Paul Cram

Paul Cram If you like stories that are a mix of tender, spooky, and deeply human, you’ve found your corner. I’m Paul Cram—actor, book lover, and scent nerd.

I make films, tell essays & odd little tales. Keeping you company with thoughts and tales each week.

This morning our book club discussed "I Must Resist: Bayard Rustin's Life in Letters", our June Pride Month selection an...
06/13/2026

This morning our book club discussed "I Must Resist: Bayard Rustin's Life in Letters", our June Pride Month selection and the winner of the 2013 Lambda Literary Award for LGBTQ+ Nonfiction.

After reading it, we could all see why it won.

The book is nearly 500 pages of Bayard Rustin's letters, spanning decades of his life, activism, and work for civil rights. The sheer amount of history contained in these pages is staggering. Gathering, preserving, and organizing hundreds of letters into a coherent narrative is an achievement in itself, and the result is a remarkable testament to Rustin's life, legacy, and impact as both a civil rights leader and a q***r man.

I'll admit—not all of us made it through this particular tome. But that didn't stop us from having one of the most thoughtful and engaging discussions we've had in a long time. My heart is full after spending the morning talking with fellow men about history, justice, identity, and the people who helped shape the world we live in today.

And then there was a "small" act of kindness that meant a lot to us.

One of our members' wives baked rainbow cupcakes from scratch for the group to wish us a Happy Pride.
It was such a simple gesture, but there is love in that. There is care in taking the time to make something and share it with others.

Happy Pride, everyone. 🌈📚

Nearly summer
05/18/2026

Nearly summer

05/15/2026

Making Room at the Table | A Message to Christian Families with Q***r Loved Ones | 🍬 Soul Snack

05/14/2026

Making Room at the Table | A Message to Christian Families with Q***r Loved Ones - Podcast Snippet
***r

05/10/2026

A Hookup, a Rugby Player, and the Shame Script I’m Unlearning

New podcast episode: What a Buck-Naked Rugby Player Taught Me About Anxiety and Self-Regard | 🍬 Soul Snack

There’s something beautiful about sitting by the lake with a group of men talking about books, prisons, mothers, lonelin...
05/09/2026

There’s something beautiful about sitting by the lake with a group of men talking about books, prisons, mothers, loneliness, communication, and human dignity… and then five minutes later making dumb jokes.

Today Men-Who-Read discussed Running the Books: The Adventures of an Accidental Prison Librarian by Avi Steinberg, and overall we were glad we read it. Steinberg writes in these vivid little mini-essays and observations that pull you into prison life in unexpected ways. I especially kept thinking about “kites” (notes inmates leave for each other hidden in books) and “sky writing,” where inmates communicate across windows through full-body gestures and improvised charades. Human beings will always find ways to reach each other.

Some of the stories left me pondering too. They were compelling, heartbreaking, deeply human… but they also weren’t always his stories to tell. I’m still sitting with where I land on that tension.

What I do know is this: I value these men and what we’re building together. A real third space. A place to think out loud. To disagree kindly. To laugh. To be thoughtful. To practice being men in the best ways we know how. To grapple with our beliefs, our experiences, and to witness one another.

And with Mother’s Day coming up, I found myself grateful my mom raised me around books and libraries in the first place.

Anyway. We sat by the lake. We talked about deep things and not-so-deep things. It was a good day.

Join us sometime if you’d like:
meetup.com/men-who-read

Address

3130 Excelsior Boulevard
Minneapolis, MN
55416

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+16128273823

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