Men and Masculinity: Suggested Readings

A WMST-L query about readings for a course on men and masculinity gave rise
to the following recommendations in December 2000.  For additional
WMST-L files now available on the Web, see the WMST-L File Collection.

I will be teaching a sociology course on men and masculinity, and
I'd like to supplement the anthologies and texts with a selection
of first-person accounts--memoirs, autobiographies, perhaps some
suitable fiction.
I'm looking for books written by men who deal in some way with
masculinity, what it means to be a man, etc., in a way that the
students might further analyze.  I want to compile a list that
represents a wide range of masculinities.

So far I intend to include Nathan McCall's _Makes Me Want to Holler_,
and something by Paul Monette, possibly Jan Morris' _Conundrum_.

So please send any suggestions to my address below.  I'll
gladly compile them and send to the list at a later date.

Thanks, Vera

Vera Whisman, Ph.D.
Sociology and Women's Studies
Ithaca College
vwhisman  @  ithaca.edu

You might consider "How to Watch Your Brother Die" by Michael Lassell, which
 deals a bit with masculinities in lines like "hold in your arms a man whose
 arms are used to holding other men".    _The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in
 Heaven_, by Sherman Alexie, also deals with how to become a man as a Native
 American (the warrior image or counting coup is no longer valid for Alexie's
 characters, and they are at a loss for something to replace it).  Just a quick
 response....
Alyson Buckman
Austin College

There are some wonderful essays and poems in Soulfires:  Young Black
Men on Love and Violence, edited by Daniel J. Wideman and Rohan B.
Preston.  (Penguin)

Mimi Schippers
Assistant Professor of Sociology
Department of Anthropology and Sociology
Albion College
Albion, Michigan 49224
mschippers  @  albion.edu
517-629-0442

At 11:07 AM 14/12/00, you wrote:

>I'm looking for books written by men who deal in some way with
>masculinity, what it means to be a man, etc., in a way that the
>students might further analyze.  I want to compile a list that
>represents a wide range of masculinities.

Vera:  I highly recommend a recent book by Ross Gray called "Legacy: A
conversation with Dad" published by Men's Studies Press.  It is an
exploration of masculinity through the lives of a father/son.  The father
committed suicide when the son was ten; their dialogue in the book was made
possible because he left behind an autobiographical novel.  A range of
issues are covered including relationships with women, religion and how it
operated in the reproduction of masculinity and also men's friendships.

Ross is my partner; it is a brave auto/ethnographic book that deserves
broad circulation.

Kathryn Church PhD
kathryn.church  @  utoronto.ca

Once again I would like to suggest Judith Halberstam's "Female Masculinity"
(1998) for a look at masculinities outside the male body.  I consider it a
"must-read" in any comprehensive discussion of the notion of "masculinity."

Lisa Burke
LBurke2  @  njcu.edu

I would suggest two texts for a masculinity course, John Updike's
essay "The Disposable Rocket," which can be found in Donald Hall's
*The Contemporary Essay* (my students enjoyed challenging Updike's
assumptions about the differences between men's and women's
relationships to their bodies) and Tim O'Brien's collection of
Vietnam War stories *The Things They Carried,* which spends a good
deal of time on male friendship.  The latter can be successfully
combined with a viewing of the film *The Thin Red Line.*  If you're
interested in films, by the way, I've used or plan to use *Smoke
Signals,* *Beautiful Girls,* *Ma Vie en Rose* (a French film about a
little boy who cross-dresses) and *Rushmore.*

Anya Silver

*******************************************
Dr. Anya Krugovoy Silver
Assistant Professor of English and Interdisciplinary Studies
Director of Women's and Gender Studies
Mercer University
1400 Coleman Ave.        "Tell me, what is it you plan to do
Macon, GA 31207-0001        with your one wild and precious life?"
(912) 752-5641                                   --Mary Oliver
silver_ak  @  mercer.edu

Vera, Have you seen Muy Macho:  Latino Men Confront their Manhood. 1996
                               Edited by Ray Gonzalez   Anchor Press

Best --  Janet <jbogdan  @  earthlink.net>

John Stoltenberg's Refusing to be a Man.  there's also a paperback : Men
against Pornography.

Gloria Cowan
glorandbil  @  aol.com

Anything by Michael Kimmel and the film "The Shawshank Redemption" is one of
the best movies about men relating to one another with compassion that I've
ever seen.

