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In the past, Neal Pollack has masqueraded as the Greatest Living American Writer (see The Neal Pollack Anthology of American Literature: The Collected Writings of Neal Pollack) and a legendary rock critic (see Never Mind the Pollacks: A Rock and Roll Novel). But Pollack sheds his literary posturing in Alternadad, his account of juggling hipster status and parenthood. Pollack makes valiant efforts to ground his toddler Elijah in an alternative environment, one that won't turn his son into another "wonderkid" belonging to the "supermoms" crowding every playground and Little Gym. Where most kids learn to sing along to Barney, Elijah gets a diet of the Sex Pistols and Max Roach. He hides Elijah's grating picture books in the back of closets and puts Elijah on the water-only list at preschool so that he doesn't have to down powdered lemonade with most of the other kids. But no matter how hard Pollack tries to exert "cultural control" over his son, Elijah brings childhood mishaps to the parenting table that humble even the self-professed "greatest of living American writers."

Parenthood isn't the most obvious topic for a modern literary It boy. When his wife's book group discusses The Bastard in the House, Pollack reflects, "A group of women had chosen an anthology of essays by middle-class men who were trying to come to terms with their feelings about fatherhood and adult responsibility. Why? I thought. Who wants to read about that shit?" Point taken, Pollack. The memoir market is saturated with celebrity authors bemoaning the challenges of being parents or being children of celebrity parents. So what makes Pollack any different? Rather than tout himself as the Greatest Living American Dad, Pollack treats the subject of fatherhood with humor and honesty, on subjects ranging from funny (the discussion of his pot vaporizer) to painful (the pages on Elijah's circumcision). Never resorting to Bill Cosby-Fatherhood-type wit and witticisms, Pollack succeeds in writing about parenting and reveals himself as an ever-evolving writer who's not afraid to call life as he sees it.