Words for GUYS, DUDES, BLOKES, BOYS, BROTHERS, MATES, PALS, PEERS, PARTNERS, BUDDIES, AMIGOS, COACHES, COMRADES, COWORKERS, COMPANIONS, CITIZENS, LEADERS, FOLLOWERS, FRIENDS, FATHERS, HUSBANDS, NEPHEWS, GRANDDADS, MEN!
UPDATED with authors from 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023....
Modern men write about being brothers, sons, father, husbands, partners, grandsons, citizens, and humans--while dealing with work, sex, race, identity, family, mentors, community, and home.
These men work in business, education, farming, film, fine arts, government, journalism, law, media, medicine, the military, music, politics, science, sports, social work, theater, religion, and writing.
Approximately 200 autobiographies and memoirs, all written by guys ages 28-94. Support your local BOOKSTORE or ORDER ONLINE at amazon.com or https://bookshop.org. LISTEN via https://www.audiobooks.com. Books are free at U.S. libraries.
THE LIST: Books are listed chronologically according to year of publication (from 2023 back to 2000).
“It was only in the farms that the races were mixed enough for us to really know each other--or think we did, though we whites could not realize how severe was the anguish of our neighbors who bore the extra burden of racial discrimination.”
Jimmy Carter, An Hour Before Daylight.
2023 Tyson Fury, GLOVES OFF.
Fans of boxing can revisit dramatic moments in the life of the self-described Gypsy King. Family and health adventures too. https://www.goodreads.com ›
2023 Eliot Page, PAGEBOY.
The celebrated Canadian actor (in the TV series The Umbrella Academy + the film Juno) talks about the process of affirming identity as a trans person. https://www.barnesandnoble.com › w › pageboy
2023 Prince Harry, SPARE.
He tells his life story including mistakes, lessons, and apologies. Also shares his efforts to support wounded veterans, and other projects informed by his life experiences. royal.uk/The-Duke-of-Sussex
2023 Solomon Ratt, THE WAY I REMEMBER kâ-pî-isi-kiskisiyân.
He stayed fluent in the Cree language despite boarding school trauma. Now he shares both personal and community stories. https://creeliteracy.org ›
"The truth was that I'd never been a thug, that it was a facade I wore for a while and got caught up wearing. But where did it come from? Some of us grew up in places that opened the realm of possibility to the insane and inane. The things that we did at night that left victims and years haunting us."
" -- R. Dwayne Betts, A Question of Freedom, 2009.
2022 D'Emilio, John, MEMORIES OF A GAY CATHOLIC BOYHOOD.
As a professional historian, he focused on the evolution of gay civil rights. As a Catholic man he found much to ponder...alongside his family's warmth & humor. https://chicagolgbthalloffame
2022 Hua Hsu, STAY TRUE.
A memoir of his life as a second-generation Taiwanese American. He teaches at Bard College and writes for The New Yorker magazine.
2022 Will Jawando, MY SEVEN BLACK FATHERS: A Young Activist's Memoir of Race, Family, and the Mentors Who Made Him Whole.
Compelling accounts that show how important it is for boys and young men to receive trusted guidance. https://www.goodreads.com ›
2022 Haruki Murakami, NOVELIST AS VOCATION
This Japanese writer is known around the world, with his novels translated into 50 languages. In this book he tells his own story.
"These black men—my mother's colleagues, certain teachers, my stepfather—taught me how to navigate the world and find my place in it. The Black men in my life made me, an emotionally fatherless boy, whole."
-- Will Jawando, My Seven Black Fathers: A Young Activist's Memoir of Race, Family, and the Mentors Who Made Him Whole.
2022 Marpheen Chann, MOON IN FULL.
A Cambodian-American boy moved to Maine, adopted by a loving family. New challenges came, but were met with kindness. Compassion is his middle name. www.marpheenchann.com
2022 Fat Joe (Joseph Antonio Cartagena), THE BOOK OF JOSE.
His career began with hip-hop. Now in his 50s, he reflects on his roots, challenges, and heroes. fat-joe.com
2022 Paul Newman, THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE OF AN ORDINARY MAN.
Background to his Hollywood success included a traumatic childhood & lifelong struggle with alcoholism. Later he reconsidered his many blessings and challenges. (Words collected before 2008.) newmansown.com
2022 Craig McNamara, BECAUSE OUR FATHERS LIED: A Memoir of Truth and Family, from Vietnam to Today.
His dad was the U.S. Secretary of Defense under presidents Kennedy and Johnson. The title comes from a Rudyard Kipling quotation. https://craigmcnamara.org
“At one time or another every one of us has looked up at the night sky and wondered: What does it all mean? How does it all work? And, what is my place in the universe?”
Neil DeGrasse Tyson, The Sky is Not the Limit
2022 Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE.
The former NBA star writes about his life with Tourette's Syndrome, plus reflections on fame, race, & standing up for what matters.
2022 Edward Enninful, A VISIBLE MAN: A Memoir
The first black male editor of British Vogue uses his success to increase diversity in the fashion world.
2022 Greg Sarris, BECOMING STORY: A Journey among Seasons, Places, Trees, and Ancestors
The author is the Chairman of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria in CA, and a teacher at Sonoma State University.
