Man of the Moment

Martin's someone I've been aware of around Liverpool for years. One of those people who's a friend of friends but who I never got to know for some reason, until I met Spokes and discovered that they were old pals. He's a fascinating person who's originally from the Netherlands but has been over here for a long time and involved in all sorts of stuff.

He spent several years as a Buddhist monk and later worked as a Buddhist prison chaplain which is where he met the men who inspired him to write the book which he launched this evening - 'Natural Manhood - From Prison Towards Inner Freedom'. The book deals with what it means to be a man in the modern world and how many men, whether in or out of prison, can be 'imprisoned' by the tensions between traditional stereotypes of masculinity and a contemporary need to be emotionally mature and rounded individuals.

The book launch involved food, song and dance as well as readings and a question and answer session. I bought a copy, of course, and am looking forward to the conversations I know it's going to generate!

Well done, Martin!

Real Men...