tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post3358349164175477245..comments2024-03-29T07:15:33.972-04:00Comments on Jungle Red Writers: Redefining Manhood in America - a guest blog by James HornorJungle Red Writershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646429819267618412noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-51654191930741211952019-07-20T10:16:17.814-04:002019-07-20T10:16:17.814-04:00Julia, what a perfect tribute to Ross.
Julia, what a perfect tribute to Ross. <br />Cathy Akers-Jordanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08291140883625021188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-7609298117896794012019-07-19T22:38:33.497-04:002019-07-19T22:38:33.497-04:00Very interesting post and I'm looking forward ...Very interesting post and I'm looking forward to reading your novel, it sounds fascinating. I'm not sure how to define being a man these days, but surely honor and kindness must come into it. It should be something that looks beyond just the self and what the individual wants. I suppose the same should apply equally well to women.<br />-MelanieMelaniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17946905881136839301noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-32719269295495943642019-07-19T15:18:45.221-04:002019-07-19T15:18:45.221-04:00I grew up in a neighborhood that was all girls. Wh...I grew up in a neighborhood that was all girls. When we moved away,I was age seven. The next few years were difficult, but I discovered hidden reserves of strength and adaptability that helped to frame my personality. You will see in the book that my protagonist is not effeminate but he acknowledges that there is gender fluidity especially in his relationships with women.James Hornorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18100830723401158891noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-76252078063122672102019-07-19T15:09:41.183-04:002019-07-19T15:09:41.183-04:00Diana, thanks so much for this. There is some viol...Diana, thanks so much for this. There is some violence in Victoria Falls but none of it is gratuitous. In the case of my protagonist, he needed an abrupt change from his former life to wake him up! Some of the prison scenes are rather graphic but these are balanced by many tender moments earlier in the novel when he reveals his vulnerability and his desire for intimacy.James Hornorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18100830723401158891noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-77816987824722663622019-07-19T14:59:48.493-04:002019-07-19T14:59:48.493-04:00The protagonist is a middle aged World Bank offici...The protagonist is a middle aged World Bank official in Sub-Saharan Africa in the early 1990's. He makes one bad choice and ends up in prison in Bombay (Mumbai), India. The subplot takes place thirty years later in Alberta, Canada. It is available on both Amazon and Barnes and Noble.James Hornorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18100830723401158891noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-31595802183614130842019-07-19T14:55:45.890-04:002019-07-19T14:55:45.890-04:00Thanks so much. We have much to learn from the Cla...Thanks so much. We have much to learn from the Classical world! We have this wrongheaded idea that a society without technology could not possibly be as advanced as our own. In reality their holistic approach to the mind and the spirit is one that we sorely need in 2019.James Hornorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18100830723401158891noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-62562794264995710242019-07-19T14:23:58.285-04:002019-07-19T14:23:58.285-04:00What a terrific post - thank you, Jim! I will look...What a terrific post - thank you, Jim! I will look for this book, and in the meantime forward a link to this post to my niece, who is a classicist who writes and teaches about the importance of rhetoric (in ancient Greece and today.)Brenda Buchananhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14161539130987122737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-11713675412440256352019-07-19T13:14:36.740-04:002019-07-19T13:14:36.740-04:00I'm afraid too many in the media prefer a good...I'm afraid too many in the media prefer a good "story" to reality, Rick.Pat Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12732230586783432052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-59601207695210854952019-07-19T13:12:38.874-04:002019-07-19T13:12:38.874-04:00Oh boy. I just asked my 70 year old husband how he...Oh boy. I just asked my 70 year old husband how he defines American manhood today. Sorry. Wimped out. California-ized. His words. I have a feeling my 41 year old son would say something similar. I'm going to throw out there that it isn't that grim. Responsibility, courtesy, self-discipline, respect. I think men are still taught that. Perhaps some of the younger ones just need reminding. Pat Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12732230586783432052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-70252955607706338512019-07-19T13:10:00.562-04:002019-07-19T13:10:00.562-04:00James, what