"What Makes a Man is inspired by an interesting, worthy, and ambitious premise: providing alternative modes to, and cautionary tales about,American culture's definition of man. As an introduction to the subject of American male gender identity, What Makes a Man offers a good bang for the buck." --San Francisco Chronicle

"An excitingly diverse and deeply moving collection of essays. This hope-ful book calls for a new vision for men as life-affirming agents of change." --Robert L. Allen

"A timely and profound anthology...Walker has done society at large a great service by bringing forth these voices, these views. Now if only soci-ety will listen." --Booklist

Rebecca Walker, the bestselling author of Black White and Jewish and editor of the pioneering feminist anthology To Be Real, assembles twenty-one provocative thinkers to address this question. Representing a range of essayists and novelists,both men and women, this groundbreaking anthology boldly confronts the complications, possibilities, uncertainties, and joys of being a man in the twenty-first century. Through such diverse themes as sex, power, money, violence, parenting,marriage, and work, these accomplished contributors lend their unique perspectives as they share their thoughts, experiences, and stories of forging new and com-plex identities in a quickly evolving world.

Rebecca Walker

   Putting Down the Gun 1

Michael Datcher

   The Gift 10

Martha Southgate

   My Girlish Boy 21

David Coates

   This Is My Story 31

Tajamika Paxton

   Loving a One-Armed Man 43

Bruce Stockler

   No Means No (and Other Lies)

  from SLEEP AT RED LIGHTS 55

Douglas Rushkoff

   Picture Perfect 66

Jay Ruben Dayrit

   Pig Farm 82

Malidoma Sore6

   Slowly Becoming

   from OF WATER AND THE SPIRIT 96

Peter J. Harris

   Me and Isisara Sing Oldies 11o

Anthony Swofford

     from JARHEAD 124

Kenji Jasper

   Confessions of a Pull-Proof Trigger 139

Caitrlona Reed

   Not a Man 153

Meri Nana-Ama Danquah

   Men Holding Hands 167

Jarvis Jay Masters

   Sanctuary

   from FINDING FREEDOM 183

Michael Moore

    The End of Men

   from STUPID WHITE MEN 200

Jesse Green

   Lacking Harriet 224

Rachel Lehmann-Haupt

   Multi-Tasking Man 238

Christian Wiman

   The Limit 248

Ruth Bettelheim

   Binuclear Man 265

Choyin Rangdrol

   War Is Obsolete 280

Howard Zinn

   Afterword 291

CONTRIBUTORS 295

CREDITS 301