About this item
"With a dispassionate but tender eye, Thompson captures the ache, fizz, yearning and frustration of being the father of adolescent boys - and of adolescence itself, observed and remembered." - Michael ChabonWhat makes a good father, and what makes one a failure? Does less-is-more parenting inspire independence and strength, or does it encourage defiance and trouble? Kickflip Boys is the story of a father's struggle to understand his willful skateboarder sons, challengers of authority and convention, to accept his role as a vulnerable "skate dad," and to confront his fears that the boys are destined for an unconventional and potentially fraught future.With searing honesty, Neal Thompson traces his sons' progression through all the stages of skateboarding: splurging on skate shoes and boards, having run-ins with security guards, skipping classes and defying teachers, painting graffiti, drinking and smoking, and more.
About the Author
Neal Thompson is a journalist and the author of six highly acclaimed books, including A Curious Man, Driving with the Devil, and Kickflip Boys. His latest, The First Kennedys: The Humble Roots of an American Dynasty, publishes 2/22/22.A former newspaper reporter, Neal has written for the New York Times, the Washington Post, Esquire, Outside, Men's Health, Vanity Fair, the Wall Street Journal, Backpacker, Sports Illustrated and more. Neal has appeared on NPR, PBS, The Daily Show, CNN, C-Span, Fox, TNT, The History Channel, and ESPN. Neal has taught creative non-fiction at the University of North Carolina's Great Smokies Writing Program, and Hugo House, and served on the board of Seattle Arts & Lectures. Neal is a runner, reader, skier, stand-up paddleboarder, swimmer, yogi, and a naturalized Irish citizen.Originally from New Jersey, he now lives in Seattle with his family. www.NealThompson.comNeal also publishes the Blood & Whiskey newsletter: crime fiction reviews, cocktails, and playlists.bloodandwhiskey.substack.com