an interesting piece today. I'd lo...James, what an interesting piece today. I'd love to know more about the plot of your book!Deborah Crombiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16988750789088153601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-62860880560714380602019-07-19T13:08:19.968-04:002019-07-19T13:08:19.968-04:00Celia, I am (and have been for many years) a huge ...Celia, I am (and have been for many years) a huge Dick Francis fan. But it hadn't occurred to me that some of my ideas of manhood may be based on those Dick Francis characters. Competent, brave under duress, but also unfailingly honest, just, and compassionate.Deborah Crombiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16988750789088153601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-70131556893049846432019-07-19T13:06:06.022-04:002019-07-19T13:06:06.022-04:00Masculinity in the US is changing. Men are much mo...Masculinity in the US is changing. Men are much more aware of women’s rights around consent and how women and other minorities have been held back. Despite the news cycle, I have optimism about the relationships between the various genders.Teri Soareshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09857726595089810271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-49372757543389008552019-07-19T13:05:45.243-04:002019-07-19T13:05:45.243-04:00If one were to define "men" exclusively ...If one were to define "men" exclusively by reading/listenting to the news, then one would conclude most men are sex-hungry slimeballs who will do just about anything to take advantage of women of all ages (especially young ones). Baring that, the conclusion would be that men are egotistical bullies (such as a certain White House resident) or just plain mean. It's not true, of course, but the media and social media seem to slant things that way. Sometimes I'm just plain embarrassed by it. Add fluid sexual identification and who knows what "manhood" will mean in a decade or three. *Sigh*Rick Robinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07978136287154214297noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-52013425836898959152019-07-19T13:02:54.391-04:002019-07-19T13:02:54.391-04:00Oh, what a lovely gesture for your daughter, Julia...Oh, what a lovely gesture for your daughter, Julia. And I agree about Cap.Deborah Crombiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16988750789088153601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-39665383485252401462019-07-19T12:58:39.981-04:002019-07-19T12:58:39.981-04:00What an interesting piece today. Thanks, James, f...What an interesting piece today. Thanks, James, for such a relevant look at masculinity, which ironically means going back to the past to put it all in perspective. It seems to me that so much of how a boy becomes a man is based on who is guiding him into that transition, as well as societal expectations or pressures. I've too often heard a parent, usually the father, admonish a boy for crying or not being tough enough by saying, "be a man." We, and I mean mainly I, raised our son to be interested in art and reading and learning. We didn't neglect sports. He tried a few, but he wasn't so inclined, and we didn't force him. In fact, I guess that was the key, not "forcing" an identity upon him. When I referenced that it was I who raised him to be interested in a variety of subjects, I meant that I often had to keep my husband's rearing of what a man should be at bay. It was rather rigid, and my husband has come a long way. I remember my son loving the song Oklahoma from the musical when he was little, and he had put on his sister's skirt and twirled to the song in it. My mother-in-law found out and was horrified, advising me to hide that skirt. Wow! I didn't hide the skirt. Hahaha! So many fears are attached to what a man is from those rearing him. Of course, my son did grow up to like swing dancing. Oh, my. <br /><br />Congratulations on your book, James. It sounds like a wonderful read and I wish you much success with it.Kathy Reelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17004247271452356577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-22945991073931496602019-07-19T12:54:34.715-04:002019-07-19T12:54:34.715-04:00I remember a conversation with a group of authors ...I remember a conversation with a group of authors as to what the number one trait ought to be for a hero/protagonist. I said "competence."Juliahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09553268569509053159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-35042001790877126112019-07-19T12:28:16.099-04:002019-07-19T12:28:16.099-04:00I feel part of the issue is that in the not-too-di...I feel part of the issue is that in the not-too-distant past, there was a great sense of being a member of a community. Church, bowling league, Shriners, Bridge club - all these activities that knit people together and made them aware of their interconnectedness. Now, we can reach anyone, anytime