2022 Isaac Fitzgerald, DIRTBAG, MASSACHUSETTS: A Confessional
The author shares his tough childhood and struggles in adulthood, knowing that others can relate.
"I was trying to make a story that spoke to other people's lives, in a hope that they would feel just a little less alone." -- Isaac Fitzgerald
2022 Quincy Jones, 12 NOTES
He has worked for 70 years in the entertainment industry. quincyjones.com
2022 Simu Liu, WE WERE DREAMERS: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story
He worked as an accountant before acting.
2022 Stephen Mills, CHOSEN: A Memoir of Stolen Boyhood
The trauma of sexual abuse began when he was 13. The story of his recovery is cathartic. stephenmillsauthor.com
2022 Jamie Raskin, UNTHINKABLE
The author addresses 2 traumatic events from early 2020: one personal and the other public.
“This is the story I want to tell—a story about our little family of three that crossed the ocean from China to North America in the relentless pursuit of a better life. A story about the obstacles that nearly tore us apart, whether it was a clash of cultures, a gap of generations or simply our own stubbornness. A story about an imperfect family that made mistakes, often hurt one another and nearly imploded on many occasions, but held on, survived and even thrived.” -- Simu Liu
2022 Carl Bernstein, CHASING HISTORY
He is one of two Washington Post newspaper reporters famous for investigating the Watergate scandal. Carl Bernstein
2022 Nyle DiMarco, DEAF CULTURE
The author is an activist for deaf people, as well as a fashion model and actor.
2022 Boyah Farah, AMERICA MADE ME A BLACK MAN
As a Somali-American journalist, he shares his perspective on racism & schools. boyahfarah.com
2022 Harvey Fierstein, I WAS BETTER LAST NIGHT
Reminiscences from this actor, playwright, and gay rights activist. harveyfierstein.com
"All institutions have lapses, even great ones, especially by individual rogue employees." -- Carl Bernstein
"Who am I? What am I? Where am I from? .... All of us are trying to find an identity and a place and a story to call our own, to cling to and know that we are somebody. Unfortunately, though, we frequently do hurtful things, often unintentionally, in that complex process."
-- Carlos Andres Gomez, Man Up: Cracking the Code of Modern Manhood https://carloslive.com ›
2021 Andrew Kwong, ONE BRIGHT MOON
Now a family physician, Kwong's boyhood included escaping Mao's China in order to get to Australia.
2020 Vivek Tejuja, SO NOW YOU KNOW: Growing up Gay in India.
2021 Danny Trejo, TREJO: My Life of Crime, Redemption, & Hollywood
Trejo finds that inspiring strangers can be easier than helping family, he confesses. https://dannytrejo.com
2021 Stanley Tucci, TASTE: My Life Through Food
The actor shares his Italian American family's love of food. https://www.newyorker.com › culture › kitchen-notes ›
“It is funny how parents mean so much to children and vice-versa, and yet we don’t believe in honest conversations.” ― Vivek Tejuja
2020 Phuc Tran, SIGH, GONE: A Misfit's Memoir of Great Books, Punk Rock, and the Fight to Fit in.
A Vietnamese-American writer teaches Latin and practices tattoos. Phuc Tran
2020 Billy-Ray Belcourt, A HISTORY OF MY BRIEF BODY: A Memoir
The author won the 2018 Griffin Poetry Prize, and the City of Edmonton 2018 Book prize. Billy-ray Belcourt
2020 Justin Taylor, RIDING WITH THE GHOST
Family, father, faith, finding his way. Author is also a teacher. https://justindtaylor.net
2020 Daniel M. Lavory, SOMETHING THAT MAY SHOCK AND DISCREDIT YOU
A writer of satire & fiction. shatnerchatner.com
“My father loved the library because it was a safe haven for him — no missed cultural cues, no bigoted insults from his coworkers, no glaring reminders of what was lost. All patrons of the library were pilgrims to the oracle all seeking the same thing: knowledge. And in their pursuits of the same thing, they were all equals.”
― Phuc Tran, Sigh, Gone: A Misfit's Memoir of Great Books, Punk Rock, and the Fight to Fit In
2020 Sopan Deb, MISSED TRANSLATIONS: Meeting the Immigrant Parents Who Raised Me
As a writer and comedian he explores his Hindu-American background. https://www.bu.edu › articles
2020 Shaker Jeffrey, SHADOW ON THE MOUNTAIN: A Yazidi Memoir of Terror, Resistance, and Hope
The author worked for the U.S. military as an interpreter in Iraq. www.goodreads.com ›
2020 Michael J. Fox, NO TIME LIKE THE FUTURE: An Optimist Considers Mortality
The latest book by this actor who helps other people living with Parkinson's Disease. michaeljfox.org
2021 Dave Grohl, THE STORYTELLER: Tales of Life and Music
The story of this musician, songwriter, and record producer. foofighters.com
"How do I stay humble? Because I'm the best at being humble." -- Dave Grohl
2019 Prince, with Dan Piepenbring, THE BEAUTIFUL ONES.
Photos and interview excerpts add to his own notes. prince.com
2019 Andrew Rannells, TOO MUCH IS NOT ENOUGH: A Memoir of Fumbling Toward Adulthood.
2019 Rick Ross (William Leonard Roberts), HURRICANES: A Memoir
The story of his music career.
