Kind Words by Men


Deeply moving stories from some very well-known authors and from those who should be.

Amatneek has cleverly curated this collection to take us from a boy’s struggle to define what it means to be a man, to a man’s search for identity as son, father, friend, lover, warrior.

These literary gems are at once profoundly personal and universal. We encounter what it means to grow up male: the glories, humiliations, heroics, cruelties, fears, and fantasies.

After reading these tales, women will not look at the boys and men in their lives in the same way. But then, neither will men.

I was swept up in these tales, seeing my own boyhood through fresh eyes, bypassing cultural censors, noticing that which went unnoticed, confronting the deepest recesses of my own psyche, feeling like I understood myself better.

– Dr. Richard A. Warshak
author of Divorce Poison, and former Clinical Professor, UT Southwestern


I was blown away by your anthology. I started with your Preface and couldn’t put it down and had to read all three chapters that you’ve published already. Each of the stories took me to the location and I stood in the shoes of the author as he related his stories.

I am an extensive reader mainly of fiction and science fiction. Not since my foray into John McPhee and his books have I felt such a strong connection to the authors and his subject. You have my heartfelt thanks for the work you are doing.

– Herb Frank


The stories are great, and very enjoyable. It is a pleasure to read them as they pop up with such regularity on my computer screen. Congratulations on amassing so many interesting stories and sharing them so broadly. Many congratulations.

– Tom M., New York


I’m really enjoying these stories, powerful and important.

– Wilhelm Cortez, Executive Editor, Good Men Project


From: Steve Litt
To: Publisher’s Forum
CC: “Bill Amatneek, ed.”

Hi all,

Do you remember Bill Amatneek, who posted on this list until early 2015? He was doing this project where various men would each write a chapter, gleaned the man’s life, that showed what it was like to be a man. He put out a call for submissions for his work, on this list, 6/23/2014. He’s doing it.

This is pretty cool. You know, any fool can whip out a quick book. I’ve done it. But how many can keep a book project going for five years, retain focus on it, and bring it to fruition? He said he was going to do it, he worked it, and now he’s about to complete it.

I feel kind of cool for knowing him.

– Steve T


Hooray for Philip Roth.

Hooray, perhaps even more, for Lena Dunham.

And Hooray most of all for you. It’s a beautiful book.

– Jack Kammer


About “Bully Battle” by David. L Walker –
The bully in Dave’s story carries a punch that grabbed me immediately and put me on edge as the story went forward. I immediately felt empowered by Dave’s dad; how to protect myself, to aim for the nose, stuff a guy needs to know at that age. It describes a situation every man has to deal with.


– Dennis Cole

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