Self-Made Man (book)

Self-Made Man: My Year Disguised as a Man is a book by journalist Norah Vincent, recounting an 18-month experiment in which she disguised herself as a man—"Ned"—and then integrated into traditionally male-only venues, such as a bowling league and a monastery. She described this as "a human project" about learning. She states at the beginning that she is a lesbian but not transgender.

Self-Made Man
AuthorNorah Vincent
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
SubjectSexual discrimination
Publication date
2006

In the book, she describes her experiences as a man in strip clubs, on dates, and as part of a men's support group.[1][2][3]

In order to effectively pose as a man, Vincent acquired a buzz cut and flattened her chest using a small sports bra. She also hired a makeup artist to fake a five o'clock shadow and trained for months to imitate a deeper male voice. She changed her diet and exercise regime to "bulk up" with more upper-body muscle.

Vincent joined a men's bowling team, where she says "[the men] just took me in ... no questions asked." She eventually became friends with them, even coming along to strip clubs and dating women who had no idea of her true gender. She later revealed that she was actually female to the men, who "took it well."[4]

Vincent also recorded Self-Made Man as an audiobook for Penguin Highbridge.[5]

Vincent writes about how the only time she has ever been considered excessively feminine was during her stint as a man: her alter ego, Ned, was assumed to be gay on several occasions, and features which in her as a woman had been seen as "butch" became oddly effeminate when seen in a man. Vincent asserts that, since the experiment, she has gained more sympathy for the male condition, stating, "Men are suffering. They have different problems than women have but they don't have it better. They need our sympathy, they need our love, and they need each other more than anything else. They need to be together." [2][3]

See also

References
  1. The Guardian - Double Agent
  2. Chang, JuJu (2006-01-20). "A Self-Made Man: Woman Goes Undercover to Experience Life as a man". 20/20. United States: ABC news. Retrieved 2007-11-07.
  3. Chang, JuJu (2006-01-20). "A Self-Made Man: Woman Goes Undercover to Experience Life as a man (video)". 20/20. United States: ABC news. Retrieved 2016-03-17.
  4. Self-made Man: My Year Disguised as a Man ISBN 0-670-03466-5
  5. Self Made Man Penguin Highbridge (Audio) (January 19, 2006) ISBN 978-0786564088


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