A Better Man: A (Mostly Serious) Letter to My Son by Michael Ian Black
A poignant look at boyhood, in the form of a heartfelt letter from comedian Michael Ian Black to his teenage son before he leaves for college, and a radical plea for rethinking masculinity and teaching young men to give and receive love.
In a world in which the word masculinity now often goes hand in hand with toxic, comedian, actor, and father Michael Ian Black offers up a way forward for boys, men, and anyone who loves them. Part memoir, part advice book, and written as a heartfelt letter to his college-bound son, A Better Man reveals Black’s own complicated relationship with his father, explores the damage and rising violence caused by the expectations placed on boys to “man up,” and searches for the best way to help young men be part of the solution, not the problem. “If we cannot allow ourselves vulnerability,” he writes, “how are we supposed to experience wonder, fear, tenderness?”
Honest, funny, and hopeful, Black skillfully navigates the complex gender issues of our time and delivers a poignant answer to an urgent question: How can we be, and raise, better men?
Michael Ian Black is an actor, writer, and comedian best known for co-creating the sketch comedy troupes The State and Stella. He has appeared in many television shows and movies including “Ed,” “This is Forty,” “Wet Hot American Summer,” and the various VH1 “I Love the…” shows.
He has written several books, both for adults and children, and lives in CT with his wife and kids.
