Being a Man
...I have always disliked being a man. The whole idea of manhood in America is pitiful, in my opinion. This version of masculinity is a little like having to wear an ill- fitting coat for one's entire life…Even the expression 'Be a man!' strikes me as insulting and abusive. It means: Be stupid, be unfeeling, obedient, soldierly and stop thinking....
American novelist, essayist, and travel writer. Born in Medford, Massachusetts, Theroux earned a B.A. at the University of Massachusetts before teaching in Malawi as a Peace Corps volunteer, and at Uganda's Makerere University and the University of Singapore. Since then he has lived mainly in England when not traveling all over the world-by train whenever possible. Theroux's novels include Waldo (1967), Saint Jack (1973), The Mosquito Coast (1981), and Dr. Slaughter (1984), each made into a movie. He is best known for his travel books, particularly The Great Railway Bazaar: By Train through Asia (1975), The Old Patagonian Express: By Train through the Americas (1979), Riding the Iron Rooster (1988), The Happy Isles of Oceania (1992), Dark Star Safari (2002), A Dead Hand: A Crime in Calcutta (2009). See also paultheroux.com. 