The Inside Scoop: Elisha Cooper

Elisha Cooper is the author of several award-winning books. His latest, Crawling: A Father’s First Year, is a collection of essays about his first year as a father.

Elisha lives in Chicago “on a small street in Lincoln Park near the zoo” and has “two wild daughters, Zoë and Mia, ages four and two.” When asked about his hobbies and interests, he replied, “I played football in college, and now I play ultimate frisbee. In the winter, when the fields are iced over, I run along Lake Michigan before holing up in our local café. My biggest interest is probably my work – playing with words and images, before going home to play with my daughters (letting them climb on me).”

>> Read our review of Crawling: A Father’s First Year
>> Elisha Cooper’s Website

What was your biggest fear about becoming a father? How does the reality compare to what you imagined?

I can’t remember one fear about becoming a father. It was everything. Now I wonder if keeping a notebook during the first year of my daughter’s life, then turning that into Crawling, was my attempt to deal with this fear (the fear that everything in my life would change). It gave me distance. Like many fathers I know, if I could stand a few feet to the side, then it wasn’t really happening. Of course, then I fell in love with being a father. But that was a surprise, and came later.

The thought of multiple children terrifies me. Is the second leap really as dramatic as the first leap?

The thought of children terrifies me! And yet, now we have two (what were we thinking?). After the first year with Zoë I liked our threesome so much that I didn’t see how we could have another, or handle another. I justified having a second as giving a toy to the first. That’s pretty much how it turned out, though the toy seems to have opinions.

How has having kids affected the way you write for kids?

I write for kids? Oh, right, I do. The thing is, I don’t feel I do. With my children’s books I feel I’m writing about the world around me (most of my books are non-fiction), and if there are children or adults who enjoy looking with me, then I’m happy. That said, having children has let me write about them. And I loved writing Crawling. I hope the essays in the book explore the wonder and anxiety that comes with parenting (along with the swearing), so I guess my children have affected my work.

Are you and your wife generally on the same page with parenting decisions? How do you resolve differences in how you’d like to raise your kids?

We’re mostly on the same page, and when we’re not, we’re in the same book. We raise our children effectively because I am always right (hello, Elise!). Okay, that’s not true. It’s usually the other way around. But we try to work things through, and when we can’t, we wrestle, and I am bigger.

What are your 3 favorite baby/parenting-related products?

Can books be products? We have books covering the floor of our apartment. I don’t think one can have enough books. I’m only sad that my girls don’t love the books I’ve written, though they like that I’ve dedicated the books to them. Second product, hot chocolate. Like books, one can never have enough. Last product, the nurf slingshot I got Zoë for Christmas. Small colorful balls have been whipping around the apartment this week, sometimes even ones shot by Zoë. Hmm, this doesn’t make me look too good. But buying a child inappropriate gifts, and flailing around, and trying to figure out how to be a father is at the heart of Crawling.

What are the top 5 things you love about being a father?

Getting my daughter a slingshot.
Climbing trees in our park.
Teaching the girls how to swim.
Kissing the tops of their heads.
Every morning.

Thanks, Elisha!