on the internet, but it's all "me, me, me" instead of "us."Juliahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09553268569509053159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-33879592363898186232019-07-19T12:24:10.078-04:002019-07-19T12:24:10.078-04:00Your father's story sounds fascinating- and in...Your father's story sounds fascinating- and inspiring. My oldest child was commenting to me a few days ago that people seemed to grow up so much more quickly in the past. I suppose some of that was rising to societies expectations, but obviously some of it was responding to hardship.Juliahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09553268569509053159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-55323250649175362042019-07-19T12:16:01.959-04:002019-07-19T12:16:01.959-04:00100% agree, Cathy. My husband always pointed to Ca...100% agree, Cathy. My husband always pointed to Cap as the ultimate example of a good man (Ross was a HUGE Marvel comics fan.) Now the Smithie is planning to get a small Captain America shield tattooed on her wrist in honor of her dad. (If we had emojis, I'd be inserting heart-eyes here.)Juliahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09553268569509053159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-45535522989968294202019-07-19T12:14:58.601-04:002019-07-19T12:14:58.601-04:00Reading your post this morning made me think of so...Reading your post this morning made me think of some of John Le Carre’s men, and an author whose protagonists were always different in each book but did what needed to be done despite pain, which portray masculine in its many forms, is the late Dick Francis. Seem to be finding English authors, so who else? Hero’s - Jack Reacher, Gabriel Allon, Peter Decker, I do read and love good spy novels too.Celia Wakefieldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14880208621796600180noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-89217919516588126642019-07-19T12:12:51.632-04:002019-07-19T12:12:51.632-04:00That was our ace in the hole as well, Margaret. Th...That was our ace in the hole as well, Margaret. The Sailor is the middle child, with a sister on each side. He learned the lesson that women are people, too, early on.Juliahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09553268569509053159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-8303054210954550912019-07-19T12:12:37.397-04:002019-07-19T12:12:37.397-04:00James Hornor, welcome to Jungle Reds! I want to r...James Hornor, welcome to Jungle Reds! I want to read your novel. Since I am a lady, I do not know what it is like to be a man, though I would like to think that men have feelings too. I read a wonderful memoir by Sidney Poitier called "Measure of a Man" and he talks about being kind.<br /><br />In general, I prefer novels that do not have graphic violence. I have attended several mystery conferences, One conference had many women. Another conference had many men, to my surprise. Many of these men often wrote Hunter Thompson type of novels.<br /><br />Most of the novels that I have are by women, though there are several books by men that I love like the novels by Alexander McCall Smith, who created Scotland Street, Isabel Dalhousie and Precious Ramostowe mystery series.<br /><br />DianaBibliophilehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07764234701385787238noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-40789079571464532532019-07-19T12:09:40.827-04:002019-07-19T12:09:40.827-04:00Liz, have you tried suggesting he look at the vari...Liz, have you tried suggesting he look at the various candidates websites and read the position statements there? Much more comprehensive than any debate, and he can ignore the news cycle.Juliahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09553268569509053159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-38395353690302463042019-07-19T11:26:00.414-04:002019-07-19T11:26:00.414-04:00Curious to know other works of fiction bloggers ma...Curious to know other works of fiction bloggers may have read that address this "definition of manhood" question. It is always on the back burner in Hemingway's novels and short stories but he was approaching it from a more traditional stance. Graham Greene had a lot of male protagonists who were tragic because of an identity crisis often stemming from illicit extramarital affairs. Is it fair to say that women handle these internal emotional crises better than men? Seems like a story arc that we have seen before James Hornorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18100830723401158891noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-30815927922327252242019-07-19T10:52:54.217-04:002019-07-19T10:52:54.217-04:00Wouldn't it be great if, along with reading co...Wouldn't it be great if, along with reading comprehension and maths, schools also required classwork in listening with empathy and responding with compassion? We could solve 50% of our civic ills in a generation.Juliahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09553268569509053159noreply@blogger.com