1) The conversation is important. Thirty-one guys share their stories with the world. Stories about war and sex and sexuality and infidelity and redemption and death and marriage. There are stories about men trying to be good fathers and men trying to be good sons. Are they all “good” men? You tell us. This is the conversation we want to have.
2) The stories will surprise you. Do you know what it’s like to be a photojournalist in Iraq, one who thinks he might want to come back home, live a normal life, but finds himself inexplicitly drawn back to the foxholes again and again? Have you struggled with being a reluctant stay-at-home dad, envious of men who go off to work? Have you had a moment with your wife when you stormed out of the house, and in retrospect said, “Truth be told, I was leaving her.” The stories are varied, and rich, and interesting. Read an excerpt from Jesse Kornbluth’s story “Sex and Drugs made me a Man” here. Or from “Here’s the Bad News, Son” by Steve Almond, here.
3) The reviews are in, and they’re good! It’s hard to find a bad review of this book. One reviewer validates what we set out to do in the first place: “Each man’s story sheds light on my own.”
4) How often do you the get the chance to meet and talk to every character in a book? You can friend Tom Matlack, Jesse Kornluth, and Julio Medina on Facebook. Follow Perry Glasser, Mark St.Amant and Andre Tippett on Twitter. Read in our magazine columns by Keith Ackers, Ric Federico, or Steve Almond talking Toto. Comment on an interview with Christopher Koehler. Take a yoga class with Rolf Gates.
5) It sure beats a hammer or a tie. Have you shopped for a gift for dad your lately? Getting him this book will let him know you think he’s a good man.
6) Not surprisingly, girls believe in The Good Men Project, too. Well, sure. Here’s a review from a site for girls: “…with everything from Tiger Woods, to Chris Brown, to the dozens of politicians having affairs, to all the kidnapping stories of young girls, to the kind of men we have experienced in our own lives… sometimes it’s hard for girls to have any kind of faith that there are good boys and men in the world. “The Good Men Project” is finally a group of men stepping up and saying that they want to be people we can believe in.” Read the full review here.
7) Proceeds help at-risk boys and men. The Good Men Foundation is a registered New York State 501(c)(3) charitable corporation dedicated to helping organizations that provide educational, social, financial or legal support to men and boys at risk. A part of every sale goes back to the Foundation. What exactly does that mean? It means that when the Foundation gives $50 to The Big Brothers and Big Sisters, they can introduce a boy who is struggling to make sense of his world to a potential Big Brother. It means when the Foundation gives $25 to the Trinity Street Potential, that organization will have funds to buy art supplies for another week. It means that when the Boys and Girls Club gets $100, they can buy a violin for their music class. Money buys tangible things that help at-risk boys. That’s why we donate it.
The Good Men Project: Real Stories from the Front Lines of Modern Manhood is on sale here.
About The Editors
It’s risky, using the word ‘good’. But I think it work’s really well here. My brother, father and I are on the edge of setting our second trip together, just the three of us. The set-up, we all fly to a town with a really great steak house and talk about the stuff we never get to deal with in our daily 5-10 minute phone calls. It’s up to me to set the next date. I am definitely going to send them both copies of this book before we go–lest we need more fodder…