semi-sweet

Kristen Hoops tells a short story, Semi-sweet, about her relationship with her father and how values of family, ambition, and success are complicated when inherited along with failed expectations, insecurity, and regret. Funny, sparse, and accompanied with a photo essay that depicts the preparation of a family ritual- chocolate cream pie for her father’s birthday– Semi-sweet asks us to indulge in something that might not be quite good for us: a reflection on how deeply our parents’ personalities can affect our concepts of self and whether we can shed our bad habits in time to achieve happiness.