Jerome Edgar Weidman's memoir, _Fatheralong_, about (among other things)
his relationship with his father, is very accessible.

"Why men are the way they are,"
by Warren Farrell, would make illuminating
reading. Many of the examples in the book
make excellent departure points for discussion.

James H. Steiger
Department of Psychology
University of British Columbia
2136 West Mall
Vancouver, B.C., Canada V6T 1Z4
Voice and Fax; (604)-822-2706
EMAIL: steiger  @  unixg.ubc.ca

Vera Whisman writes:
I will be teaching a sociology course on men and masculinity, and
I'd like to supplement the anthologies and texts with a selection
of first-person accounts--memoirs, autobiographies, perhaps some
suitable fiction.<

I was interested to read some of the suggestions offered, and flattered
that Lori wrote "Anything by Michael Kimmel."  Well, I hope not _anything_.
 

For my course on Sociology of Men and Masculinities, I've combed through
several of the anthologies of men of color especially for the new edition
of MEN'S LIVES, which, predictably, I use in the course.  

In my course, we use three works of fiction.  Gus Lee's CHINA BOY is a
terrific fictional account of growing up Chinese in San Francisco, in which
the young protagonist has to negotiate masculinity/ethnicity questions. 
What's equally interesting is that he does so in reference to latinos and
black boys -- but there are virtually no white people in the book.  We
often forget that "others" do not articulate identity only vis-a-vis the
hegemonic group.  

I use DEATH OF A SALESMAN because I've found nothing better about
father-son, about men and work, and about men in family life.  In this era
of economic downsizing and corporate restructuring, the precariousness of
employment really resonates for my students also.

And finally I use AFFLICTION, Russell Banks's gripping take of white
working class masculinity in a small New England/upstate New York town. 
It's about violence between fathers and sons, about men's violence against
women, and about men's violence with other men -- sometimes subtle
(economic), sometimes shockingly visceral.    The movie was good, but the
book is superb.  Painful to read at times, but superb.  

I will be happy to send the syllabus for the course on Sociology of Men and
Masculinities that I have developed.  Please respond privately for that.

Michael Kimmel

Vera,
Here are some suggestions:
_Fatheralong_. John Edgar Wideman. Vinage Books, 1995.

_A Mensch Among Men: Explorations in Jewish Masculinity_. Harry Brod,
ed. Crossing Press, 1988.

_Contemporary Perspectives on Masculinity: Men, Women and Politics in
Modern Society_. Kenneth Clatterbaugh. Westview Press, 1990.

_The End of Manhood: A Book for Men of Conscience_. John Stoltenberg.
Plume/Penguin, 1994.

"Getting Off on Feminism," Jason Schultz in _to be real: telling the
truth and changing the face of feminism_. Rebecca Walker, ed. Anchor
Books, 1995.

I look forward to seeing your compilation.
Best,
Frances
***********************************
Frances E. Wood
Institute for Women's Studies
Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322
fwood01  @  emory.edu

Afraid is a country where they issue us passports
at birth and hope we never seek citizenship
in any other country.  The face of afraid keeps
changing constantly, and I can count on that
change.  I need to travel light and fast, and
there's a lot of baggage I'm going to have
to leave behind me.  Jettison cargo.
                     Audre Lorde, "A Burst of Light"

If you're interested in using non-feminist / anti-feminist texts, you
might consider Promise Keepers literature.  Their books and ideology on
masculinity have certainly had a much broader and far reaching impact than
most of the NYTimes bestsellers.  Bill Mccartney and others write about
their own masculinity in "What Makes a Man:  12 Promises that will change
your life" and his first (very popular) book is "Sold Out", also highly
autobiographical.  Another very popular Christian teen idol text on
relationships is "I kissed dating goodbye" by Joshua Harris.

Speaking of NYTimes bestsellers, "Tuesday's with Morrie" obviously struck
a chord with a lot of men.

If you are extending masculinity beyond men, "Boys Like Her" (taste this
performance group) has some great (and short) stories, including one about
how the author passed as a boy during summer camp by taking off her
bathing suit top.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Susan Kane                suekane  @  u.washington.edu
Reference/WS Librarian            Box 353080
University of Washington        Seattle, WA 98195
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi Vera: I tried to send this note off-list but couldn't get through for

some reason. My suggestions are: THE END OF MANHOOD by John Stoltenberg

and HEARTS OF MEN: AMERICAN DREAMS & THE FLIGHT FROM COMMITMENT by
Barbara Ehrenreich.