"I requested biographies and autobiographies of women and men even if I didn't agree with their politics or principles. Studying them helped me develop my own values and my code of conduct."
Albert Woodfox, SOLITARY: Unbroken by Four Decades in Solitary Confinement, My Story of Transformation and Hope.
2019 Justice John Paul Stevens, THE MAKING OF A JUSTICE: Reflections on My First 94 Years.
2019 George Takei, TO THE STARS: The Autobiography of George Takei
The actor tells his own story in this graphic (illustrated) memoir.
2019 Albert Woodfox, SOLITARY: Unbroken by Four Decades in Solitary Confinement, My Story of Transformation and Hope.
Inside "prison culture" in the Jim Crow era & beyond. He says self-education is key.
2019 Damon Young, WHAT DOESN'T KILL YOU MAKES YOU BLACKER: A Memoir in Essays.
He writes for www.gq.com and co-founded Very Smart Brothas. Very Smart Dads
"Living while black is an extreme sport."
Damon Young, What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Blacker.
“Boys need fathers—period, exclamation point...!
And if a boy is not blessed with a father or gifted with a dynamic stand-in, then he must find ways to make one. He must identify the fatherish men in his life, find what he needs from them, and compose one....
It is an act of necessity, and I should know.... I had a father, and I had one because I made one. Or rather I composed a father from the men at hand, brothers who kept me long before Obama made it a project.”
-- Mitchel S. Jackson, from "Composite Pops" in The Fire This Time Ed. by Jesmyn Ward https://www.goodreads.com › book ›
2019 Matt Fitzgerald, LIFE IS A MARATHON: A Memoir of Love and Endurance.
2019 Jayson Greene, ONCE MORE WE SAW STARS: A Memoir.
A personal story of love and loss, hope and healing after family tragedy.
2019 Elton John, ME.
Rockstar reflects on his boyhood as Reg Dwight; music; substance abuse; "coming out" during the AIDS epidemic; love & fatherhood. eltonjohn.com
2019 Darnell Moore, ASHES IN THE FIRE: Coming of Age Black and Free in America.
Family supported each other amid challenges. His LGBTQ identity is key. https://en.wikipedia.org ›
"[My book] both is and isn't about me. It's a book I wanted to read because too many books have yet to be written by and about the rich experiences of black people who are forced to survive on the edges of the margins because they choose to love differently...."
Darnell Moore, No Ashes in the Fire: Coming of Age Black and Free in America
2019 Dale Berra, MY DAD, YOGI: A Memoir of Family and Baseball.
https://www.goodreads.com › book › show › 41716954-my-dad-yogi
2019 Robert Bryan, THE FLYING PARSON OF LABRADOR AND THE REAL STORY BEHIND BERT & I.
A minister / bush-pilot recounts 50 years on the Canadian coast. https://www.qlf.org › about-
2019 Yvon Chouinard, SOME STORIES: Lessons from the Edge of Business and Sport.
The founder of Patagonia sportswear company supports the environment. https://www.surfertoday.com
He's in the documentary film Not Going Quietly, about his life as a "Medicare for All" activist who was diagnosed with ALS in 2016. Two of his websites:
beaherofund.comAdy Barkan"It's certainly impossible to understand what depression and suicidal thoughts feel like unless you've experienced them yourself--it's like a dude trying to understand how painful childbirth is."
Tim Grayburn, Boys Don't Cry
2018 Julian Castro, AN UNLIKELY JOURNEY (Waking Up from My American Dream).
TX boyhood w/single mom + identical twin + activism. julianforthefuture.com
2018 Alex Ferguson, MY AUTOBIOGRAPHY.
Reflections from a successful UK “football” (soccer) coach. www.premierleague.com ›
2018 Tim Grayburn, BOYS DON’T CRY: Why I Hid My Depression and Why Men Need to Talk About It.
In his fun-filled 20s he also learned about anxiety & depression. https://www.sylomag.com ›
2018 Luke Hart & Ryan Hart, OPERATION LIGHTHOUSE: Reflections on our Family’s Devastating Story of Coercive Control and Domestic Violence. https://www.goodreads.com › book ›
"Playing the guitar and writing songs kept me sane...." -- Oscar Hijuelos, Thoughts Without Cigarettes.
"My mother and father, like most Nisei at that time, grew up without elders or grandparents because those generations remained in Japan. My parents' primary connection to the 'old country' was through language, food, and some cultural activities, like [dance and martial arts]."
-- David Suzuki, Letters to My Grandchildren https://davidsuzuki.org
2018 Kiese Laymon, HEAVY: An American Memoir.
His account of growing up in Mississippi. kieselaymon.com
2018 James Prince, THE ART AND SCIENCE OF RESPECT: A Memoir
Prince is a music executive and promoter in Houston, TX. https://en.wikipedia.org ›
2018 Andrew Lloyd Webber, UNMASKED: A Memoir.
His foundation supports youth in music careers. andrewlloydwebberfoundation.com
“My definition of manhood was evolving rapidly between fatherhood and life away on the [Navy ship]. If I was asked a year prior what I thought being ‘a man’ was, I would say it meant you were the one in control, the guy on top, leading and answering to no one. I was wrong. Being a man means having the awareness to recognize a negative habit, then exercising the courage to undo it.”
