Celebrate Father’s Day with “Dr. Dave” Landers

This Father’s Day, Phoenix Books Burlington will host Dr. Dave Landers for a discussion of the powerful, poignant, and profound ways that fathers defy or buy into our society’s views of masculinity and influence their children’s defining views of a man. Landers’ Men and Masculinities class at St. Michael’s College is immensely popular, and this event – which will take place at 2pm on Sunday, June 15 – is an opportunity for the general public to engage in this discussion.

Landers is the author of “I Wish He’d Taught Me How to Shave,” a compilation of “Dr. Dave’s” reflections and students’ essays from his aforementioned gender studies course. Landers distills into thematic chapters what he has learned from his decades-long career as a college professor and student counselor about the generational damage done when society holds strict and limiting views about masculinity, such as real men don’t cry, feel afraid, lost, or indecisive; real men like sports, are primary breadwinners, take foolish risks, and put themselves in danger.

Landers received a Bachelor’s degree in English from Alma College in Michigan and first taught English in Pontiac, Mich. He then worked as a high school guidance counselor while achieving an MA in Guidance and Counseling at Michigan State University. Landers continued working full-time in Pontiac while pursuing a Ph.D. at Wayne State University in Detroit. Saint Michael’s College hired him as a career development counselor and seven weeks later he was promoted to the director of the Student Resource Center, which provided all of the career and personal counseling to the college. He has been teaching Men and Masculinities at Saint Michael’s for several years, and his fully-enrolled classes have a two-year waiting list.

Phoenix Books Burlington is located at 191 Bank Street in downtown Burlington. This event is free and open to the public. Copies of “I Wish He’d Taught Me How to Shave” will be available for attendees to purchase and have signed. For more information, please call 448-3350 or visit www.phoenixbooks.biz.