About Men: Reflections on the Male Experience

The ""About Men'' column in the New York Times Magazine draws some 75 submissions weekly and more mail than any other feature, write the editors. This collection of 70 columns, edited by Times magazine editor Klein and ``About Men'' editor Erickson, shows why. Grouped thematically (love, friendship, work, etc.), the brief personal essays give us candid reflections on the things that matter most to diverse male writers. Most moving and revealing are the pieces on fathers, both caring and uncaring, and on wives and lovers whose lives have changed dramatically in recent years. From playwright Anthony Giardina's account of his wife's obsession with Bruce Springsteen, to Frederic Morton's celebration of jogging, these writings are very much of the moment, glimpses of how men live now. Contributors include Noel Perrin, Herbert Gold, Michael Korda, Paul Theroux and Richard Reeves. (May 22)