Kate McKay

Writer at The Art of Manliness

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Articles

Odds & Ends: June 6, 2025

3 weeks ago | artofmanliness.com | Kate McKay

Gattaca. Kate and I recently introduced our kids to a film we’ve long appreciated that deserves wider recognition: Gattaca. The film is noteworthy for several reasons: its distinctive color palette and unique retro-futuristic aesthetic, Michael Nyman’s hauntingly beautiful score (try “The Other Side“), and a plot that’s both philosophically rich and uncannily prescient.
Replace Scrolling With Microjournaling

3 weeks ago | artofmanliness.com | Kate McKay

Do you spend a lot of time on social media and other time-wasting apps on your phone? If you’re unhappy with your mindless scrolling habit, you’ve likely tried different tactics to break it, like deleting apps or using screentime features to set time limits. While these Odysseian methods of restraint can help break the scroll habit, they’re not always effective. According to researchers, if you want to break a bad habit, you often have to replace it with a better, healthier one.
Podcast #1,071: The Making of a Supreme Commander - How Eisenhower Became the Leader Who Delivered Victory on D-Day

3 weeks ago | artofmanliness.com | Kate McKay

That Dwight D. Eisenhower became Supreme Commander of the Allied forces in Europe, orchestrating the largest amphibious invasion in history on June 6, 1944, was far from inevitable. He came from the middle of nowhere — Abilene, Kansas — had never led men in battle, spent most of his career as a staff officer, and didn’t make general until he was in his fifties. How, then, did he become the leader on whom the fate of the world would rest?
Chains, Bands, and Bigger Gains: A Weightlifter’s Guide to Accommodating Resistance

3 weeks ago | artofmanliness.com | Kate McKay

You’ve probably seen powerlifters deadlifting or squatting with chains draped from their barbells. It looks and sounds badass — but it’s not just for show. Putting chains (as well as bands) on your barbell is called accommodating resistance, and it can be a useful tool to help you break through lifting plateaus and hit new PRs.As you lift a barbell to which chains have been attached, the chains gradually rise off the floor, increasing the load as the barbell gets higher.
Odds & Ends: May 30, 2025

4 weeks ago | artofmanliness.com | Kate McKay

Maggie Rogers. We’ve been listening to Maggie Rogers for several years now, ever since “Alaska” caught our attention back in 2016. Her music is perfect for those golden hour drives during the summer when you’ve got the windows down and sunroof open and are just feeling chill. In a pop landscape that feels vapid and homogenous, Rogers stands out for her unique sound and persona (there aren’t a lot of pop stars who graduated from Harvard Divinity School).
How to Open a Locked Door With a Credit Card

4 weeks ago | artofmanliness.com | Kate McKay

A few years ago, we were cat-sitting for some friends. They gave me keys to the exterior door leading into their garage. Once inside, I was able to access the unlocked door that went from the garage into the house. Easy peasy. Well, one day, I took my kids with me to feed the cats, and one of them decided to lock the spring-loaded latch as we exited the house into the garage. As I was about to leave through the garage door, I started to hear the click-click-click of the gas stove ignitor.
Lazy Weekend Pancakes

1 month ago | artofmanliness.com | Kate McKay

Note: This is an excerpt from Dad, What’s for Dinner?: Lifesaving Recipes to Avoid Meltdowns, Have Fun in the Kitchen, and Keep Your Kids Well Fedby chef David Nayfeld. No other meal in the day is as transformed by the school calendar as breakfast. During the academic year, weekday breakfasts fall into the “Hurry up and eat, so we can get out the door” camp. Breakfast is you get what you get. If it’s a piece of fruit and a piece of toast on the way out the door, consider yourself lucky.
An Inside Peek at The Strenuous Life: Spring 2025

1 month ago | artofmanliness.com | Kate McKay

The Strenuous Life is an online/offline platform that helps members learn new skills, pursue new interests, and improve themselves in body, mind, and spirit. Each month, members create and publish a newsletter — The Bugle — to highlight what’s going in the TSL community. If you’ve wondered what The Strenuous Life is like, below we share a recent edition of The Bugle. The next TSL enrollment, and the final enrollment of 2025, will open in June.
The Best Summer Shoes for Men

1 month ago | artofmanliness.com | Kate McKay

Summer is unofficially underway. Besides busting out your camp collar shirts for relaxed summer vibes, you might consider changing up your footwear for the warmer weather. Summer shoes put a premium on breathability so your feet stay cool and don’t get smelly during the hot days. They’re also typically more casual than fall and winter shoes and just look chill and relaxed. When most men think of a summer shoe that’s breathable and relaxed, they usually think of sandals first.
Podcast #1,070: How to Have the Manners and Charm of a Proper English Gentleman

1 month ago | artofmanliness.com | Kate McKay

The British just seem like a classier bunch. Part of it is that winning accent. But it’s also because English culture has long been steeped in the tradition of learning and practicing etiquette. Here to share some of the essentials of modern etiquette that are important no matter which side of the pond you live on is William Hanson, a British etiquette expert and the author of Just Good Manners.