Rob Hill, Sr., The Missing Piece
2018 Seymour M. Hersh, REPORTER: A Memoir.
An investigative journalist shares his perspective on politics & the free press. https://www.newyorker.com ›
2018 Rob Hill, Sr. THE MISSING PIECE: Finding the Better Part of Me.
A young father finds his way via the military, then social media.
2018 Anthony Ray Hinton, THE SUN DOES SHINE: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row.
Legal mistakes permeated his erroneous conviction for 30 years. The E.J.I. helped: https://eji.org
2018 Mitch Landrieu, IN THE SHADOW OF STATUES: A White Southerner Confronts History.
Family ethics = key to his role in local and national politics. mitchlandrieu.com
"Long ago, I'd promised myself that I would never lose my children in the way my father had lost me."
Bruce Springsteen, BORN TO RUN
2017 Sherman Alexie, YOU DON’T HAVE TO SAY YOU LOVE ME
Author of popular fiction tells the true story of his own indigenous roots.
2017 Bruce Springstein, BORN TO RUN
"The Boss" shares about his boyhood, loyal mom, music, difficult dad, depression, & being a dad + spouse. brucespringsteen.net
2017 Jim St. Germain, A STONE OF HOPE: A Memoir
He credits the adults who treated him as a person, not a statistic. Now he helps at-risk youth. https://www.boystown.org ›
2018 Michael Caine, BLOWING THE BLOODY DOORS OFF: And Other Lessons in Life.
"I'd always assumed you had to have all the advantages to succeed. But I learned it's not true. Ambition and passion count for more. And they carried me through."
Jim St. Germain, A Stone of Hope: A Memoir.
2017 Pierre Johnson MD, Maxime Madhere MD, & Joseph Semien Jr. MD, PULSE OF PERSEVERANCE: Three Black Doctors on Their Journey to Success
2017 Phil Knight, SHOE DOG: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike.
Adventures in Oregon, Greece, 1960s Japan, running, and business. nikeinc.com
2017 Gucci Mane (Radric Davis), THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF GUCCI MANE.
Life on the streets, music, challenges, & incarceration. guccimaneonline.com
2017 Roy Rosell, SCARED SPEECHLESS: My Crazy Journey to Mastering Fear.
"My responsibilities do not end with being a doctor and a father. As a black man, I have a duty to my community and an obligation to speak to all young people of color."
Pierre Johnson, MD, Joseph Semien, MD, & Maxime Madhere MD, Pulse of Perseverance: Three Black Doctors on their Journey to Success"Research has shown that family acceptance is one of the most influential factors in a child's well-being.... Queer culture has long fashioned families of choice together in order to create the space that a family should provide. A space where you can be yourself. A place where people love you unconditionally. It is of utmost importance for members of the community to stick together, provide for one another, and help out when we can--these risks are too serious for us not to."
-- Skylar Kergil, Before I Knew the Words www.skylarkergil.com
”Make sure...that you continue to explore books that don’t seem to directly connect with your experience. If you’re a young black woman, read up on some of the experiences of Asian men. If you’re a white guy, pick up a book about the struggle of black women, or the immigrant experience. If you’re into sports, read a book about science. Or if you mainly read self-help books, check out a historical novel. As I learned from my mother, there is incredible power in subjects that don’t seem to pertain to you.”
Charlemagne Tha God (Lenard McKelvey), BLACK PRIVILEGE
2017 Kevin Hart, I CAN’T MAKE THIS UP: Life Lessons.
Both comic and serious descriptions of his life.
2017 Lewis Howes THE MASK OF MASCULINITY.
In addition to writing about his sports career, he shares his pain & lessons.
2017 Kareem Abdul Jabar, BECOMING KAREEM: Growing Up On and Off the Court
Thoughts about coaches, basketball, fame, family, & historical research. kareemabduljabbar.com
2017 Skylar Kergil, BEFORE I KNEW THE WORDS.
Trans-guy wisdom + music and poetry, shared w/thanks to his supportive family. https://skylarkergil.bandcamp.com
“My grandfather talked to white people, black people, Indian people, and he tried to learn how to interact with each equally. He never used the ‘N’ word, and this was at a time when a lot of Menominees were going back and forth to Chicago and many came back with that word.... He was a leader.”
Thomas Pecore Weso, Good Seeds: A Menominee Indian Food Memoir
2016 Thomas Pecore Weso, GOOD SEEDS: A Menominee Indian Food Memoir.
Personal narrative & recipes from his boyhood & community. www.wisconsinhistory.org ›
2017 Charley Boorman, LONG WAY BACK.
Motorcycles and Australia. www.charleyboorman.com
2017 Richard Branson, FINDING MY VIRGINITY: THE NEW AUTOBIOGRAPHY.
2017 Charlemagne Tha God (Lenard McKelvey), BLACK PRIVILEGE: Opportunity Comes to Those Who Create It.
Advice from his radio & TV career. cthagodworld.com
The way my mother always explained it, the traditional man wants a woman to be subservient, but he never falls in love with subservient women. He’s attracted to independent women. ‘He’s like an exotic bird collector,’ she said. ‘He only wants a woman who is free because his dream is to put her in a cage.’”
