Childish Literature

Zambra (Chilean Poet) considers new fatherhood in this eclectic mix of poetry and prose. The title essay, composed of vignettes addressed to his newborn son, Silvestre, is particularly lovely: “Your arrival forever changes... the meanings of all the words.” Several pieces depict the challenges of parenting young children during the Covid-19 lockdowns, as in “Screen Time,” a short, humorous story about the lengths to which some adults go to limit their child’s television exposure while preserving their own. “Childhood’s Childhood” is more reflective, as the author contemplates the origins of childhood memories and whether today’s fraught times are worth recording and recalling: “What will my son remember of this horrible year?” he asks himself a year into the Covid-19 pandemic. The nature of memory is a recurring theme, both in Zambra’s role as a father chronicling his son’s childhood and as a son interrogating his own youthful memories of a misunderstood incident with his father. The repetitions can be taxing, but the author deploys his characteristic charm. Zambra’s joy is contagious in this nuanced exploration of “the mysteries of happiness.” Agent: Jacqueline Ko, Wylie Agency. (Oct.)