"When I became a father, I began to worry not only that I would die and not be able to care for my daughter but that I would die in an embarrassing way, that my death would be an abiding embarrassment for Astra."
"In a single syntactic unit, Lerner reveals the full catalog of his protagonist's concerns: the travails of dating, health, death, the uncertain future, and, as ever, the possibility of being embarrassed."
"Becoming a parent hasn't grounded him; it has multiplied his anxieties."
Ben Lerner's portrayal of modern masculinity reveals men who, despite aging and taking on responsibilities, remain anxious and insecure. His protagonists grapple with their perceptions and fears, particularly regarding their health, relationships, and the impact of their lives on their children. In the short story 'Café Loup,' a father's worries about his own mortality and the potential embarrassment it may cause his daughter exemplify the pervasive anxieties that define these characters. Parenthood amplifies rather than alleviates their concerns, highlighting the complexities of modern male identity.
Read at The Nation
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