Skilcraft U.S. Government Ballpoint Pens. My dad was a federal game warden, and when I’d go visit him at his office as a kid, I’d swipe office supplies to take home as souvenirs. The pens at his office were Skilcraft U.S. Government ballpoints. I picked up a box a few weeks ago for old-time’s sake […]| The Art of Manliness
Veja Rio Branco II Mesh Sneakers. My trusty New Balance 574s finally gave out after years of faithful service, so I pulled the trigger on these retro-styled running shoes. I’d been eyeing them for awhile. I’m a fan of that classic 80s silhouette that works equally well with jeans or chinos. They’re not cheap, but […]| The Art of Manliness
The Iliad by Homer, translated by Robert Fagles. My 14-year-old son Gus just finished this Homeric epic, and he really enjoyed it. We’ve had some great conversations about it. Fagles’ translation is my go-to for Homer because it’s accessible without dumbing down the poet’s power. It’s a hefty tome at nearly 700 pages, but Gus […]| The Art of Manliness
Patagonia Provisions Lemon Olive White Anchovies. I’ve never been a canned fish guy, but after reading Michael Easter’s article about the nutritional benefits of anchovies, sardines, and mackerel, I decided to give these Patagonia Provisions a try. Turns out anchovies are nutritional powerhouses — packed with omega-3s, vitamins, minerals, and an impressive 20 grams of […]| The Art of Manliness
“Starting Over” by Chris Stapleton. Chris Stapleton seems to be quite popular, but I wasn’t familiar with his music until I stumbled upon this absolute gem of a song. It perfectly captures the feeling of needing a fresh start — whether geographically, relationally, professionally, or emotionally — and the bittersweet feelings that come with having […]| The Art of Manliness
TypingClub. I learned to touch type back in high school. While I’ve maintained decent skills over the years, I recently noticed my typing getting a little sloppy. There’s been a bit more backspacing and hunt-and-pecking than I’d like to admit. The itch to tighten things up led me to TypingClub, a free online platform that […] This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.| Odds & Ends Archives | The Art of Manliness
The Great Cousin Decline. There’s a lot of talk about declining birthrates. One of the second-order consequences of this decline is that younger people today have fewer cousins than those in previous generations. I have 15 cousins; my kids have 8. In this Atlantic article from a couple years back, Faith Hill explores what it […]| The Art of Manliness
Pilot Varsity Disposable Fountain Pen. I was cleaning out my junk drawer the other day and rediscovered a Pilot Varsity fountain pen that had been buried under loose playing cards and earbuds. I’d used these disposable fountain pens quite a bit years ago when I first got into fountain pens. But as with many hobby […]| The Art of Manliness
David Whyte on finding your element. One of the insights I got from preparing for my interview with the poet David Whyte comes back to me regularly. He talks about how one of our symbols of beauty — the swan — is actually awkward when he walks; it is only when he enters a body of water […]| The Art of Manliness
My Interview on The Material Review. One of my favorite newsletters is The Material Review, co-founded by Michael Williams of A Continuous Lean. Every week, they feature a curated list of products and articles to check out. I recently had the pleasure of being interviewed for the newsletter and discussed where manhood stands in 2025, […]| The Art of Manliness
Where Have All My Deep Male Friendships Gone? I almost didn’t click on this article, since “why are men so lonely/don’t have friends” pieces have become a tired dime a dozen over the past several years. But I’m glad I did. By dint of a compelling and relatable personal story and excellent writing, Sam Graham-Felsen […]| The Art of Manliness
David Protein Bar. We’re always in the process of trying out and rotating through new and different protein bars, and a few months ago, we highlighted the best we’ve found so far. Of those picks, the one that’s stuck with me the most and become my go-to is the David bar. The reason? The calorie-to-protein […]| The Art of Manliness
Gattaca. Kate and I recently introduced our kids to a film we’ve long appreciated that deserves wider recognition: Gattaca. The film is noteworthy for several reasons: its distinctive color palette and unique retro-futuristic aesthetic, Michael Nyman’s hauntingly beautiful score (try “The Other Side“), and a plot that’s both philosophically rich and uncannily prescient. Gattaca anticipated the […] This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.| Odds & Ends Archives | The Art of Manliness
Maggie Rogers. We’ve been listening to Maggie Rogers for several years now, ever since “Alaska” caught our attention back in 2016. Her music is perfect for those golden hour drives during the summer when you’ve got the windows down and sunroof open and are just feeling chill. In a pop landscape that feels vapid and […] This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.| Odds & Ends Archives | The Art of Manliness
