To close out Father’s Month, jazz pianist Tim Clausen joined Dan to talk about the specific ways in which gay men negotiate their relationships with their dads.
From the pressure of impossible expectations, to the heartbreak of being rejected after coming out, gay men face their own set of challenges when deciphering the Man Rules and creating meaningful relationships with their fathers and themselves.
Doing so is a life’s work, but here are three quick tips to help along the way.
Practical and Tactical Tips
- If you’re gay, come out to your dad. More often than not, it turns out to be a good thing.
- Take the time to learn who your dad was before he became your father.
- If you had a difficult relationship with your father, consider forgiveness – not as a way to excuse any bad behavior on his part, but as a way to move beyond your own pain.
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About Our Guest
Milwaukee area native Tim Clausen is a jazz and blues pianist rooted in the great stride-piano tradition. Self-taught, his stylistic influences include jazz giants Erroll Garner, Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson, Tommy Flanagan, Ahmad Jamal, and Carl Perkins. Tim has been a featured pianist at many of Milwaukee’s finest restaurants, hotels, arts centers and special events, and he has performed at jazz engagements in Houston, Philadelphia and Paris, France. In his related work as jazz biographer, Tim has interviewed dozens of jazz legends while putting together musical histories on his two favorite jazz pianists, Erroll Garner and Dave Catney. Tim published his first book, Love Together, in 2014 and will be publishing his second book on gay men’s relationships with their fathers later in 2017.
Mentioned in This Episode
GoFundMe page for Tim’s upcoming book
Tim’s First Book, Love Together
