I·con·o·clast (ī-kŏnə-klăst′)
n.
One who attacks and seeks to overthrow traditional or popular ideas or institutions.
Heya! I’m Justin. East Tennessee-born, married to the most perfect human, lifelong punk, gym rat, avid cook, and amateur noise-maker. I value love, compassion, creativity, logic and integrity.
When I launched this Substack it was a weapon: sharp, loud, aimed squarely at the busted, romanticized idea of masculinity that circulates online and in real life. Lately, though, I’ve noticed the pieces I’ve writen are more like letters — personal essays, memories, and observations from someone trying to live better and help others do the same. I haven’t abandoned the critique, I’ve just stopped leading with it.
Iconoclast now stands for the messy middle: a place where a once-combative punk admits he’s learning, laughing at himself, and sometimes changing his mind. If reading these essays keeps someone out of the “manosphere” for a minute, that’s still a small victory even if it is no longer the primary goal.
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