Farewell Matt Dillon

It was a sad day for me when James Arness died last week at the age of 88. Arness is most famous for his portrayal of Marshal Matt Dillon on the long-running western television series Gunsmoke. On the radio, Marshal Dillon was played by William Conrad (who would later star in TV's Cannon and Jake and the Fatman). Conrad had a terrific voice, but his physical stature left something to be desired for the visual Dillon role. Thus, the imposing (6'7") Arness was given the job, and he was perfect for it. The television series ran from 1955 to 1975, and it includes an amazing 635 episodes. I have enjoyed watching Gunsmoke for as long as I can remember. It is my favorite television series in part because, unlike say a Ron Howard film, it was unpredictable. Dillon was steadfastly incorruptible and apparently fearless in the face of danger as he patrolled the streets of Dodge City, Kansas, but that did not always prevent bad things from happening to good people. In the news articles that followed the death of Arness, I found one line to be particularly terrific. The journalist wrote that the laconic acting style of Arness makes Clint Eastwood appear to be a loudmouth. Tough guys such as Arness are not supposed to die, but they do. Unfortunately, we must say goodbye to James Arness, and I must say goodbye to another piece of my youth.

For those of you wondering how my lamentation fits with tome theme of this blog, check out the autobiography of James Arness.

Wild Bill Donovan: The Spymaster Who Created the OSS and Modern American Espionage by Douglas Waller (Free Press, 2011)

This entry was contributed by my mother, Linda McGaughy (MA from Marywood, 1978). Thanks for the review mom!

What do Ian Fleming, Robert Sherwood, and J. Edgar Hoover have in common? – World War II and William Donovan and the OSS, the spy organization that preceded the CIA. Wild Bill Donovan, a compendium of adventures and famous historical characters, is ripe for a movie on the scale of Lawrence of Arabia or a James Bond flick. Weapons proposed for OSS use range from ridiculous to frightening. Intricate and fascinating details typify the author’s research. (Waller’s impressive in-depth research is explained and credited at the close of the book – “must” reading in itself.) Such research reveals that people from many walks of life wanted to serve their country during this challenging time, and the OSS was one way to do so. I can attest to this from personal knowledge of a long-time friend of the family, a former concert pianist who, despite her aging arthritic fingers, could still make that piano in our house come alive when she visited in the 1950s. A decade later her startling revelation to her young relative who was considering the CIA as a career was that she used her musical ability as her cover while serving with the OSS. She warned that espionage is extremely dangerous, that there were times when she had to flee immediately from a location with no time to go back for her belongings. Wild Bill Donovan is a biography brings the daring of the past to life again.

The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King

Here is a second entry from our dean of students. This series sounds interesting to me, and it is not the typical Stephen King fare. Thank you once again Amy!

Rolland Deschain is the lead character in this 7 book series of John-Wayne-meets-Knights-of-the-Roundtable-while-visiting-LOST. Roland’s character is the essense of what American culture defines as masculine. Throughout the series, Roland is seeking something, not knowing exactly what, but something he desparatly believes in that will change the world. Through that quest, he demonstrates strength, wisdom, hard earned lessons, and persistence through impossible odds. He builds relationships with others and cares for them in that John Wayne sort of manner, mentors the young, and empowers those around him. His will and character are constantly tested and you get to watch as he continues to become more and more human and evolved. The series is long and allows wonderful depth of the characters and miles of action and adventure.

If you are a Stephen King fan, what I found exciting is that he brings in characters from over 15 of his other books! What I found fun was his consistency with his movies in that he has a cameo appearance in the series! The Dark Tower has a huge following and even has a website and a video game that I haven’t tried but you might enjoy. http://www.stephenking.com/DarkTower/ . I’ve also heard rumors that there will be a movie, a 2 year television series, and a final movie telling the story.

If you aren’t familiar with King, don’t jump to conclusions, this series is not horror in my opinion. It does have magic, monsters, elements of futuristic sci fi; with the old west and middle ages; and a lot of action.

