Just the iFAQs, Man

From Menletter October 2007

By Tim Baehr

I think a few Q and A's about Menletter are in order. Not that anybody has asked. Here are my (in-)Frequently Asked Questions:

Q What is Menletter?

A Menletter is an electronic, free, monthly newsletter for men (mostly). It is distributed via e-mail to subscribers and appears on its own website. Its mission is to publish articles and essays on issues important to men:

● Health

● Relationships

● Spirituality

● Gatherings and retreats

● Resources

● Mentoring

The usual format is one or two articles or essays on the monthly issue page and regular updates on Events and Resources (Links) pages.

Q What kinds of things are in the articles and essays?

A You can see the range of topics in the "Past Articles" link: http://menletter.org/articles.htm.

Q Who writes for Menletter?

A Most of the stuff is by me.

Q So, who are you? And what makes you think you can write about men?

A My name is Tim Baehr. I have been a writer since the mid-1960s. I am the father of two and stepfather of one, all boys (men by now), and the grandfather of two boys (still boys). I got interested in the so-called "men's movement" about 1989, attending a weekend with Robert Bly and others. Since then I've attended many men's gatherings, co-hosted a drumming and poetry circle, and started this newsletter.

Q What are your views of men versus women - the battle of the sexes?

A I don't like the "versus" anymore. I believe that we have evolved, biologically and socially, to be partners in the life enterprise. Various societies have interpreted this partnership in differing ways, sometimes to the apparent advantage of one gender or the other. The most damaging arrangements, in my experience, were burdened under some kind of orthodoxy - the kind that begins "All men are . . . " or "All women are. . . ."

Q Can I write for Menletter?

A Most of the articles not written by me are by friends who wrote something that I saw and liked and asked to reprint. I'm not soliciting material, but if you have an idea or a completed essay that you'd like me to consider, you can e-mail it to me.

I'm not in a position to pay for articles.

Q Why don't you have advertising or a PayPal link to defray expenses (or raise enough money to pay writers)?

A Menletter costs me almost nothing to produce (just the registration of the URL; the Web hosting is done by a generous friend). I think having no commercial ads is a way of remaining independent. [As of October 2011, the hosting has changed, but it's still free.]

Q How is Menletter produced?

A I create all content in Microsoft Word, saved in HTML format, and copied to the ftp site on the server via a secure link. I prefer not to do pictures or animations so that Menletter is easy to get to through dial-up connections. [That may change in 2011.]

Any other questions? Write me!