Following Foo: (the electronic adventures of The Chestnut Man)

I used to be addicted to Law and Order: the Bazillionth Version. Or maybe is SVU. I don’t even know – it’s been so long since I’ve seen it. A law show is a law show. But I have always liked B.D. Wong, who played (plays?) the show’s forensic psychologist. He’s also a Tony Award-winning actor and dad with his husband Richie.

The arrival of his sons is detailed in the oddly charming book called Following Foo.
It covers the days following the premature birth of his biological twin boys via surrogate mother. Based on e-mail messages Wong sent to family and friends, the book recounts Wong's and his partner's remarkable highs and lows on the road to parenthood. When surrogate mother Shauna goes into labor two months early in California, Wong, on location on the West Coast, rushes with her to the hospital. In the following hours, Wong becomes a father, but loses one son, a victim of "twin to twin transfusion syndrome," a serious condition not uncommon in identical twin pregnancies. Facing the death of Boaz and the delicate survival of Jackson Foo is not easy. Dealing with bereavement and jubilation at once, Wong says farewell to Boaz and devotes the next three months to Foo's survival in the ICU, where he encounters a challenging roller-coaster ride of experiences and emotions.

If you’re ready to hear of a surrogate story done well, then pick this up. One caveat, however. Throughout the book, Wong “name drops” from a long list of “friends” in Hollywood and on Braodway. Frankly, while I think it was lovely that Margaret Cho sent an email to Wong, why the hell do I want to read it? And nope, not even remotely funny.