The Men in My Life, and Other More or Less True Recollections of Kinsip: Essays

This is a great book about the men who influenced the life of the author. Most of these men were found in typically male settings - fraternity houses, military, sports. All of them had a deep influence on the author as he recounts the often humorous and sometimes affecting stories of his life. The final chapter, from which the name of the book derives, is a look at the "older generation" from the perspective of one who now finds himself approaching that age himself. Great book, good writing.

James D. Houston's The Men in My Life is a collection of autobiographical vignettes that humorously describe the author's understanding of masculinity. Without the usual sentimentalism or hokey New Ageism that occupancies most writing about manhood, Houston recounts his own experiences with the absurd rituals that most men experience while growing up.Whether effortlessly depicting his idiotic initiation into a fraternity, or recalling his near fistfights with a stronger player on a football team, Houston often shows that the bizarre inductions into becoming a man are often necessary for self-awareness and ethical development. His journey through the Appalachians to figure out his great great grandfathers from the Civil War era poignantly illustrates a man trying to understand how his masculine behavior may include near genetic attributes. Witnessing his favorite uncle's alcoholism and violent escapades with a fighting rooster show how a boy can learn what a man should not be.The Men in My Life contains a very conversational voice and can easily be read in an afternoon. And this is where the only faults lie. Sometimes the talky-ness of the sentences draws attention to words that should be deleted or transposed; often the essays could be expanded into entire books since their subject matter is so pleasant to read.