Trevor Noah, Born a Crime
2016 Khizr Khan, AN AMERICAN FAMILY: A Memoir of Hope and Sacrifice
This Gold Star parent promotes religious freedom. https://www.persuasion.community ›
2016 John McCain, FAITH OF MY FATHERS.
How three generations of men influenced each other. All experienced military life.
2016 Ilarion Merkulieff, WISDOM KEEPER.
Indigenous author is from Alaska's Pribiloff Islands.
2016 Trevor Noah, BORN A CRIME: Stories from a South African childhood.
His wit & fluency in several languages helped him deal with conflict and become a comedian. trevornoah.com
“People who had one gender and embodied the other gender in their persona were considered spiritually advanced because, in the spirit world, there is no duality--the two genders are merged into one.”
Ilarion Merkulieff, Wisdom Keeper
"My elders taught that we should treat each other with respect, so I had never been racist toward others. The Elders taught through their actions and words that we should never think badly of anyone. Later I would marvel at how the Elders did this despite the demeaning way the white overseers would treat our people."
--Ilarion Merkulief, Wisdom Keeper https://www.hoopladigital.com › ebook
2015 Oliver Sacks, ON THE MOVE.
This neuroscientist began with motorcycles, weight-lifting, and “coming out.”
2016 Cory Booker, UNITED: Thoughts on Finding Common Ground and Advancing the Common Good.
From his boyhood to his political career as a Senator. https://corybooker.com
2016 Paul Kalanithi, WHEN BREATH BECOMES AIR
Author from Arizona was a neurosurgeon and writer who faced lung cancer.
2016 William Kamkwamba, THE BOY WHO HARNESSED THE WIND.
As a 13 year old, he saved his village by using homemade technology. A book & film resulted: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2019) trailer - YouTube
“I was the youngest, first openly gay, first immigrant, and first Latino inaugural poet. And the list could go on…: first engineer, first Floridian, first Mainer, first poet with bushy eyebrows--wait, [Robert] Frost may have beat me on that one!”
Richard Blanco, For All of Us, One Today.
2015 David Axelrod, BELIEVER: My Forty Years in Politics.
Hid dad’s early exit & child's epilepsy = family counterpoints to his public life. https://en.wikipedia.org ›
2015 Reginald Cambridge, IT’S A LONG WAY FROM TOOTING BROADWAY: The Autobiography of a WW2 British Soldier. https://www.goodreads.com › book
2015 Ta Nahisi Coates, BETWEEN THE WORLD AND ME.
A writer shares thoughts about fatherhood, family, & race.
2015 Arshay Cooper, SUGA WATER
Chicago high school students formed the first American black crew team. The book inspired this film: https://www.amostbeautifulthing.com
"It's important to learn a form of expression, whatever it may be, and for me it was raps. It gave me a voice and, more importantly, an outlet. Writing gave me something positive to focus on."
Stephen Manderson, Professor Green / Lucky
2015 John Fogerty, FORTUNATE SON: My Life, My Music.
2015 Joe Gilliliand, A TEACHER’S TALE: A Memoir
2015 Ben Jealous & Trabian Shorters, Eds. REACH: 40 Black Men Speak on Living, Leading, & Succeeding.
2015 Stephen Paul Manderson, a.k.a. Prof. Green, LUCKY.
Raised by 2 grandmothers; is now a Rap star and the man behind this website: https://myonlinetherapy.com
"'If we ever make it to the top, let's make a deal that we're never going to big-league anybody,' Coop [Tim Cooper] says. 'We're never going to act better than anybody or look down on anybody , because that's not what real big-leaguers do.'
"That's right, I say....
"This simple truth becomes a beacon for how to live life for me, in baseball and out of baseball."
-- Mariano Rivera, The Closer https://marianorivera.com
“Few books offered me the opportunity to see myself--and my potential--the way Colin Powell’s [1995] autobiography did… My own father was not alive and could not write me...a letter, so I took Powell’s advice as if it had come from my own dad.”
Wes Moore, The Work: Searching for a Life that Matters.
2015 George J. Mitchell, THE NEGOTIATOR: A Memoir
His law career in Maine was followed by key roles in international issues. mitchellinstitute.org
2015 Wes Moore, SEARCHING FOR A LIFE THAT MATTERS.
About: family, school, the military, the White House, nonprofits, & mentoring. https://wesmoore.com
2015 Willie Nelson, IT’S A LONG STORY: My life.
Country Music, acting, and activism have been his passions.
2015 Dan-el Padilla Peralta, UNDOCUMENTED: A Dominican Boy’s Odyssey from a Homeless Shelter to the Ivy League.
“‘[My stepfather] thinks he’s the policeman of the world,’ [my mother] said. ‘And that’s the problem.... We have people who cannot police themselves, so they want to police everyone else around them.’”
Trevor Noah Born a Crime
2014, Norman Lear, EVEN THIS I GET TO EXPERIENCE.
The TV and film writer & producer behind many 1970s sitcoms.
