Tom Lynch

Some cringed at the idea of the author of "Never Mind the Pollacks" penning a parenting book, but it turned out "Alternadad" wasn’t so bad after all—actually, it was kind of charming, as Pollack documented the chronicles of raising, along with his wife, their son Elijah. You can gather pretty much all you need from the title and Pollack’s past work—it’s textbook hipster-parenting (well, at least it seems textbook now, as more and more strollers hit Damen and Milwaukee), but with Pollack’s prose it playfully delivers. Elijah goes to rock shows, has a Johnny Cash poster in his room, dances to the Sex Pistols—put it all in the blender and you’ll have a cool kid, which is Pollack’s ultimate desire. "The Neal Pollack Anthology of American Literature"—his first book—found an audience in satire cult-sters, and "Alternadad" has discovered its own as well. Reportedly, they’re making a movie—who should play Pollack?

Neal Pollack reads from "Alternadad" February 21 at Quimby’s, 1854 West North, (773)342-00910, at 7pm. Free.

(2008-02-19)

Also by Tom Lynch

Soundcheck
Brooklyn’s A Place to Bury Strangers promises itself as the "Loudest Band in New York," and from written reports, that may very well be true: the clashing, thunderous guitars, heavily distorted and deformed through various effects pedals
(2008-02-12)

What Dreams May Come
Ambient electronic-pop duo Arms and Sleepers—Cambridge, Massachusetts’ Max Lewis and Mirza Ramic—met in high school and kick-started their musical partnership in college with a band called The List Exists, which eventually disbanded in mid-2006. Tired of the aimlessness of their original band, Ramic and Lewis decided to work together, just the two of them, and Arms and Sleepers was born
(2008-02-12)

Tip of the Week
A dim, sentimental and soulful record, Barton Carroll’s "The Lost One" breezes by with the ease of a summertime flock of birds
(2008-02-12)

Soft Focus
When bands emulate the mournful Brit-pop Oasis spouted in the mid-nineties, I take it in cautiously, as infrequent as it actually happens. Brooklyn’s Soft might have done it best so far with its "Gone Faded"—it would be unfair to label the five-piece a rip-off act, but it would be equally ignorant to not recognize the vast inspiration it has taken from the Gallaghers
(2008-02-06)

Tip of the Week
(2008-02-06)

Hearing Voices
(2008-01-29)

Tip of the Week
(2008-01-29)

Tip of the Week
(2008-01-29)

Looking at Mr. Goodbar
(2008-01-22)

Soundcheck
(2008-01-22)

Tip of the Week
(2008-01-22)

Tip of the Week
(2008-01-15)

about Newcitychicago | about Newcity magazine | advertising | privacy policy | FAQ | employment