LOST IN SPACE
Ben
Tanzer. Curbside Splendor Publishing, $14.95 paperback (200p) ISBN: 978-0988480469
Tanzer’s
disarming and addictive prose rules the day in this heartwarming collection of
essays about fatherhood. Always seeking sleep yet always alert and being a
father of two boys (one of whom, as a child, “had only one adult tooth come in,
and it was enormous and weird, and awesome to behold when he laughed.”) Tanzer
keeps watch so the rest of us can chill. Whether his senses are being pummeled
by a colicky baby, or he’s trying to understand why a child is more concerned
with the reason for half seasons of Glee
than with the concept of individuality, or whether he’s giving himself a
timeout to quell some inner rage with some Rage
Against the Machine and shadowboxing—or with a run: “Because even more than
writing, or escaping into a book, when the world is spinning just a little too
much beyond what I can control or make sense of, it is running that usually
allows me to get by.”—Tanzer’s desire to share his life and to impart his
wisdom is unflappable. Pop culture references abound, parenting insights are
gleaned from an episode of Mad Men,
and though certain references might be lost on some readers it won’t matter:
It’s Tanzer’s charm that shines through and carries the load. There are
standout passages throughout this outstanding collection, and this particular
passage about 9/11 and how life doesn’t stop really stood out to this reader:
“And yet, it has barely been 48 hours. Unbelievable maybe, but true. Only 48
hours since the Towers fell and planes dropped from the sky, and the world in
so many ways, big, small, and otherwise, has gone on. People are at work. The
highways are crowded. Starbucks everywhere are making coffee. And as we whip
along the highway, blue skies above, lazy clouds lolling about, playfully
really, even the leaves are starting to change.” Beneath this collection’s
levity, and also interspersed with it, are powerful moments that demonstrate a
true ease of emotion when it comes to a parent connecting with a child or, as
is often the case here, an author with a reader. Both yielding and relentless,
the writing itself reflects the core lessons offered within the pages, that
life does indeed go on and control is but an illusion. (March 2014)
Purchase
Lost in Space HERE.
Reviewer
bio: Mel Bosworth is the author of the novel FREIGHT. Visit his website at melbosworth.com
