John Lennon's first album: a recently acquired stamp collection opens a new page on the teenage Beatle-to-be.(THE OBJECT AT HAND)

Publication: Smithsonian

Publication Date: 01-SEP-05

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It's a given that boys just want to be cool. The definition may change from generation to generation, but the need seems hard-wired in the male psyche. As an observant father, I noticed that somewhere between third and fourth grade, my son's gawky goofiness turned into self-conscious scorekeeping; not only "Am I cool?" but "Am I cooler than Jason?" From that time on, many boys live according to a strict coolness code: certain ways to dress (prep chic in my time, perp chic today) and certain things to do, such as skateboarding and video games. For every cool marker, there's its uncool counterpart--to be avoided at all costs. One of the...

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