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Dad Diary

 Having a child can be a wakeup call. One hundred years ago, literary theorists began to speak of "defamiliarization," the alien gaze. This is where you describe an ordinary object from the perspective of a non-human. A famous example involves Ariel from "The Little Mermaid": "LEGS are required for jumping, dancing....strolling along down the....what's that word.....STREET!" Well, having a child can be like living alongside Ariel.


My son is disturbed--in every sense of the word--disturbed by the existence of insects. Intrigued, alarmed, excited, flustered, enchanted. This is my wakeup call. Insects: They're really strange! We all tend to forget.

For a long while, I thought my son used words in the way adults tend to use them: Words were a vehicle for thought. But now I'm realizing that words are (sometimes) more like a placeholder for Josh. They aren't always meant as a means of communication. They're a sound that pops out of his mouth. "What do bees make? Do bees sting? What happens if you step on a bee? Do flies sting? What *sound* does the bee make? Where do bees go if it rains?" ....These questions are uttered so often in our house, they're like a part of a ritual or prayer. They are Josh's way of saying, "Flying insects! Unbelievable!"

I thought of my son yesterday at the Morgan Library, where kids have been working on short graphic novels about bugs. These books are amazing. A part of me is tempted to take Josh. Well, maybe next year.











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