Carver Carver, Lisa Carver, what a dull blade it is you wield...deliberate and glinty, slicing through the likable, the palpable, reaching for still silence with words that fall heavy into a dark place, where bottom lips protrude beneath sniffling noses, where small arms cross to be clenched forever and ever. Your essay, far from holding up your argument, merely casts shadows on your side of the street. And the darker you are, the brighter Neal Pollack becomes, or at the very least more worthy of curiosity. I wouldn't doubt you've boosted sales of Alternadad, if even slightly.
To point, I have read both Pollack's book and your essay quite thoroughly. Regardless of the relative "uniqueness" of his story (I should point out that in his book he makes no Omega Man-like claims on parenting), it's inviting. There's a warmth and tenderness to Alternadad that's just plain comforting in a curl-up-with-this-book kind of way. It doesn't hurt that Pollack has a gift for the turn of phrase, not to mention irony, and lest we forget, satire. He's capable of pointing the domestic humor mirror on himself without breaking it over our heads in the process (a thing I've noticed gets missed, at least based on what I've seen in some commentaries).
You've also overlooked a purely practical matter. Some folks in a place where decisions get made about these kinds of things turned Alternadad into a book, so your assertion of the proper "place" for such writing is irrelevant hindsight. It's got a spine. It's printed in ink. And guess what, it's an entertaining read. Too late.
To your essay, regardless of the point you're attempting to make, your tone is repellent and banal. And sadly, for all your attempts to project insight, you give off a vibe of shallow examination at best.
On the brighter side, you do come out with a ninth-inning stinger, "They're not in my mouth." I think that will be my answer to every question tomorrow.
Jacque Day Archer
Acquisitions Editor
