Old Guy Dad

June 1, 2015
In his late fifties, Stahlnovelist, screenwriter, memoirist, outspoken former junkiefound out his girlfriend was pregnant. Even though he already had a child and had gone through the usual fatherhood stuff, this was different: he was an OG (old guy) dad now, faced with having a baby at the time most men were contemplating retirement, the inevitable decline of their own bodies, and easing on out into a peaceful end of life. Stahl is known for writing frankly about his own past, especially his drug addiction, and he brings that same unfiltered honesty to a subject that many writers have used as a springboard for comedy. The essays here, which originally appeared on the literary website The Rumpus, are typical Stahl: raw, outspoken, amused, bewildered, angry, frustrated, exhausted. Parents will relate, no doubt, as will Stahl's loyal readers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)