2014 Colin Powell, IT WORKED FOR ME.
Grandfatherly advice on life, work, and family.
2014 Mariano Rivera, THE CLOSER.
From a Panamanian boyhood to success with U.S. baseball & family. https://marianorivera.com https://baseballhall.org › hall-
2014 Bryan Stevenson, JUST MERCY: A Story of Justice and Redemption.
Memoir of his law practice tells many men's stories. He founded the Equal Justice Initiative! https://eji.org ›
"The best advice I ever received ...[came] from watching my parents. Yes, they lectured me.... But the most valuable advice I got was from their example, how they lived their lives.... If parents respect each other and create a climate of love in the home, children will see the value of that environment and will try to replicate it as they grow up."
Colin Powell, It Worked for Me https://resiliencebuildingleader.com › it-worked-me
"I know my body looks fucked up. But I honestly feel like there is no physical indication that would lead people to think I'm mentally disabled."
Shane Burcaw, Laughing at My Nightmare.
2013 Archie Willard, LAST READER STANDING: The Story of a Man Who Learned to Read at 54.
2014 Charles M. Blow: FIRE SHUT UP IN MY BONES.
A long-time columnist for the New York Times tells his personal story. Charles M. Blow - The New York Times
2014 Shane Burcaw, LAUGHING AT MY NIGHTMARE.
Man with Spinal Muscular Atrophy has a website & podcasts.www.laughingatmynightmare.com ›
2014 Terry Crews, MANHOOD: How to Be a Better Man (or Just Live with One)
He writes about women, acting, and the NFL. https://www.biography.com ›
"[My father's abandonment] cast me out on a lifelong journey to fill the hole he left in my heart and to search for men who could act as stand-ins for the father I no longer had."
Rev. Al Sharpton, The Rejected Stone.
2013 John Lewis, MARCH (Book One)
U.S. Congressman Lewis tells his story in graphic (comic) form. (Book 2 pub. 2015; Book 3 in 2016.)
2013 Thomas P. McBee, MAN ALIVE: A True Story of Violence, Forgiveness and Becoming a Man
He survived sexual abuse & a mugging, and later became "trans." www.thomaspagemcbee.com
2013 Sam Sagmiller, DYSLEXIA, My Life: One Man’s Story with a Learning Disability.
Author excelled at mechanical & technical work, but reading & writing were difficult. https://www.goodreads.com
2013 Rev. Al Sharpton, THE REJECTED STONE: Al Sharpton and the Path to American Leadership.
The former "boy preacher" tells how he evolved as a father, preacher, and an activist for humanitarian causes. https://www.usccr.gov
"[My brother] came straight from work that day...his face turning serious as I said I had something important to tell him. He looked grown, impossibly strong and adult. He laughed in relief after I'd outlined the shots, the changes, the name change. 'Okay, that's it?' he said, shaking his head. 'I mean, come on. You've always been a guy to me.'"
Thomas Page McBee, Man Alive
2012 Dan Rather, OUTSPOKEN: My Life in the News.
In TV journalism, his face and voice were familiar to many from 1950 onward. https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki
2012 Arnold Schwarzenegger, TOTAL RECALL: My Unbelievably True Life Story
Mr. Universe, Governor of California, businessman, author.schwarzenegger.com
2013 Richard Blanco, FOR ALL OF US, ONE TODAY.
The self-described gay Cuban-American immigrant engineer tells how he became an Inaugural Poet. https://richard-blanco.com
2013 Richard Gilbert, SHEPHERD: A Memoir.
The author has taught at a university in addition to raising sheep.
“Only when I started seriously taking martial arts did I finally begin to curb my physical outbursts and aggression.”
Carlos Andres Gomez, Man Up: Cracking the Code of Modern Manhood
2012 Carlos Andrés Gómez, MAN UP: Cracking the Code of Modern Manhood.
A candid personal account of family, gender issues + poetry.
2012 José Hernández, REACHING FOR THE STARS: The Inspiring Story of a Migrant Farmworker Turned Astronaut.
He also helped develop digital mammography and is an aerospace engineer. https://www.thoughtco.com ›
2012 Craig A Miller, THIS IS HOW IT FEELS: A Memoir -- Attempting Suicide and Finding Life.
He works with The Coalition for Suicide Prevention, and is trained in both SafeTALK and ASIST.https://masspreventssuicide.org
2012 Chester Nez. CODE TALKER: The 1st & Only Memoir by One of the Original Navajo Code Talkers of WW2.
His traditional community supported him as a young adult in WW2 and beyond. https://www.military.com ›
“Christ, man, everything worked out. I never thought it would. But it actually did. And way better than I ever could have imagined. Even just writing about it makes me want to start crying. I have such a good life. It’s humbling, man; it really is. I mean, I just keep trying and trying and trying and failing and failing. But then suddenly everything changed. I’m all right today, and I wouldn’t trade my life for anything. My quiet simple life.”
Nic Sheff, We All Fall Down: Living with Addiction
2012 Rodney King, THE RIOT WITHIN: My Journey from Rebellion to Redemption.
He worked to heal after being a victim of police brutality in Los Angeles in 1991. "Can't we all just get along?" he asked.