The following paragraph is copied from http://www.stephenking.com/DarkTower/:

At the age of 19 Stephen (King) decided he would like to write an epic similar to The Lord of the Rings. The “spaghetti Westerns” of that time and a poem written by Robert Browning, "Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came," became the inspiration for his magnum opus. The series written and published separately over a period of 22 years consists of seven books and the short story, “The Little Sisters of Eluria,” published in his short story collection, Everything’s Eventual.

Shopclass for Soulcraft: An Inquiry into the Value of Work by Michael Crawford (Penguin, 2009)

Get your hands dirty with this suggestion from Joe Gluba of the Marywood school of architecture:

You may think about posting Shopclass for Soulcraft by Michael Crawford. I would not say that it is a testosterone heavy book, and Crawford's ideas should be considered by both male and female students in this age of globalization. It is worth presenting this book because of his intelligent analysis of the potentials of some careers and pursuits that are often considered lowly or mindless grunt work.

More Suggestions from the Experts

Brad Janey from the psychology and counseling department at Marywood was kind enough to offer some of his recommendations to the blog. He is well-versed on the topic of masculinity, and his input is greatly appreciated.

Spreading Misandry: Teaching Contempt for Men in Popular Culture, by Paul Nathanson and Katherine Young (http://www.amazon.com/Spreading-Misandry-Teaching-Contempt-Popular/dp/0773522727)

This book is the first of a series. Others that follow, by the same authors, are:

Legalizing Misandry: From Public Shame to Systemic Discrimination Against Men (http://www.amazon.com/Legalizing-Misandry-Systemic-Discrimination-Against/dp/0773528628/ref=pd_sim_b_1)

Sanctifying Misandry: Goddess Ideology and the Fall of Man
(http://www.amazon.com/Sanctifying-Misandry-Goddess-Ideology-Fall/dp/0773536159/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_c)

Others are as follows:

Save the Males: Why Men Matter Why Women Should Care by Kathleen Parker (http://www.amazon.com/Save-Males-Matter-Women-Should/dp/1400065798/ref=pd_sim_b_4)

The Myth of Male Power by Warren Farrell
(http://www.amazon.com/Myth-Male-Power-Warren-Farrell/dp/0425181448/ref=pd_sim_b_3)

Why Men Earn More: The Startling Truth Behind the Pay Gap -- and What Women Can Do About It also by Warren Farrell
(http://www.amazon.com/Why-Men-Earn-More-Startling/dp/0814472109/ref=pd_sim_b_8)

Gender Inclusive: Essays on Violence, Men, and Feminist International Relations by Adam Jones
(http://www.amazon.com/Gender-Inclusive-International-Relations-Routledge/dp/0415775132/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=I2WGNQK8JN4E3Q&colid=3CNFR464GBDG0)

Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk (Norton, 1996)

It appears that many of the characters in Palahniuk's novel possess slightly higher levels of testosterone than I.

Here is a much appreciated review of Fight Club from an anonymous Marywood student:

The book tends to resonate inside males. Its themes include lack of a father figure, isolation, and feelings emasculation causing men and boys to turn to aggression or violence as their outlet. It draws you in with the confusion and frustration that thousands of men can relate too. It was made into a movie with Brad Pitt and Edward Norton in I believe 1999 or 2000.

Your Summer Reading List

Amy Paciej-Woodruff, the esteemed dean of students at Marywood, recently and successfully defended her dissertation. It dealt in large with masculinity within places of higher education. I attended Amy's defense, and that is where the idea behind this blog originated. The references in the list below were supplied by Amy, and if you are interested in learning more about concepts dealing with masculinities in all their nuances, this would be a terrific place to start. The titles that Amy noted as particular favorites have been given a bold font.

Thanks Dean!

Masculinities References

The American Men’s Studies Association annual conference. Retrieved from www.mensstudies.org.

Blair, T. & Gerson, S. (2008). Bridging the gaps: an analysis of an intervention designed to address gender development within our students. Knowledge Community Men & Masculinities newsletter, National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, 4-5.

