Month: January 2022

In 1533, Thomas Boleyn, father of Anne Boleyn, coerced his daughter to marry King Henry VIII to improve his own standing in court. Three years later, having failed to produce a male heir, Anne was beheaded for high treason. Thomas, despite his influence, did nothing to save her. For the story of another bad dad, read The Great Stork Derby, based on an actual contest in which a husband pressures his wife to have babies for cash and, fifty years later, learns the true meaning of fatherhood. Read more about the book in NOVELS.

Reams have been written about horrendous mothers, but what about terrible fathers? In conjunction with the publication of my novel The Great Stork Derby, based on an actual contest in which a husband pressures his wife to have babies for cash and, fifty years later, must learn the true meaning of fatherhood, I’m collecting “bad dad” stories about real and fictional characters who fall short of the ideal. From ancient times (the Old Testament; Greek mythology) to the present (true crime podcasts; graphic novels and memoirs), there’s no shortage of cringe-worthy candidates. No doubt you have your own favorites drawn from personal experience, lurid news accounts, and imaginary demons. Enjoy my series of bad dad posts, and read The Great Stork Derby. Read more about the book in NOVELS.