“We must lean into the void.” — As we watch events unfold in Ukraine and our own civil society under siege at home, the question of whether democracy will survive is now ever present on our minds. Recently at Trinity Spiritual Center in historic Southport, CT, French philosopher Raphael Liogier boldly asserted that democracy will flourish, if…

A roadmap for embodying new forms of masculinity — Upon reading Architectural Drawings for Men, a woman I know suggested that I explain about the “multivariate challenge” that men face in much more detail, elaborating the ways in which guys might address the complex problem set before us. Here’s where I think we need to do some work. #1…

“Men cannot change if there are no blueprints for change” — bell hooks I share Alex McElroy’s dismay that some men are using vulnerability as a tool for manipulating others as stated in their New York Times Op-Ed (January 13, 2022). …

A slow-burning rage erupts. — Nearly 30 years ago my wife and I returned to Los Angeles from a month abroad, our last hurrah before we settled into a couple decades of parenting. …

Here’s to the healthy ways of being male that they are creating. — Last summer as COVID restrictions eased, my wife and I attended an outdoor wedding for a couple whose parents we have known all our lives. I was expecting a staid affair observing the conventions that families with deep New England roots follow. Not too flashy. A great raw bar. Lots…

Be open. The rest will take care of itself. — These are liminal times. Poised on a threshold, about to be released from a pandemic that has demanded that we sublimate our individual needs for the common good, we hesitate. Some of us will rush to return to the hurly-burly of unbridled personal ambition. …

The challenges of reinventing a dominance-based culture of masculinity. — It never seems to end. Another tsunami of allegations of sexual misconduct is rolling in. No doubt new waves of accusations will follow, as an ocean of misdeeds around the world extends into infinity before us. Our reaction as men is decidedly mixed. Outrage at the misbehavior of miscreants, shame…

(This article was first published by The Good Men Project, January 11, 2021) “You’ll never take back our country with weakness. You have to show strength and you have to be strong.” -Donald Trump, January 6, 2021 Like many Americans, I’ve spent the final weeks of 2020 looking forward to…