Boehm, F. (1930). The femininity complex in Men. The International Journal of Psycho-Analyses, 11, 444-469.

Bussey, K. & Bandura, A. (1999). Social cognitive theory of gender development and differentiation. Psychological Review, 106, 676-713.

Byrnes, J.P., Miller, D.C. & Schafer, W.D. (1999). Gender differences in risk taking: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 125(3), 367-383.

Capraro, R.L. (2000). Why college men drink: alcohol, adventure, and the paradox of Masculinity. Journal of American College Health, 48(6), 307-324.

Capraro, R.L. (2004). Men’s studies as a foundation for student development work with college men. In G.E. Kellom, (Ed.), Special Issue: Developing effective programs and services for college men. New directions for student services (pp.23-34). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Costa, P.T., Terracciano, A. & McCrea, R.R. (2001). Gender differences in personality traits across cultures: robust and surprising findings. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 81(2), 322-331.

Cournoyer, R.J. & Mahlik, J.R. (1995). Cross-sectional study of gender role conflict examining college-aged and middle aged men. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 42(1), 11-19.

Davies, J., McCrea, B.P., Frank, J., Dochnahl, A., Pickering, T., Harrison, B., et al.(2000). Identifying male college students’ perceived health needs, barriers to seeking help, and recommendations to help men adopt healthier lifestyles. Journal of American College Health, 48(6).

Davis, T. (2002). Voices of gender role conflict: The social construction of college men’s identity. In Harper, S.R. & Harris III, F. (2010). College men and masculinities: Theory, research, and implications for practice (pp.49-65). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Davis, T. & Laker, J.A. (2004). Connecting men to academic and student affairs programs and services. In G.E. Kellom, (Ed.), Developing effective programs and services for college men. New directions for student services (pp.47-57). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Edwards, K.E. (2007). “Putting my man face on”: A grounded theory of college men’s gender identity development (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). University of Maryland, College Park, MD.

Edwards, K. & Harris, F. (2009, May). Empirically based strategies and recommendations to foster college men’s development. Paper presented at 2009 Conference on College Men, Philadelphia, PA.

Fischer, A.R. & Good, G.E. (1998). Perceptions of parent-child relationships and masculine role conflicts of college men. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 45(3), 346-353.

Fonda, D. (2000). The male minority. Time, 156, 58-61.

Gibbs, N. (2008, April 14). College confidential: To close the campus gender gap admissions officers often favor boys. Is that a good idea? Time, 171, 80.

Greig, A., Kimmel, M. & Lang, J. (2000). Men, masculinities and development: Broadening our work towards gender equality. Gender in Development Monograph Series #10. United Nations Gender Development Programme.

Harper, S.R. (2007). The measure of a man: conceptualizations of masculinity among high-achieving African American male college students. In M.S. Kimmel & M.A. Messner (Eds.), Men’s Lives (pp.134-146). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Harris, F. (2009, April). College men’s meanings of masculinities and contextual influences: Toward a conceptual model. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association. San Diego, CA.

Harris, F. (2008). Deconstructing masculinity: A qualitative study of college men’s masculine conceptualization and gender performance. Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, 45(4), 453-474.

Harris III, F., & Harper, S.R. (2008). Masculinities go to community college: Understanding male identity socialization and gender role conflict. In J. Lester (Ed.). Gendered perspectives on community colleges: New directions for community colleges, 142 (pp. 25-35). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Hawkins, V., Harris III, F., Harper, S.R. & Larabee, H. (2008, March). Engaging college men: responding to male absenteeism in out-of-class activities and student organizations. Paper presented at the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators annual conference, Boston, MA.

Jaschik, S. (2007, May 23). Looking for male students. Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved from www.insidehighered.com/news/2007/05/23/male.

