The Passing of Robert Bly

The Passing of Robert Bly

In 2006, I attended a men’s conference, representing a small facility for recovering men I helped create. At the time, the place was still relatively new. We had a booth, and I spent nearly the entire time manning it to promote our little program. Meanwhile, Robert...
17 Records – This Year (So Far)

17 Records – This Year (So Far)

These are the records I’ve picked up since the beginning of the year, or just before. Some I already owned on CD. But, I’m always looking to find my favorites on vinyl. What I didn’t pre-order, I found at Rust & Wax, In West Palm Beach, Florida....
XOXO: My Favorite Record from 2020

XOXO: My Favorite Record from 2020

Twitter disgusts me. I try to stay away from it. But, I do have a profile for the podcast, where I promote the episodes and, occassionally, call out a particular U.S. Senator on his thinly-veiled feigned sincerity. But, I also use it to keep up with guests of the...
The Career Path of the Authentic Self

The Career Path of the Authentic Self

As an young adult, I abandoned my authentic self and the life I really wanted. In terms of vocation, rather than pursuing something that excited me, I opted for what others described as a more practical path. Imagine having the aptitude to write professionally. You...
On Having a Dad

On Having a Dad

When you have a dad who didn’t have a dad, in some ways, you don’t have a dad.   Those words came to me one morning. I printed them prominently, in all capital letters, on the first page of a blank journal I was using at the time, to collect my thoughts, about...
Masculinity is Not the Problem

Masculinity is Not the Problem

Originally published on January 28, 2019 — As a man, as the father of a boy beginning the transition into manhood, and as someone who works with many troubled young men, I felt encouraged to learn the powers that be at Gillette saw fit to publicly evaluate their...
Belonging in Baseball

Belonging in Baseball

I began playing baseball in the tiny back yard of the home where I grew up. It was a small, bumpy patch of grass surrounded by four-foot hedges. I played with my older sister and neighborhood kids, including some my mom was paid to care for, at a time when the Big Red...