Summary

In “This Wasn’t the Deal”, Smith’s husband told her that she was famous. She told him that it was just her poem that was famous, hearing the apology in her voice. In “On Second Thought”, the author explores the relationship between parenthood and personal identity and how it differs for mothers and fathers. She felt guilty for pursuing her creative work but notes that “fathers don’t feel guilty for wanting an identity apart from their children, because the expectation is that they have lives outside of the home” (65). In “Some People Will Ask”, Smith attempts to justify writing about her life and her heartbreak. She is using the memoir to find her narrative again and a personal understanding of the future. However, when people ask, she is deflective. In the following fragments, the author explores...