2011 Shaquille O'Neal, SHAQ UNCUT.
He credits his mom + stepdad for keeping him striving for success.
2011 Nic Sheff. WE ALL FALL DOWN: Living with Addiction.
This is the sequel to "Tweak". https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki
2011 Tim Tebow, THROUGH MY EYES.
This athlete began by proselytizing Christianity; he also dealt with dyslexia.
2012 Common, (Lonnie Corant Jaman Shuka Rashid Lynn Jr.) ONE DAY IT'LL ALL MAKE SENSE.
He shares about rap, hip-hop, acting, and activism. thinkcommon.com
"The essence of the charming and witty actor became my surrogate father."
Arion Golmakani, Solacers [referring to Fardin, "the superstar of Iranian cinema." His "characters stood for decency, integrity, forgiveness, fearlessness, and defending the truth and the weak."]
2010 Eboo Patel, ACTS OF FAITH, the Story of an American Muslim, the Struggle for the Soul of a Generation
He helps youth find meaning in a multicultural world. www.ifyc.org
2011 Arion Golmakani, SOLACERS.
An intensely deprived childhood [in pre-revolutionary Iran] did not erase his memories of the people who helped him https://www.facebook.
2011 Oscar Hijuelos, THOUGHTS WITHOUT CIGARETTES: A Memoir.
First Hispanic author to win a Pulitzer Prize for fiction.
2011 Domingo Martinez, BOY KINGS OF TEXAS: A Memoir.
His wit & writing helped him move beyond family challenges. https://www.allamericanspeakers.com › celebritytalentbios
“Of all my father’s teachings, the most enduring was the one about the true measure of a man. That true measure was how well he provided for his children, and it stuck with me as if it were etched in my brain. I didn’t know where I was going next, but I knew that failure wasn’t an option.”
Sidney Poitier, The Measure of a Man: A spiritual Autobiography
2009 Sidney Poitier, THE MEASURE OF A MAN.
He describes a warm, rural childhood from which his later successes developed. https://www.biography.com ›
2009 R. Dwayne Betts, A QUESTION OF FREEDOM.
He spent years in jail because of an impetuous car-jacking attempt. dwaynebetts.com
2010 Keith Richards, LIFE.
Rockstar reflects on his only-child boyhood in 1940s England + later adventures w/music and family. www.keithrichards.com
2010 Art Rodrigues, EAST SIDE DREAMS (revised edition).
He learned to manage his dyslexia & later wrote about surviving difficult younger years. www.authorsden.com
There’s something beautifully friendly and elevating about a bunch of guys playing music together. This wonderful little world that is unassailable. It’s really teamwork. One guy supporting the other. And it’s all for one purpose.” -- Keith Richards, LIFE
“Being an only child forces you to invent your world. First you’re living in a house with two adults, and so certain bits of childhood will go by with you listening almost exclusively to adult conversation.... But any only child will tell you that. You can’t grab hold of a sister or a brother. You go out and make friends. ...How to make friends, and who to make friends with...becomes a very important, a very vital part of existence, when you’re that age.”
Keith Richards, Lifewww.keithrichards.com
“During my final U.S. Open, in 2006, I spent all my free time reading J.R. Moehringer’s staggering memoir, The Tender Bar. The book spoke to my heart…. Eventually I asked J.R. if he’d consider working with me, helping me tackle my own memoir and give it shape. To my surprise, he said yes.”
Andre Agassi, Open
2007 Stanley Tookie Williams, BLUE RAGE, BLACK REDEMPTION.
Man who spent years in prison also shared advice for avoiding gang violence.
2008 Seth Kantner, SHOPPING FOR PORCUPINE
An Arctic upbringing gave him a perspective defined by cold, caribou, and care for the land. www.sethkantner.com
2008 Farley Mowatt, OTHERWISE
Memoir connects his adventures documenting wildlife, environmental issues, and Canada's native people. farleymowat.ca
2009 Andre Agassi, OPEN: An Autobiography.
Hard-won battles at home and on the tennis court.
"Even in my most Aspergian days, I knew I had many of the qualities needed to be popular. I was smart. I was gentle. I was funny. I even looked pretty normal, in a geeky sort of way. But my behavioral oddities had hidden those qualities from others, and had caused me to hide myself in shame. Everywhere I had lived, until now, I'd carried the burden of Asperger's with me. So why would I return to [the town where I grew up]? Because I'd finally have the chance to turn a failure into a success."
John Elder Robison, Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's
2007 John Elder Robison, LOOK ME IN THE EYE: My Life with Asperger’s.
Both his challenges & successes were better understood after Asperger's diagnosis. jerobison.blogspot.com
2007 Darryl Scriven, HOW TO BE A BETTER MAN IN 21 DAYS OR LESS.
Practical, can-do, upbeat tips from his life experiences. https://www.clarkson.edu ›
2007 David Small, STITCHES.
A graphic (cartoon) account of a difficult childhood.
2007 Allen Sockabasin, UPRIVER PASSAMAQUODDY.
His traditional upbringing in Maine sustained him as he worked to support his community. List of books by Allen Sockabasin
“I will always be grateful to that very special man who knew I wasn’t old enough [to work at the sawmill], but believed in me and gave me my first opportunity to work for a living. He made it possible for me to help support my family after my mother died.”
