My dad once told me I could do or be anything I wanted.
Apparently that’s the same thing author Patricia Bosworth was told by her dad. Dads seem to enjoy sharing this advice with their daughters.
In honor of Father’s Day, the folks at Open Road Media have produced a video where famous writers discuss how their dads influenced them. Click here to view if the video is not embedded above.
Other Father’s Day tributes from Open Road:
- My Famous Father: the children of famous authors speak
- Archival photos: authors and dads
Jane Friedman has spent her entire career working in the publishing industry, with a focus on business reporting and author education. Established in 2015, her newsletter The Bottom Line provides nuanced market intelligence to thousands of authors and industry professionals; in 2023, she was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World.
Jane’s expertise regularly features in major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, NPR, The Today Show, Wired, The Guardian, Fox News, and BBC. Her book, The Business of Being a Writer, Second Edition (The University of Chicago Press), is used as a classroom text by many writing and publishing degree programs. She reaches thousands through speaking engagements and workshops at diverse venues worldwide, including NYU’s Advanced Publishing Institute, Frankfurt Book Fair, and numerous MFA programs.
Thanks for posting this video. It brought tears to my eyes as I thought about my own dad, who taught me the love of poetry. My mother was illiterate, but Dad quoted Wordsworth, Tennyson and Kipling. He’s the one who took me to the library and introduced me to the power and magic of words. Happy Father’s Day to all the dads.
Fathers read?
My own father- who I wished a Happy Father’s Day this day- would have fixed a book if it was put together with bolts. He would also have replaced a hinge so a book cover would open better, if book covers came with hinges. Sometimes words aren’t needed. The greatest eloquence is in action and example.
With that in mind I have always made sure every one of my endless collection of books have the tightest bolts and no loose hinges.
[…] really an ad from Open Road Integrated Media) on Jane Friedman’s (@JaneFriedman) blog on How Dads Influenced Some Famous Writers. Hey, it’s only a little over two minutes long and only the last 15 seconds are […]
My father did not read books. He was a six-days-on-the-road truck driver. He was home from every week from 6:00 PM Saturday to 6:00 PM Sunday. What he taught me, though, during all seven days, was the value of hard work. Watching TV or working on my novel is never a dilemma for me.
Loved the video!! Although my dad quit school after Grade 6 and wasn’t much of a reader. I certainly appreciated his stories of life in a small fishing community in Newfoundland, working on the boats, passed down stories of the Tsunami off the coast of Newfoundland. Stories to be cherished for sure.
Hey Jane there must be something in the water because my dad told my sisters and me the exact same message. Even as a wee girl I somehow knew this was a really great message to hear from your dad, being a female in this world, and I held it close! 🙂 You know, I believed him!!
Glad to know my dad wasn’t the only one who wasn’t a reader!
However, he inspired me to write without even trying. He is no longer here with us, but his inspiration lives on through my mighty pen! Beautiful video and post!