A review by an_enthusiastic_reader
My Father, the Pornographer by Chris Offutt

3.0

Chris Offutt's father was a tyrant. This memoir is about Andrew Offutt with his obsessive need to control his environment, his wife, his kids. His writing (porn, sci-fi, and fantasy) come before everyone, no matter how much neglect is heaped upon his family. When Andrew dies and Chris is left to deal with almost-one ton of archives, he is affected by his memories, his shames, and especially his real love for his dad. This is a complicated relationship, the pure focus of the book. It's telling that Chris does not name his siblings or wife or children--they remain ciphers; instead, the full aim of the narrative is the ever-unresolved father/son conundrum.