Self-Made Man: One Woman’s Year Disguised as a Man

Following in the tradition of John Howard Griffin (Black Like Me) and Barbara Ehrenreich (Nickel and Dimed), Norah Vincent absorbed an under-reported cultural experience and reported back on what she observed incognito.

For more than a year and a half she ventured into the world as Ned, with an ever-present five o’clock shadow, a crew cut, wire-rim glasses, and her own size 11 1/2 shoes—a perfect disguise that enabled her to observe the world of men as an insider. The result is a sympathetic, shrewd, and thrilling tour de force of immersion journalism that’s destined to challenge pre-conceptions.

Narrated in her utterly captivating prose style and with exquisite insight, humor, empathy, nuance, and at great personal cost, Norah uses her intimate firsthand experience to explore the many remarkable mysteries of gender identity as well as who men are apart from and in relation to women.

In the “Self-Made Man” lecture, Norah discusses the often-misguided nature of our perceptions and expectations of gender roles in society. She also shares the revelation that ‘white manhood’ in America isn't the standard anymore by which women and all other minorities are being measured and found wanting.

Once Norah experienced manhood from the inside – as Ned – she found that, among other things, the straitjacket of the male role is no less constrictive than its feminine counterpart. That, as a man, you're not allowed to be a complete human being, but instead, a coached jumble of stoic poses. You get to be what's expected of you.

On Self-Made Man..."An extraordinary human document, rich in empathy and insight. Readers expecting a light read about a diverting stunt will find themselves taking a riveting and richly illuminating journey into some of their own deepest truths. You start out peeping into a window and end up staring into a mirror." -- Bruce Bawer, author of A Place at the Table

Prior to writing Self-Made Man, Norah was a weekly columnist for the Los Angeles Times op-ed page, wrote a quarterly politics and culture column for The Advocate, and the “Higher Ed” column for the Village Voice. She has been a guest on numerous television shows, including “The Colbert Report”, "20/20", "The O'Reilly Factor" and “Late Night with Conan O’Brien”.