April 17, 2006

Essay in the "New Yorker" magazine by Steve Martin on his realtionship with his father, written after his father's death.
posted by New Frontier 18 years ago
  • Whoa! That seemed like a level of expresssion/confession/confiding that not many big names would want to reveal publically. My step father died a few years ago, and we clashed a bit at the end, but my real memories are of the years when he was more of a father to me than the real one. That has to be easier to deal with than Mr. Martin's ordeal.
  • Steve Martin is cool, yo. Good first post Frontier!
  • I think Steve Martin was a very influential comedian. That said, this was a great essay on parents & dying. Thanks, NF.
  • Moving piece. Thanks for the link.
  • A very moving link. Thank you New Frontier. One has great respect for Steve Martin, the actor, and now for Steve Martin the man. Relationships with one’s parents can be uneasy for many of us and are often beset with resentments and misconceptions. Mr Martin’s writing recalls one’s personal experience of estrangement, in my case, with my mother. Just prior to her death, I am thankful we had occasion for extended communication. I discovered that my many misconceptions about her and her motivations were based on fallacy, and even fostered by other’s malice. This was revelatory for us both. We were able to resolve many issues that were the cause of great misery, also as I discovered, for us both. One’s perception of my mother now is that of a person who made great personal sacrifices with courage, warmth and understanding. I feel privileged to be her son and am proud of the person she had the courage to be. In common with Mr. Martin, one is also grateful to have had the opportunity to experience the difference between a child’s perception and an adult’s understanding.
  • Truth is truth