Mantor: The Masculinity Conversations

'There is such an immediacy to poetry. I wanted to say "this is me, this is my experience."

James McDermott discusses and reads from his debut poetry collection, MANATOMY.

'This is where trans people’s perspectives on gender become really interesting; because for a lot of us we have been thinking about the concepts of what it really means to be a man or a woman since our earliest memories. At the age of six I knew I was a boy.'

James McDermott is joined by trans man Charlie Caine to talk about masculinity in this final episode of season 1.

'It is okay for me not to be perfect. It is okay for me to reach out for support. And it okay for me to be vulnerable...At the same time it is okay for me to be magnificent. To show up brightly, with intent and integrity in this world.' 

James McDermott is joined by James Wong from A Band of Brothers, to talk about his work tackling young male disaffection, rites of passage, and growing towards healthy manhood.

'I am not just man. I am not just masculinity. Those boxes of gender are so unhelpful to me. I want to collapse them and in that way become less lonely, and more comfortable with myself.'

James McDermott talks to poet and educator Lewis Buxton about the pressures and responsibilities of being being a young man in the 21st century, toxic masculinity, and poetry.

'Stop running. Ask who you are. And don't be afraid to ask for help. The brilliant thing is that when you ask for help you usually get it.'

James McDermott talks to Paul Wheeler of Ascend Adventure about young men and the call to adventure.

'Everything was insanely full. And I could tell myself this story that it was all good and I was doing well. But my body knew otherwise. There's wisdom in our bodies that our minds aren't yet aware of.'

James McDermott speaks with writer and coach Dan Simmons about his journey to living his own authentic self.

'I had to ask myself: who are the people who are happy to keep using phrases like "man-up", "men don't cry", "you're crying like a girl". These phrases make me feel uncomfortable.'

James talks to Nisha, an occupational therapist, about her experiences of gender and race.

'I wish I had been more myself when I was going through school. You just try to fit in. If we all realised that at 16 then those formative years would be a lot easier.'

James McDermott talks to Ben Richardson, bookshop manager and father, about his journey to manhood.

'I sat there for an hour, crying. Every vulnerable thing that I'd stopped myself from being came out. And it felt amazing!...My breakdown was one of the best things that every happened to me. That is when I started being me.'

James McDermott talks to Yogesh Mistry, about his experiences of masculinity, racism, and anxiety,

‘I felt like I was smoke and mirrors: putting on an act to try to be what I thought a man should be, rather than having any sense of who I was as me.’

James McDermott talks to podcast producer Sam Ruddock about addiction, fertility, male potency, and moving away from ego.

‘I hope by talking to other men about that baggage about being a man, we can get rid of the stuff that isn’t useful anymore, put back stuff that is useful, and acquire new things from each other that might help us as well.’

Before talking to other people, host James McDermott explores his own relationship to masculinity.

He is interviewed by podcast producer Sam Ruddock, Director of Story Machine Productions.