Fragments of a Decent Man - Paperback

In Fragments of a Decent Man, Christopher Parent delivers 18 sharply observed, darkly funny, and emotionally resonant essays about trying-and often failing-to be a good man in a world that rarely rewards vulnerability. With deep dives into the absurdities of ordinary life-parenting, marriage, ambition, failure-this collection peers into the quiet corners of manhood where decency lives and struggles to survive.

Parent explores the loss of his father, the impact of being fired from a job, the sadness of seeing his daughter rejected from college, the complications of marriage, and lessons from running a Marathon and visiting a Belgian Trappist monastery. It's one author's take on how accepting life's overtures, which can be offered under the guise of roadblocks and challenges, shaped the portrait of a man who met decent people along the way.

The essays move through fatherhood, friendship, and grief with a voice that is open-hearted, self-aware, and frequently dry-witted. With moments of nostalgia and grit that echo The Tender Bar, it carries a consistent thread throughout: how do we live as whole men without apology or disguise?