Jordan, E. & Cowan, A. (2007). Warrior narratives in the kindergarden classroom: Renegotiating the social contract? In M.S. Kimmel & M.A. Messner, (Eds.), Men’s Lives (pp. 39-51). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Kahn, J.S., Holmes, J. & Brett, B. (2009, April). Men struggling in higher education: what’s dominant masculinity got to do with it? Paper presented at American Men’s Studies Association international conference, Concordia University Montreal, Canada.

Kellom, G.E. (2004).Editor’s Notes, In G.E. Kellom (Ed.), Developing effective programs and services for college men. New directions for student services (pp.1-7). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Kellom, G. & Groth, M. (March 2010). Engaging college men: Discovering what works and why. Paper presented at the annual conference of NASPA, Chicago, IL.

Kierski, W. & Blazina, C. (2009). The male fear of feminine and its effects on counseling and psychotherapy. The Journal of Men’s Studies, 17(2), 155-172.

Kimmel, M. (2004). Afterward, developing effective programs and services for college Men. In G.E. Kellom (Ed.), Developing effective programs and services for college men. New directions for student services (pp. 97-100). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Kimmel, M. (2008). Guyland: The perilous world where boys become men. NY, NY: HaperCollins Publishers.

King, J.E. (2000). Gender equality in higher education: Are male students at a disadvantage? Washington, D.C.: American Council on Education Center for Policy Analysis.

King, J.E. (2008). Gender Equity in Higher Education: 2006. AACU’s On Campus with Women, 35. Retrieved from www.aacu.org/ocww/volume35_3/feature.cfm?section=2.

Kingsbury, A. (2006). Special report: America’s best colleges: Admit it: Women have a man problem. U.S. News and World Report. Retrieved from www.alexkingsbury.com/2006/08/28/admit-it-women-have-a-man-problem/.

Kingsbury, A. (2007, June). Admittedly unequal. U.S. News and World Report, 142, 50-53.

Laker, J. A. (2008, Summer). College males: Keeping them engaged on your campus. Leadership Exchange: Solutions for Student Affairs Management, 6(2), 8-13.

Laker, J. & Davis, T. (2009, May). What’s a guy to do? Building men’s capacities to engage gender. Paper presented at 2009 Conference on College Men: Engaging college men: Bridging scholarship and practice, University of Pennsylvania.

Longwood, W.M., Muesse, M.W. & Schipper, W. (2004). Men, spirituality and the collegiate experience. In G.E. Kellom (Ed.), Developing effective programs and services for college men. New directions for student services (pp. 87-96). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Ludeman, R.B. (2004). Arrested emotional development: connecting college men, emotions, and misconduct. In G.E. Kellom (Ed.), Developing effective programs and services for college men. New directions for student services (pp. 75-86). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

NASPAa (2008, summer). College males keeping them engaged on your campus. Leadership Exchange: Solutions for Student Affairs Management, 6(2),1-40.

O’Neil, J.M. (2008). Summarizing 25 years of research on men’s gender role conflict using the gender role conflict scale: New research paradigms and clinical implications. The Counseling Psychologist, 36(3), 358-445.

O’Neil, J.M., Helms, B.J., Gable, R.K., David, L. & Wrightsman, L.S. (1986). Gender role conflict scale: College men’s fear of femininity. Gender Roles, 14, 335-350.

Pascarella, E.T. & Terenzini, P.T. (1991). How college effects students: Findings and insights from twenty years of research. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Pike, G.R. & Kuh, G.D. (2005). First- and second-generation college students: A comparison of their engagement and intellectual development. Journal of Higher Education, 76(3), 276-300.

Pleck, J.H. (1981). The myth of masculinity. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Puls, D. (1998). Achieving masculinity: A review of the literature on male gender identity development. Doctoral Dissertation. Biola University. CG028567

Sax, L.J. (2008). The gender gap in college: Maximizing the developmental potential of women and men, San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Shanahan, M.J., Erickson, L.D., Vaisey, S. & Smolen, A. (2008). Environmental contingencies and genetic propensities: social capital, educational continuation, and dopamine receptor gene DRD2. American Journal of Sociology, 10(2), 285-298.

