It explores Calhoun's relationship with her father, the art critic Peter Schjeldahl, as well as their shared interest in the poet Frank O'Hara.

[2] The book combines literary history with a personal narrative about the complexities of parental-child relationships to tell parallel but related stories concerning the three main figures.

It's a big valentine to New York City past and present, and a contribution to literary scholarship, molten with soul.

Fierce, dissonant, yet compelling"[15] and The Boston Globe review was similarly positive: "A scintillating work of personal quest and cultural history .

As Calhoun's earlier books attest, she's a hell of an observer, writing with flair and putting herself on a tightwire, a high-risk gamble that mostly results in high rewards.

[23] The book was longlisted for the 2023 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction[24] and named a July 2022 Indie Next Pick.