TikTok is a New Kind of Superweapon. TikTok is a Chinese-owned company famous for its propriety algorithm that delivers highly viral content. Here in the U.S. and in most Western countries that means you see a lot of content of people dancing, lip-syncing famous movie scenes, and doing stupid things like licking toilets. But tech ethicist […]| The Art of Manliness
Inception. We recently watched Christopher Nolan’s 2010 complex thriller Inception as a family and enjoyed it. What I love about Nolan’s films in general is that even when I’m not totally sure I understand what’s going on (here’s looking at you too, The Prestige and Interstellar), the cinematography and overall plots are so rich, immersive, […]| The Art of Manliness
In a Test of Adult Know-How, America Comes Up Short. A sobering new study reveals that American workers are falling behind their international peers in basic reading comprehension and math skills, making it increasingly difficult for them to complete everyday tasks like planning a complex travel itinerary, interpreting a thermometer, or extracting information from a […]| The Art of Manliness
Society of the Snow. Based on the true story of the crash of a Uruguayan plane carrying a rugby team in the Andes in 1972, this intense and disturbing film (I’m not kidding, it’s not for the faint of heart . . . or stomach), is a real-life survival story at its most unromantic. While […]| The Art of Manliness
Reading Notes on Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America. Democracy in America was written nearly 200 years ago, but Tocqueville’s insights about America still seem fresh and relevant today. Democracy in America is a giant tome of a book, so if you’re looking for the highlights to dip your toes into this classic, check out the extensive reading notes that […]| The Art of Manliness
Downfall: The Case Against Boeing. Boeing has been in the news for all the wrong reasons lately. How did a once venerated American company begin to show so many literal and metaphorical cracks? This interesting and disturbing Netflix documentary examines the issues that led to the crashes of two Boeing 737 MAX jets and which […]| The Art of Manliness
Why I Hope to Die at 75 by Ezekiel J. Emanuel. There’s been a lot of attention given in recent times to extending the lifespan. But Dr. Emmanuel, an oncologist and bioethicist, has a compelling, contrarian position: he hopes to die at 75. As he argues, a lot of people think they’ll be an exception […]| The Art of Manliness
How the Seasons Change Our Sleep. Do you feel like your sleep’s been crappier lately? Shorter and less restful? Well, the summer season may be to blame. Research published last year found that sleep is subject to seasonal variations. Study participants slept an hour longer in the winter than they did in the summer, and […]| The Art of Manliness
Cold Hollow Cider Mill Apple Cider Donuts. Our family has made regular visits to Vermont over the years, and when we’re there, one place we always visit is the Cold Hollow Cider Mill in Waterbury. The big draw? Their famous apple cider donuts. So good. Though we can’t get to VT as often as we’d […]| The Art of Manliness
Oklahoma’s Onion Burgers. Many regions of the country lay claim to a signature burger. For Oklahoma, it’s the onion burger, which is made by pressing thinly sliced onions directly into the patty while it cooks. It’s delicious. In back-to-back weeks, the McKays sampled burgers that are considered two of Oklahoma’s best. We got one at […]| The Art of Manliness
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. We recently finished reading this book aloud as a family (nothing relaxes kids before bed like a tale of serial murder). Having sold over 100 million copies, And Then They Were None is not only Christie’s most popular novel but one of the bestselling books of all time, and it […]| The Art of Manliness
Lawerence of Arabia. I recently watched the classic 1962 film Lawerence of Arabia during my Zone 2 cardio sessions. It had been on my to-watch list for a while since it’s my father-in-law’s favorite movie. It did not disappoint! The movie chronicles the life of T.E. Lawrence (played brilliantly by Peter O’Toole), a British officer […]| The Art of Manliness
The Truman Show. Our family just finished watching The Truman Show. I hadn’t seen it since it originally came out 26 (26?!) years ago, and it was as good as I remembered. It was fun to see how into it our kids were, too. Everything about the film is nearly pitch-perfect, from the casting to the humor […]| The Art of Manliness
The Knotty Death of the Necktie. Adam Gopnik explores the decline of neckties that began some 20 years ago and was accelerated by the rise of WFH thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. Besides reflecting on the necktie’s cultural significance throughout history, Gopnik uses this article to discuss what fashion in general tells us about our […]| The Art of Manliness