On Friday, June 2, at 6pm, join Massy Arts, Massy Books and ECW Press for the launch of The New Masculinity: A Roadmap for a 21st-Century Definition of Manhood by author Alex Manley in conversation with Xtra Senior Editor Mel Woods.
“Alex Manley’s debut book The New Masculinity is a clarion call and guiding light for anyone wondering what a truly healthy, courageous vision of masculinity might look like in a historic moment when traditional – and ‘toxic’ – manhood has come increasingly under fire. A refreshing antidote to the snake-oil sellers and false ‘gurus’ peddling the same old patriarchal ideas that young men simply ought to double down on anger, toughness and self-reliance, The New Masculinity offers a vision of manhood that is courageous, compassionate and beautifully self-reflective” —Kai Cheng Thom, author of I Hope We Choose Love: A Trans Girl’s Notes from the End of the World
About The Book
From AskMen senior editor and non-binary writer Alex Manley comes The New Masculinity: A Roadmap for a 21st-Century Definition of Manhood, a guide for escaping the shackles of toxic masculinity, unlearning what it means to be a man, and pushing back against the various ways masculinity teaches people to hurt rather than help, and to harm rather than heal. Manley charts a course for a wholly new future of the self that’s neither particularly manly nor particularly masculine, but responsive, invested, and caring. Having written and edited for a men’s website for seven and a half years, Manley has seen up close how angry, scared, and lonely men are, and how entrenched in a culture war they feel. This book is a guide for unlearning the habits that perpetuate that harm. There are an infinite number of ways to be a person, but to access them fully, men first need to unlearn the restrictions of modern gender roles and the ways society has taught them to shave parts of themselves off until their masculinity comes before their humanity.
Author:
Alex Manley is a Montreal-based editor, translator, and award-winning writer whose work has been published by Hazlitt, The Walrus, Vulture, Catapult, Electric Literature, Maisonneuve magazine and THIS magazine, among others. Their books include We Are All Just Animals & Plants (poetry collection, Metatron Press, 2016) and Made-Up: A True Story of Beauty Culture Under Late Capitalism (a translation of Daphné B.’s Maquillée, Coach House Books, 2021).
Host:
Mel Woods (they/them) is an award-winning writer, editor and producer currently working as the senior editor, audience engagement at Xtra Magazine. There, they write regularly about queer and trans culture and help coordinate Xtra’s social media presence. Prior to joining Xtra in 2021, they worked with HuffPost Canada as an editor, and graduated with a Master of Journalism from UBC. Their freelance work has appeared in the CBC Vice, the Globe and Mail, Slate, The Walrus, Briarpatch and other places, and they are a regular guest and commentator on CTV and CBC Radio. They grew up in rural Alberta, but now call Vancouver home where they live with their partner and two perfect cats.