Manhood for Amateurs: The Pleasures and Regrets of a Husband, Father, and Son.

Chabon, Michael (author).

Known for his works of fiction in which he invites readers to make exhilarating imaginative leaps (The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, 2000; The Yiddish Policemen’s Union, 2007), Chabon takes a big, fat swing at the essay form with his second collection and achieves success. Manhood is the unifying topic, and Chabon explores his roles as son, father, brother, husband, male feminist, and so on, especially reveling in being a dad, illustrating in his essay “William and I” how he has a more emotional connection with his kids than the men of his father’s generation ever had with theirs. Because of this, Chabon places traditional gender roles in his crosshairs. In the essay “I Feel Good about My Murse,” he playfully rejects the notion that a man shouldn’t carry a purse. Elsewhere Chabon demonstrates his gravitational pull toward things traditionally considered female, such as baking and child rearing. Fans of Chabon’s fiction will be prepped for his massive range of interests, and they should enjoy his digressions on topics such as astronomy, comic books, baseball, and the art of writing. These warm and thoughtful essays underscore just how good a wordsmith Chabon is—regardless of the form he chooses.