Lisa Johnson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Visiting Assistant Professor
Dept. of English & Philosophy
State University of West Georgia
Carrollton, GA 30118
ljohnson  @  westga.edu

    A challenging and charming novel pondering what it is to be a man is The
Kitchen Man, by Ira Wood. It will give students a great deal to think about
and they will read it with alacrity, I guarantee.

Eleanor Stein
Womens Studies Department
SUNY Albany
steinjones  @  global2000.net

Greetings:

By all means, use Allan G. Johnson's "The Gender Knot:  Unraveling
Our Patriarchal Legacy" as a main text.  By the end of your class,
I hope your students will be able to talk intelligently about our
patriarchal social system and the ways they participate in it.  I
also hope they won't think that masculinity and femininity are just
"personality" issues.

Also, write to Dr. Linda Yniguez of www.adrenalineradio.com and ask
her to send you a copy of her marvelous radio interview a few weeks ago
with Dr. Johnson.

On another note, anti-feminist James Steiger recommended Warren
Farrell's books.  Be forewarned that since Farrell denies that male
privilege exists, he in effect perpetuates patriarchy.  You'll find
several pungent comments in The Gender Knot about Farrell's work.

Kathleen Trigiani
ktrig246  @  airmail.net

*********************************************
"Out of the Cave:  Exploring Gray's Anatomy"
http://web2.airmail.net/ktrig246/out_of_cave/
You Don't Have to Settle For Mars&Venus!

Greetings:

Here's a pioneering work on the subject:

R. W. Connell's "Masculinities"

Bob Connell's groundbreaking work played a major role in the development of
my essay, "Masculinity/Femininity:  Society's Difference Dividend":

http://web2.airmail.net/ktrig246/out_of_cave/mf.html

Regards,
Kathleen Trigiani
ktrig246  @  airmail.net

*********************************************
"Out of the Cave:  Exploring Gray's Anatomy"
http://web2.airmail.net/ktrig246/out_of_cave/
You Don't Have to Settle For Mars&Venus!

Dear Prof. Whisman,

My list of suggested texts on masculinities below exceeds the parameters of
your call for more personal accounts of masculinity.  However, I thought
some of the titles might still prove of interest.

Alphen, Ernst van.  _Francis Bacon and the Loss of Self._

Berger and Wallis, eds.  _Constructing Masculinity._

Bordo, Susan.  _The Male Body:  A New Look at Men in Public and Private._

Boscagli, Maurizio.  _Eye on the Flesh:  Fashions of Masculinity in the
Early Twentieth Century._

Boyarin, Daniel. _Unheroic Conduct:  The Rise of Heterosexuality and the
Invention of the Jewish Man._

Essays from Bryson, Norman, Holly, Michael Ann, and Moxey, Keith, eds.
_Visual Culture:  Images and Interpretations_:

Tickner, Lisa.  "Men's Work?  Masculinity and Modernism"
Crow, Thomas.  "Observations on Style and History in French Painting of the
Male Nude, 1785-1794"
Davis, Whitney, "The Renunciation of Reaction in Girodet's _Sleep of
Endymion_"
Bryson, "Gericault and 'Masculinity'"

Faludi, Susan.  _Stiff_.

Gilman, Sander. _The Case of Sigmund Freud._
____.  _Franz Kafka, Jewish Patient._
____.  _The Jew's Body._

Hearn and Morgan, eds.  _Men, Masculinity and Social Theory._

Kazin, Alfred. _New York Jew._

Mosse, George.  _The Image of Man._

Perchuk, Andrew and Posner, Helaine, eds.  _The Masculine Masquerade:
Masculinity and Representation._

Robinson, Sally. _Marked Men:  White Masculinity in Crisis._

Santner, Eric.  _My Own Private Germany:  Daniel Paul Schreber's Secret
History of Modernity._

Silverman, Kaja.  _Male Subjectivity at the Margins._

Theweleit, Klaus.  _Male Fantasies._

Finally, Abigail Solomon-Godeau has recently published a text which examines
images of masculinity in 18th century European painting.

I hope this helps.


Finally, I have a question I'd like to pose to the list which relates to the
current thread on masculinity:  what do others think of the recent film
_Fight Club_ as an interrogation of the fundamental contradictions which
inform the socialization (or its failure) of contemporary American
masculinity?

Best wishes,

Nancy Nield Buchwald
Art History Dept.
University of Chicago
nanield  @  midway.uchicago.edu