What I Meant to Say

Over the past thirty years, the institution of manhood - largely unchanged since time immemorial - has been reinvented, rediscovered and remade, almost beyond recognition.At the same time, the age-old challenges of a man's life - the physical dangers; the thankless duties; the trenchant, incommunicable loneliness and guilt; the unspeakable, sometimes unstoppable physicality of male desire; the preference for convincing action over persuasive words - remain as mysterious and unmapped as ever.Until now.In "What I Meant to Say", writer and broadcaster Ian Brown has gathered 25 beautifully crafted and thoroughly readable essays by some of Canada's most interesting male voices - pieces of writing that explore, reveal and explain the terrain of manhood, both new and old. Contributions include:Greg Hollingshead on brains over brawnBrian Johnson on herniasRussel Wangersky on heroesDavid McFarlane on erectionsAntanas Sileikas on naked womenDavid Eddie on adulteryAndrew Pyper on getting marriedDouglas Bell on being satisfied by sex aloneChris Nuttall-Smith on being an obedient New Age ManBoyd Erman on answering the question "Does my backside look fat in this?", and living to tell the taleMax Fawcett on men and ballsRussell Smith on the appeal of the imperfect womanIan Brown on looking, and being looked at, and lyingRay Robertson on mens' love of gunsDon Gillmor on their love of solitudeBert Archer on preferring men over womenMichael Redhill on mothers, and their varietiesAdditional topics include money, sports, divorce, cars, single parenthood, vanity, death, shopping, hobbies, sisters and that perennial favourite - the male fear of commitment.Deeply insightful and always entertaining, "What I Meant to Say" reveals the secret thoughts and rituals of men, manhood and masculinity as they have never been revealed before. Both a post-feminist tome and a book that refuses to take orders from anyone, "What I Meant to Say" is a lively, thoughtful and often touching guide to the deep underbrush of guydom. Isn't it time they explained themselves?Brown, Ian is the author of 'What I Meant to Say', published 2005 under ISBN 9780887621901 and ISBN 0887621902.