!” it read As I…
(Why) I Hate Candy Land
Long before I met Mario, or slipped my first grubby quarter into a Dig Dug machine, or sat down to master the finer arts of Ms. Pac Man, I loved playing games. Board games, card games and run around outside games like tag and capture…