ralentina reviewed Amateur by Thomas Page McBee
Tender machos
4 stars
After transitioning, Thomas undergoes a new gender-identity crisis, as he realizes that some of the 'masculine' behaviors he adopted as a lesbian and/or non-binary person take on different meanings, and have different effects, now that he passes as a man. Many of these behaviours used to help him to demonstrate competence and assertiveness, which are things he no longer needs to work as hard for. In other words, some things that seem integral part of the 'man package' do not appeal to him at all.
Encouraged by his partner, Thomas decide to explore this dark side of masculinity by tackling it heads on, and signing up for a charity boxing event. This environment interestingly brings together two toxic sides of masculinity: the physical violence for which certain working-class men of colour are trained (Tyson towering over the book as a tragic example), and the social violence of the Wall Street …
After transitioning, Thomas undergoes a new gender-identity crisis, as he realizes that some of the 'masculine' behaviors he adopted as a lesbian and/or non-binary person take on different meanings, and have different effects, now that he passes as a man. Many of these behaviours used to help him to demonstrate competence and assertiveness, which are things he no longer needs to work as hard for. In other words, some things that seem integral part of the 'man package' do not appeal to him at all.
Encouraged by his partner, Thomas decide to explore this dark side of masculinity by tackling it heads on, and signing up for a charity boxing event. This environment interestingly brings together two toxic sides of masculinity: the physical violence for which certain working-class men of colour are trained (Tyson towering over the book as a tragic example), and the social violence of the Wall Street type that most often joins this kind of scheme, taking clients to boxing gyms the same way in the 1980s they would have taken them to do coke (sic).
The account of his experience is interspersed with bits of information from social science books and interviews with experts on masculinity, which I didn't think added much. For me, the strength of the book lies in Thomas' desire to engage and see the humanity and tenderness in the macho men he encounters.