Ken Writes About Memoir and Gender in New Chicago Tribune Article

“You write like a woman.” Ken Budd was told that by a reader of his memoir, The Voluntourist. The comment was a compliment: she felt that the book had an emotional honesty more associated with women and men. Based on that experience, Ken has written a piece for the Chicago Tribune titled “Does Memoir Belong to Just One Gender” on why memoir is such a female-dominated genre.

“Tough-guy strength and Trump-style bravado still trump sensitivity for males in American culture,” Ken writes. “It starts in boyhood (usually in gym class): As a guy, being told you do anything like a woman — throwing, running, burping — is a coded insult. The translation? You’re a wuss.”

Ken is the host of new digital series titled 650,000 Hours that will debut in 2016.