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Craig Melvin announces new book 'Pops' and reveals the cover

The TODAY co-host has written his first book, which will be released in June.
/ Source: TODAY

Craig Melvin is exploring fatherhood through his experiences as a dad and his complicated relationship with his own father in his first book, which he revealed on TODAY Tuesday.

Craig's book, "Pops: My Father, Our Journey, and What I'm Still Learning About Being a Dad," will be released June 15 through William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins, and is available for preorder now.

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The book is a memoir of growing up in Columbia, South Carolina, under his father Lawrence Melvin, who struggled with drinking and was often an absent parent who worked the night shift at a postal facility. Craig, 41, writes about their long journey ultimately to reconciliation and the effects it has had on Craig's view of his own fatherhood.

“It was cathartic,” Craig said on TODAY Tuesday of writing this book. “Like a lot of sons, I’ve got a bit of a complicated relationship with Dad. Our history is a bit complicated. It’s a story of addiction and resilience and reconciliation. And it’s not just for dads, it’s for everyone.”

Craig Melvin Book
Craig Melvin's first book, "Pops," will be released in June.

Craig and his father are pictured together on the cover of the book, which also includes a photo of Craig and his own family: wife Lindsay Czarniak and their two children, Delano, 6, and Sybil, 4.

The TODAY co-host explores his relationship with his father as well as the surrogate fathers in his life, from uncles to teachers to workplace mentors. He also details how their influence shaped the way he wanted to be once he became a father himself and how he has approached raising his two young children.

Craig also shares what he has learned from his reporting in his "Dads Got This" series on TODAY in which he spotlights fathers across the country making a difference in their kids' lives.

He has often spoken about fatherhood on TODAY, from joining Al Roker for a discussion about raising Black sons in America to parenting in a pandemic to raising biracial children.