Despite American’s cultural condemnation of smoking, pipes have retained their cultural panache free of scrutiny.
Veteran’s Day and the Dead of Ox Hill
Brian Shea on remembering not just the honored, but the forgotten.
How to Become an Erotic Hero
How to understand a woman’s desires? Well, reading the smut she enjoys is a good start.
‘Letters of Note’ and What’s Worth Remembering
After reading Letters of Note, Brian Shea discusses the power and depth of the lost art of handwritten letters
Race, Redskins, and the Power of Words
Brian Shea isn’t really a sports fan, but he does live in the D.C. area, and the advertisement that ran during the NBA Finals caused him to reflect on the power of words to hurt.
To the Class of 1991, OR: A Life Journey Guide for Any Man
In a letter to his younger self, Brian Shea gives the guidance of hindsight.
The Solitary Nature of Fly Fishing
Brian Shea doesn’t necessarily understand the community of fans who so rabidly follow team sports, but as a fly fisherman he can sympathize with being misunderstood.
Rethinking Manhood in the Men’s Room
Brian Shea on how when the basics change, assumptions get challenged.
Life Lessons For Men From The Classical Composers
Classical music, as much as any other form, is about struggle, pain, and expression. Brian Shea talks about what that means to him.
Heroes, Race, and a Man Named Washington
Brian Shea seeks to come to terms with the legacy of George Washington, and without the usual excuses.
Addiction, Genetics, and My Father’s Hands
Seeing his father in himself reminds Brian Shea of the things he’d rather not inherit.
A Mother Teaches The Past As Prologue
Brian Shea learns to see himself through his mother’s eyes.
A School, A Gun, and a Generation’s Burden
Brian Shea reflects on violence in schools vs. his memories of years ago. And calls upon a new generation to find their own way.
A Man’s Place is in the Kitchen
A man who cooks becomes a permanent part of his children’s lives.
Go Ahead, Ladies, Ask Him Out
The most exciting date of my life was when she asked me out instead of the other way around.
Pride and Recession
Brian Shea has seen a recessionary job market before, and knows he’s lucky to have come through it, and learned from it.