Ross Barkan

Some come up, some go out. And so for me, it's observing that trend.

Some come up, some go out. And so for me, it's observing that trend.

Some come up, some go out. And so for me, it's observing that trend.

It's a large part of the country, right? I think you have a lot going on with young men today, white and non-white alike, straight men. They are falling behind academically. They're increasingly alienated. They're increasingly angry. They are increasingly online. And fiction, in my view, is not grappling with all of that.

It's a large part of the country, right? I think you have a lot going on with young men today, white and non-white alike, straight men. They are falling behind academically. They're increasingly alienated. They're increasingly angry. They are increasingly online. And fiction, in my view, is not grappling with all of that.

It's a large part of the country, right? I think you have a lot going on with young men today, white and non-white alike, straight men. They are falling behind academically. They're increasingly alienated. They're increasingly angry. They are increasingly online. And fiction, in my view, is not grappling with all of that.

He's a fantastic writer. I'll start there. He's a great pro stylist. There's a short story I love about a young Asian man who is having these very lurid sexual fantasies about dominating other men. Fantastically written. He's sort of the Roth of our era in terms of his ability to make a sentence really sizzle.

He's a fantastic writer. I'll start there. He's a great pro stylist. There's a short story I love about a young Asian man who is having these very lurid sexual fantasies about dominating other men. Fantastically written. He's sort of the Roth of our era in terms of his ability to make a sentence really sizzle.

He's a fantastic writer. I'll start there. He's a great pro stylist. There's a short story I love about a young Asian man who is having these very lurid sexual fantasies about dominating other men. Fantastically written. He's sort of the Roth of our era in terms of his ability to make a sentence really sizzle.

But, but, but, but, this is the caveat which people seem to be afraid to point out, but I will point it out. It's not a straight male fantasy. Could Tony have written a straight male fantasy of wanting to subdue a woman the way that character wants to subdue men? Tony himself is straight. It was an interesting choice there to inhabit A gay character, nothing wrong with that.

But, but, but, but, this is the caveat which people seem to be afraid to point out, but I will point it out. It's not a straight male fantasy. Could Tony have written a straight male fantasy of wanting to subdue a woman the way that character wants to subdue men? Tony himself is straight. It was an interesting choice there to inhabit A gay character, nothing wrong with that.

But, but, but, but, this is the caveat which people seem to be afraid to point out, but I will point it out. It's not a straight male fantasy. Could Tony have written a straight male fantasy of wanting to subdue a woman the way that character wants to subdue men? Tony himself is straight. It was an interesting choice there to inhabit A gay character, nothing wrong with that.

Writers should write about whatever sexuality. I don't believe in limiting anyone in that way. But I thought it was a choice, right? Because straight male lust is very... Disconcerting. It's not easy to write about. What do men think about? The novel isn't really, the modern novel, the current novel in my view, and this is an argument someone can push back, is not addressing that enough.

Writers should write about whatever sexuality. I don't believe in limiting anyone in that way. But I thought it was a choice, right? Because straight male lust is very... Disconcerting. It's not easy to write about. What do men think about? The novel isn't really, the modern novel, the current novel in my view, and this is an argument someone can push back, is not addressing that enough.

Writers should write about whatever sexuality. I don't believe in limiting anyone in that way. But I thought it was a choice, right? Because straight male lust is very... Disconcerting. It's not easy to write about. What do men think about? The novel isn't really, the modern novel, the current novel in my view, and this is an argument someone can push back, is not addressing that enough.

The nasty, nasty men. The men who are not – maybe they're good at heart, but they have a lot of bad thoughts and they take bad actions. You don't see that much in fiction today, I would argue. But it's not just portraying incels, but even – the sorts of men who came in mid-century novels who were suburban husbands trying to do their best and maybe having affairs as well.

The nasty, nasty men. The men who are not – maybe they're good at heart, but they have a lot of bad thoughts and they take bad actions. You don't see that much in fiction today, I would argue. But it's not just portraying incels, but even – the sorts of men who came in mid-century novels who were suburban husbands trying to do their best and maybe having affairs as well.

The nasty, nasty men. The men who are not – maybe they're good at heart, but they have a lot of bad thoughts and they take bad actions. You don't see that much in fiction today, I would argue. But it's not just portraying incels, but even – the sorts of men who came in mid-century novels who were suburban husbands trying to do their best and maybe having affairs as well.

And I think any time literature only focuses on one thing, if it neglects the working class, if it neglects the black experience, neglects the Asian experience. We've seen a lot of great work being done to account for perspectives that were left out of literature for a long time. But I also think it's important to know for better and for worse what the men of the 2020s are up to.

And I think any time literature only focuses on one thing, if it neglects the working class, if it neglects the black experience, neglects the Asian experience. We've seen a lot of great work being done to account for perspectives that were left out of literature for a long time. But I also think it's important to know for better and for worse what the men of the 2020s are up to.