About this item
“A captivating journey through the humor, pitfalls, delusions, and dangers of extreme family dysfunction and the boundless capacity of human love. The intelligent facility of Birkenhead’s writing shines” (Blogcritics.com). Peter Birkenhead grew up trying to understand his father, a terrifying, charismatic presence who brutalized his family but also enchanted them with his passion and whimsy. An avid gun-collector and a virulently anti-war peacenik, a popular economics professor and a wife-swapping nudist, a near-radical leftist and a lifelong fan of the British Empire (who would don a pith helmet and imitate Michael Caine playing Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead in the bloody war film Zulu ), he was a man who could knock his young son down the stairs one day and the next cry about putting the family’s aged dog to sleep.
About the Author
Peter Birkenhead is a regular contributor to Salon.com, where he writes personal essays and cultural criticism. An essay about Oprah's endorsement of The Secret was the most-read piece on the site in 2007. He's also a regular contributor to Marie Claire Magazine, and has written for GQ, The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune and other publications. As an actor he has extensive stage and television credits. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Jenny, and daughter, Alice. Visit his website at: http://www.peterbirkenhead.com
