The perfect conversation for men with little to say can be summed up in eight words; Can you believe the weather at that game? Author Wes Yoders words are humorous. Yet, beyond the sports and weather chatter and silence that characterize many male conversations, there is brokenness. Emptiness. Shame. Thats not funny. For Yoder, addressing th...

One of FX's most successful original productions, Sons of Anarchy roared onto the screen in 2008 and dominated the cable network's programming for seven seasons. Following an outlaw motorcycle club on its Shakespearean journey, the series took audiences on a wild ride powered by a high-octane brand of masculinity. This collection of new essays explores the show's complicated presentation of masculinity and its cultural implications. Series creator and writer Kurt Sutter depicts male characters who act from a highly traditional sense of what it means to be a man. SOA both vaunts and challenges that sense of manhood as the characters face the consequences of their ride-or-die lifestyle.

Blake Brown eased his car out of the parking lot and onto the highway. Unseen, the idling evil slowly left its resting place to follow discreetly behind him. Blake rounded corners and went through lights and the black, metallic beast stayed on his tail. As Blake finally turned into his apartment complex, his shadow turned with him. He never noticed the sleek beast behind him as he pulled into his parking spot and turned off the ignition. The evil trailing him inched to a stop on the other side of the parking lot. Blake turned to walk across to his building. Just as he started across the lot, the black car started again. It honed in on him. It moved gracefully through the lot, smelling blood in the water. As it got close to Blake, it slowed, menacingly creeping toward him. The window lowered silently. Blake, sensing its presence, turned and his eyes lit with a hint of recognition. 'Squ?" was all he got out. Before he could finish the sentence, three shots quietly erupted from the silencer- equipped gun inside the black car. Blake Brown staggered backward. He was hit three times in the chest. The deal was off.