W. C. Fields & Me

The son of best-selling author Robert Fulghum provides an illuminating and witty portrait of thirtysomething men in modern America, describing an existence in a world of change, the complexities of marriage and fatherhood, and the emotional ups and downs of life.

Following in the footsteps of his father, known principally for the bestseller All I Really Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, Hunter Fulghum (Sam to family and friends) presents a collection of sweet, if bland, essays. His principal topic is his two children, eight-year-old daughter Sarah and five-year-old son Max, who was born with a heart defect remedied by surgery. As he relates his family's successes and failures, their joy and gloom, his children's adventures in learning to live with each other, with friends and, above all, with parents, Fulghum recalls his own early life, a happy one despite his parents' divorce, since he acquired a loving stepfather. Also figuring in his musings is his working wife, Marie, more pragmatic and less sentimental than he, whose comment on the "wonder and beauty" of childbirth is: "That's malarkey. It hurt like hell, but it was worth it." Those who enjoy feel-good reading will revel in this book. Author tour.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

A collection of short, sometimes pungent essays from another Fulghum--this one thirtysomething and less inclined to moralizing. Hunter Fulghum is the son of Robert (All I Really Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, 1988, etc.), who provides an introduction for this volume with a charming anecdote about Hunter as a youngster; but true to form, he can't resist incorporating a lesson: ``Christmas is where you look for it.'' Hunter echoes his father's style--making the most of the ordinary--but uses his observations to recall the surprises that awaited him as the father of Sarah, now eight years old, and Max, the terrorist-in-training, now five. Like more and more fathers, Hunter spent some time as the primary parent and views his children with the tolerance born of years of cleaning up bodily effluent, which he describes in more colorful and usually four-letter terms like ``barf.'' He reflects long and often on the differences between the two children and concludes--fearless of the PC police--that they must be gender- based: Sarah likes pink, stuffed animals, and games about relationships; Max likes clutter, Legos, and his tool kit. Other essays range from the frothy (a consideration of his wife's pots of cosmetic potions) through the provocative (a sharp critique of the men's back-to-the-woods movement) to the deeply felt (a homage to his stepfather, John, who launched Hunter into his career as an engineer). Also worthy of comment: barbecues, ant farms, and teaching economics in terms of the Big Mac Indicator, an inspired concept that puts the price of McDonald's Big Macs as the common denominator of world currencies. A knack for celebrating the mundane that is reminiscent of Erma Bombeck but, alas, nowhere near as funny. (Author tour) -- Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Fulghum, son of well-known author Robert Fulghum (All I Really Needed To Know I Learned in Kindergarten, LJ 10/1/88), has produced a work like those of his father. We have here some 40-odd stories of around six pages each taken from the author's own experiences. Whether writing about dealing with the birth of a child, the death of a stepparent, or so much in between-an infant's open-heart surgery, falling in love, a woman's collection of cosmetics-Fulghum proves he is a skilled storyteller. This is the sort of volume that one pulls from the shelf every now and then for inspiration, help, and entertainment as one seeks to find the deeper meaning of everyday events. Highly recommended.
John Moryl, Yeshiva Univ. Libs., New York
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

The son of best-selling author Robert Fulghum weighs in as a thoughtful and observant chronicler of family life. Throughout this collection of short pieces, Hunter shows how being a parent and spouse is a continual state of on-the-job training. The writing is upbeat and genial, though Hunter tackles quite serious subjects. For example, his son, Max, is born with a defective heart. As he tries to prepare himself for Max's surgery, Hunter realizes that there is no adult he can turn to to make things better, as he had done as a child. He's the adult now, the one who must be stoic and strong in spite of his terrible fears. Hunter works this theme repeatedly--and often humorously--as when his daughter gets her ears pierced. An intelligent and funny look at the trials and joys of being a father and husband. Brian McCombie