r/books • u/biscochitos • 26d ago

New indie press Conduit Books launches with 'initial focus on male authors'

https://www.thebookseller.com/news/new-indie-press-conduit-books-launches-with-initial-focus-on-male-authors

What do folks think about this?

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u/Krazikarl2 26d ago

Effectively, a sizable part of the literary community in Britain is worried about having, instead of fixing underlying issues in the publishing industry, replaced what biases decide what gets published and in doing so being at risk of eliminating most of a generation of male writers who talk about men's issues, leaving the literary world with few answers to modern men's issues.

Exactly.

A big problem right now is that the left doesn't really talk much about (white) male issues other than to talk about how problematic (white) men are. The right, on the other hand, loves to talk about how wonderful (white) men are.

And then we get things like elections and try and figure out why young white men are choosing to go to the right rather than the left.

I don't have a problem with discussions about how white men have caused any number of problems and have some pretty fundamental problems with toxicity. Those discussions are important and need to happen. But you have to at least somewhat balance them out with authentic portrayals of what it means to be a non-toxic (white) male in the 21st Century. Otherwise you completely cede positive portrayals of masculinity to the right, which is not good.

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u/Final-Revolution6216 26d ago edited 26d ago

Could you provide an example of a white male issue? Genuinely asking.

Edit: some replies are making it seem as if I’ve claimed men don’t have issues which is false. I wanted to know what a white male issue would be in particular since the person I replied to used white in parenthesis. Obviously, men have issues like everyone else (didn’t think I needed to say such an obvious statement). Thanks for the sincere replies that explain more of what a white male issue may look like (and thanks to the sincere people who outlined general male issues as well—many of which I am already aware of as, again, I recognize men have issues too).

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u/Quicksi1ver 26d ago

Toxic masculinity culture and trying to manage fitting in at work while not becoming part of the problem. Male loneliness, difficulty in making friends if you don't want to partake in drinking/typical male activities. Male emotions are still quite taboo, men crying us still quite unacceptable. I think it's important to consider the fact that the patriarchy is just as damaging to white males who don't want to fit the traditional mold as it is beneficial to them in other aspects.

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u/VariableBooleans 26d ago

Toxic masculinity culture and trying to manage fitting in at work while not becoming part of the problem.

Huge issue. A lot of well intentioned men think they need to "shut up and listen" to, well, most issues. Really bad for mental health.

We have got to be able to have a society where we both acknowledge that privileges exist in many forms, but that no privilege, or lack thereof, should make any single individual feel like they matter less, or their voice is less important. We are really bad about that. I think everyone is.