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A review by lesserjoke
My Father, the Pornographer by Chris Offutt
4.0
Probably the worst thing about this memoir of a Baby Boomer childhood in rural Kentucky is its sensationalized title. Andrew J. Offutt didn't work in the porn industry; he was a prolific author who happened to write erotic fiction (among many other genres). His children were not particularly exposed to his mature output, nor is that career his defining trait within these pages.
No, what's most striking about the elder Offutt is not his 'pornography,' but rather his apparent nature as a volatile and spiteful narcissist: "controlling, pretentious, cruel, and overbearing," in his son's own words. Although beloved by fans for his work, Andy Offutt terrorized his family as a petty tyrant at home, and this book finds his oldest child grappling with all shades of his legacy and how it tinged their otherwise bucolic Appalachian life. It's a fascinating nonfiction character portrait, but also a bit of a stressful read, even for someone with a much healthier home life.
[Trigger warning for sexual assault and some brief descriptions of torture fetishes in the father's books, as well as the aforementioned emotional abuse.]
No, what's most striking about the elder Offutt is not his 'pornography,' but rather his apparent nature as a volatile and spiteful narcissist: "controlling, pretentious, cruel, and overbearing," in his son's own words. Although beloved by fans for his work, Andy Offutt terrorized his family as a petty tyrant at home, and this book finds his oldest child grappling with all shades of his legacy and how it tinged their otherwise bucolic Appalachian life. It's a fascinating nonfiction character portrait, but also a bit of a stressful read, even for someone with a much healthier home life.
[Trigger warning for sexual assault and some brief descriptions of torture fetishes in the father's books, as well as the aforementioned emotional abuse.]