Loved your point about activities, like the all male chorus, that give boys a positive way to express their masculinity. I have noticed at our parish that the altar servers (all boys and men) treat serving at the altar almost like a sport in that they take pride in their precision and expertise and the younger boys look up to the older. Of course some are more serious than others, but when you hear about little boys who make pretend thuribles out of string and rock and process around the backyard swinging it and doing 360’s, you know there is a pride in the skills that go into their jobs up there. It is nice to see, and a good avenue for boys! And boys singing…Yes! There is a Christmas album we love from a boys Choir School on the East coast. I have a similar appreciation for all women’s choruses! And then when the two combine with parts for the men, and then switching to the women…just beautiful.
YES to the Mean Girls article! I haven't seen the new movie either but the line about the long denim button-down skirts was truly triggering, yikes. (Homeschooled until 8th grade and then went to private Christian school.) One of my best discoveries of the last few years has been the podcast Hit Parade, because I never listened to ANY popular music until around 2004 or so, and I was missing out on A LOT of cultural references.
Haley, as a man myself, I agree, and I think the answer is making sure boys have good, male mentors who can model chivalry for them, and also being encouraged to have solid close male friendships in their lives by their dad and by their mentors. The friendship of Frodo and Samwise Gamgee in The Lord of the Rings is the best example of that in fiction, in my opinion, and Samwise Gamgee, who is my favorite literary character of all time for all sorts of reasons, exemplifies what self-sacrificial, close best friendship looks like in his friendship with Frosi, and how to be a good friend, and I try to follow that example in my own life. The friendship between Eustace and Reepicheep in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is another example.
Also, reading about the lives of great male saints, the most contemporary example being Blessed Carlo Acutis, is important too, because boys need heroes to look up to. We also need to teach them that Christ examplifies what masculinity at its best looks like.
Boy Scouts, moreover, was very helpful for me growing up.
In addition, I successfully got all of your Sr. Seraphina books into my local county public library system, and I peek periodically at them in the library catalog and they have been getting checked out a lot, because at least one copy of each seems to always be checked out.
In addition, I got Word on Fire Spark’s Saintly Creatures book into my local county library system.
Awesome! And you are most welcome! I’m excited to see what other good children’s books that Word on Fire and you roll out! There is such a need for those, these days! I have one niece, 7 nephews, and 5 godchildren, one of whom is my niece, and I want to be able to get them quality books like the ones I had growing up that will form both their imaginations and appreciation for beauty and goodness and help them grow in their Catholic faith.
A dear friend of mine was in the all-male campus choir at Texas A&M, and their rendition of BYU Vocal Point’s Nearer My God to Thee was hauntingly beautiful!
Thoughtful reflection on boys and the arts. I didn’t have brothers growing up but my oldest is a sweet sweet little boy, and I do worry so much about him in today’s culture. Bring back (the good sides of) 19th century masculinity where guys could be really into poetry, gardening, and other arts and still have a sense of masculinity/male companionship with those. And I was so excited to hear you on the Great Books podcast again! It’s one of my favorites!
Loved your point about activities, like the all male chorus, that give boys a positive way to express their masculinity. I have noticed at our parish that the altar servers (all boys and men) treat serving at the altar almost like a sport in that they take pride in their precision and expertise and the younger boys look up to the older. Of course some are more serious than others, but when you hear about little boys who make pretend thuribles out of string and rock and process around the backyard swinging it and doing 360’s, you know there is a pride in the skills that go into their jobs up there. It is nice to see, and a good avenue for boys! And boys singing…Yes! There is a Christmas album we love from a boys Choir School on the East coast. I have a similar appreciation for all women’s choruses! And then when the two combine with parts for the men, and then switching to the women…just beautiful.
YES to the Mean Girls article! I haven't seen the new movie either but the line about the long denim button-down skirts was truly triggering, yikes. (Homeschooled until 8th grade and then went to private Christian school.) One of my best discoveries of the last few years has been the podcast Hit Parade, because I never listened to ANY popular music until around 2004 or so, and I was missing out on A LOT of cultural references.
Haley, as a man myself, I agree, and I think the answer is making sure boys have good, male mentors who can model chivalry for them, and also being encouraged to have solid close male friendships in their lives by their dad and by their mentors. The friendship of Frodo and Samwise Gamgee in The Lord of the Rings is the best example of that in fiction, in my opinion, and Samwise Gamgee, who is my favorite literary character of all time for all sorts of reasons, exemplifies what self-sacrificial, close best friendship looks like in his friendship with Frosi, and how to be a good friend, and I try to follow that example in my own life. The friendship between Eustace and Reepicheep in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is another example.
Also, reading about the lives of great male saints, the most contemporary example being Blessed Carlo Acutis, is important too, because boys need heroes to look up to. We also need to teach them that Christ examplifies what masculinity at its best looks like.
Boy Scouts, moreover, was very helpful for me growing up.
In addition, I successfully got all of your Sr. Seraphina books into my local county public library system, and I peek periodically at them in the library catalog and they have been getting checked out a lot, because at least one copy of each seems to always be checked out.
In addition, I got Word on Fire Spark’s Saintly Creatures book into my local county library system.
Keep up the great work!
Our dog is named Samwise in his honor!
And thank you so much for requesting Sr. Seraphina for your local library . That is great to hear!
Awesome! And you are most welcome! I’m excited to see what other good children’s books that Word on Fire and you roll out! There is such a need for those, these days! I have one niece, 7 nephews, and 5 godchildren, one of whom is my niece, and I want to be able to get them quality books like the ones I had growing up that will form both their imaginations and appreciation for beauty and goodness and help them grow in their Catholic faith.
A dear friend of mine was in the all-male campus choir at Texas A&M, and their rendition of BYU Vocal Point’s Nearer My God to Thee was hauntingly beautiful!
Thoughtful reflection on boys and the arts. I didn’t have brothers growing up but my oldest is a sweet sweet little boy, and I do worry so much about him in today’s culture. Bring back (the good sides of) 19th century masculinity where guys could be really into poetry, gardening, and other arts and still have a sense of masculinity/male companionship with those. And I was so excited to hear you on the Great Books podcast again! It’s one of my favorites!
I have a sweet boy as well, and I have similar worries. I pray they find a way to lead in this confused culture.