Allen Sockabasin, Upriver Passamaquoddy
2005 George Lopez, WHY YOU CRYING?: My Long Hard Look at Life, Love, and Laughter
After a traumatic childhood, he made a career in comedy. georgelopez.com
2007 Joe Biden, PROMISES TO KEEP.
Long before becoming a U.S. president, he described his work as a "public servant".
2007 Berndt Heinrich, THE SNORING BIRD: My Family’s Journey Through a Century of Biology.
Family + natural sciences adventures.https://ultrarunninghistory.com
“I adored making kites with our dia [father]. This was one of the few playful times I could have with him. He would take us up to the fields on the Northern Hill and he’d sit next to me and tell me stories from his childhood. I never wanted those special moments to end….
Li Cunxin, Mao’s Last Dancer
2004 Neil DeGrasse Tyson, THE SKY IS NOT THE LIMIT: Adventures of an Urban Astrophysicist.
2005 Li Cunxin, MAO’S LAST DANCER.
From a loving family in Communist China, to being an international ballet star. licunxin.com
2005 Victor Villasenor, BURRO GENIUS.
Boyhood frustration due to undiagnosed dyslexia; but his father helped. victorvillasenor.com
2005 J.R. Moehringer, THE TENDER BAR.
Absent father inspired son to find neighborly substitutes--and humor. https://decider.com › 2022 ›
“I didn’t know what my father looked like. I only knew what he sounded like.... A popular rock ’n’ roll disc jockey, my father would speak each day into a large microphone somewhere in New York City…. I was only trying to replace a voice, so I didn’t need much. Just another masculine entity, another pretend father. Still, I realized that even a pretend father would be better if I could see him. Manhood is mimesis. To be a man, a boy must see a man.”
J.R. Moehringer, The Tender Bar
2000 Tony Hawk, OCCUPATION: SKATEBOARDER.
A self-described "toothpick" of a young athlete took his obsession around the world, with family support.
2001 Jimmy Carter, AN HOUR BEFORE DAYLIGHT.
Author who became U.S. President was raised in a rural southern GA mixed-race community.
2001 Jimmy Santiago Baca, A PLACE TO STAND: The Making of a Poet.
A rough start led to dealing drugs. "Personal redemption" occurred in prison, where he started writing poetry.
2003 Vartan Gregorian, THE ROAD TO HOME.
This Armenian-American man played key roles in education & art.
"The print on the page [in James Baldwin's book Going to Meet the Man] gave me a world far from mine that still had the feel of my world. Reading was what I needed to beat back all that noise and silence, those horrible silences."
-- R. Dwayne Betts, A Question of Freedom.
WHY this website? Diverse authors "speak"--via audio or print. This list of books was inspired by conversations in the media about manhood. Big questions have been raised: What does it mean to be a man during this time in history? What heritage do we have to draw on? What are boys and men focused on right now? What kind of advice do we want to give -- or to receive?
If you had to choose one man to be your role model, who would he be? Who would you choose as a father? Or brother? Maybe one of these men will remind you of your grandfather--or of your imagined version of the grandfather you never met. If you had to be stranded on an island with three of these men, which ones would you choose?
Some of the authors--of all ages--want to share their experiences. Some share their mistakes. All have been motivated, for whatever reason, to tell their story and to put their name on it. Why?
Maybe he wants to set the record straight about something. Or he has lived an interesting life and has stories to tell, lessons to impart. Whatever the reason, many men have been motivated to record aspects of their lives in writing. And many of us are curious to read them.
Communication is key when there are 8 billion of us on the planet.
Books can be found on amazon.com or https://bookshop.org. All can be used for FREE at U.S. LIBRARIES, sometimes accessed via inter-library loan.
Listen to books via https://www.audiobooks.com
THIS WEBSITE has been featured on: https://www.keithedwards.com/sharing-fire-monthly-newsletter/ on 4/2019, 2/2021, and 9/2022. AND: 10/7/2019 on https://goodmenproject.com.SITE ONLINE since 3/2019. SITE UPDATED 3/25/2023.
AN EXTRA GEM:
“‘Luke’s right,’ said [a cowboy named] Jake. ‘People dream of una familia like yours. Big, old, long dinner table with plenty of homemade cheese, carne asada, salsa, and fresh lemonade. Son, you got the whole world here….’
I stood shoulder to shoulder on horseback with my father and brother…. Maybe Mexicans [like us] weren’t bad people, after all. So, then, maybe it was all right for me to love mi familia. I had tears in my eyes watching those two old guys ride off, herding their stock….”
I really don’t remember too much more about the rest of my year in kindergarten. All I know was that, looking back, I could now see that those two old cowboys from Arizona were like a Godsend to me. After all the negative crap that had been pounded into my brain at school about Mexicans, no one in my family could have ever turned me around to believe that Mexicans were maybe okay people. But these cowboys had been able to do this. One, because they weren’t Mexicans and were Anglos; and two because they spoke Spanish as well as anyone in my family…. I’d also seen how much they’d admired, respected, and looked up to my dad and mom.”
Victor Villasenor, Burro Genius