Self-Made Man

A journalist’s provocative and spellbinding account of her eighteen months spent disguised as a man.

Norah Vincent became an instant media sensation with the publication of Self-Made Man, her take on just how hard it is to be a man, even in a man’s world. Following in the tradition of John Howard Griffin (Black Like Me), Vincent spent a year and a half disguised as her male alter ego, Ned, exploring what men are like when women aren’t around. As Ned, she joined a bowling team, took a high-octane sales job, went on dates with women (and men), visited strip clubs, and even managed to infiltrate a monastery and a men’s therapy group. At once thought-provoking and pure fun to read, Self-Made Man is a sympathetic and thrilling tour de force of immersion journalism.

“Vincents account of how she became a man is undeniably fascinating. ("Los Angeles Times Book World")”

A thoughtful, entertaining piece of first-person investigative journalism . . . Self-Made Man transcends its premise altogether. . . . So rich and so audacious . . . [I was] hooked from Page 1. (David Kamp, The New York Times Book Review)

Vincent’s account of how she ‘became’ a man is undeniably fascinating.” (Los Angeles Times Book World)

Eye-opening . . . Self-Made Man will make many women think twice about coveting male ‘privilege’ and make any man feel grateful that his gender is better understood. (The Washington Post)

[Vincent] can be as perspicuous and exact as Joan Didion or Gloria Steinem at nailing a hitherto disregarded truth about the sexes in a single elegant and witty phrase. . . . This is a brave and often fascinating book, with Vincent . . . offering us perspectives that are entirely fresh and new. (The Times,London)

Norah Vincent (1968-2022) was the New York Times bestselling author of the nonfiction books Self-Made Man: One Woman’s Year Disguised as a Man and Voluntary Madness: Lost and Found in the Mental Healthcare System, as well as two works of fiction: Thy Neighbor and Adeline: A Novel of Virginia Woolf. Formerly an op-ed columnist for the Los Angeles Times, her work also appeared in the New York Times, the New Republic, and the Washington Post, and she contributed regularly to Salon, the Advocate, and the Village Voice. She was a longtime resident of New York City before her passing in 2022.

A journalists provocative and spellbinding account of her eighteen months spent disguised as a man Norah Vincent became an instant media sensation with the publication of "Self-Made Man," her take on just how hard it is to be a man, even in a mans world. Following in the tradition of John Howard Griffin ("Black Like Me"), Norah spent a year and a half disguised as her male alter ego, Ned, exploring what men are like when women arent around. As Ned, she joins a bowling team, takes a high-octane sales job, goes on dates with women (and men), visits strip clubs, and even manages to infiltrate a monastery and a mens therapy group. At once thought- provoking and pure fun to read, "Self-Made Man" is a sympathetic and thrilling tour de force of immersion journalism.

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