Craig Melvin Processes His Relationship with “Pops”

Craig Melvin is a co-host of The Today Show, so I picked up his book as research for a Father’s Day segment. I’m not sure what I was expecting from Pops: Learning To Be A Son And A Father, but this was a much more intense experience.

Craig jumps right into the deep end with this one. The first part of this book talks about how Craig’s father, referred to as Pops, was born in a jail. He uses a broad brush on Pops’ struggles and lack of relationship with his father. I only read through the first chapter the first time I picked this up because it’s so rich with heavy experiences. Trigger warnings include: alcoholism, gambling, cancer, and death.

Yeah, it’s a lot to process… and that’s why he wrote it in the first place. He called it “cathartic” for both himself in the writing process and for his father when he read it. He thought his dad was a drunk bum, and had to work through those thoughts and feelings for himself. Craig will tell you it’s not all about Pops’ alcoholism and gambling. He’s called it a “book about resilience”, but I won’t spoil those moments for you.

There are a lot of sweet and funny stories throughout the pages. I loved the stories about how the Le Mans became a symbol of his childhood and what details from childhood stick out in a person’s memory. He works in humor throughout what is a challenging story to tell (which he said he’s sure not sure if releasing this was the right thing to do.)

Throughout the book, Craig shares about how his life impacted the assignments he gravitates toward as a journalist. His grandmother’s time in jail led him reporting on stories from behind bars. He’s got a segment called “Dads got this” for NBC News that explores fathers doing extraordinary things. It’s fascinating how pieces of a person’s life play out in the long term, and this definitely highlights it.

I’m giving Pops: Learning To Be A Son And A Father four stars. It’s really well written and intriguing, but not one I think you can/should easily binge. It’s a book to read slowly and think about.

Take Pops’ advice and “Don’t miss out” both on being a part of the lives around you, and on reading this memoir on fatherhood.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.