Shelton, A. & John, D. (2007). Ethnicity, race, and difference: a comparison of White, Black, and Hispanic men’s household labor time. In M.S. Kimmel & M.A. Messner (Eds.), Men’s Lives (pp.420-431). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Steinfeldt, J.A., Steinfeldt, M.C., England, B. & Speight, Q.L. (2009). Gender role conflict and stigma toward help-seeking among college football players, Psychology of Men and Masculinity, 10(4), 261-272.

Strayhorn, T.L. (2008). How college students’ engagement affects personal and social learning. Journal of College and Character, 10(2), 2-16.

Strayhorn, T. (2009, May). Gender differences in student engagement at community colleges: Implications from a national study. Paper presented at 2009 Conference on College Men, University of Pennsylvania.

University of Connecticut. Gender role conflict research program. Retrieved from web.uconn.edu/joneil/structure.html.

Wade, J.C. & Gelso, C.J. (1998). Reference group identity dependence scale: a measure of male identity. The Counseling Psychologist. 26(3), 384-408.

Wechsler, H. & Kuo, M. (2003). Watering down the drinks: The moderating effects of college demographics on alcohol use of high risk groups. American Journal of Public Health, 93(11), 1929-1933.

A Ball Player's Career by Adrian C. Anson (Era Publishing, 1900)

I recently finished a more in-depth review of Anson's book than what will be included here. For those who may be interested, my relatively lengthy review is scheduled to be published in the fall 2011 edition of Base Ball: A Journal of the Early Game. In the present edition of Base Ball, an article I wrote dealing with the 1906 Scranton Miners (local minor league baseball heroes a century ago) is included.

Anyway, "Cap" Anson certainly seems fit for inclusion in this blog. He is a baseball Hall of Fame first baseman who played professional ball from 1871 to 1897. He grew up on the frontier in Iowa (at least the frontier for European Americans) surrounded by members of the Pottawatomie Indian tribe. Anson provides a terrific history of early baseball from thoughts on the beginning of the game, to his childhood participation in variations of baseball including soak-ball and old cat, to the rise of the professional game, to early organizational meetings he attended for what would become the American League, his insights on the game from a 1900 perspective are priceless. He delivers firsthand accounts of such early baseball luminaries as A.G. Spalding, Al Reach, John Ward, William Hulbert, Henry Chadwick, and Billy Sunday. In 1888-89, Anson was among a group of baseball ambassadors that circumnavigated the globe playing many games along the way. Just short of half of Anson's book describes the people and surroundings he came in contact with during the trip, and he does not shy away from voicing his opinion on numerous subjects. Cap met presidents and kings. He fought with police officers in a barroom brawl, spent a night in prison, and took the officers out for drinks the next evening. In other words, he led a colorful life.

Anson was a modestly educated person who was able to travel the world due to his athletic prowess. He was a strongly opinionated product of his times, and his seemingly unvarnished commentary paints a vivid picture of a bygone era. Yes, Cap Anson is astonishingly (especially to 21st century readers) politically incorrect at times. However, as the first substantial baseball autobiography and as a glimpse into late-19th century culture, A Ball Player's Career is a fascinating read.

If you wish to take a look at Anson's book, a first edition copy is available online thanks to Google and the libraries of the University of Michigan.

Life by Keith Richards (Little, Brown and Co., 2010)

I thought that I would make my first entry a new book that I am in the middle of reading now. Keith's life of excess may not be for you, but it makes for fascinating reading. From living in squalor and studying the blues with Mick Jagger and Brian Jones, to the famous Exile on Main Street sessions, to his recent role in Pirates of the Caribbean 3 with Johnny Depp, it is all here. Keef seems to remember things quite well in spite of his extended affair with illicit substances. A favorite anecdote of mine is Keith turning Jimi Hendrix on to the tune "Hey Joe" via a mutual female acquaintance. Personally, I will never forget shouting "Keith" in the nosebleed seats of the Vet during a driving-freezing rain while the Stones were on their the Steel Wheels tour. I know it's only rock and roll, but I like it.