Legacy Magazine
February 2026
Just You
“This poet goes silent, the stage goes dark The full-length soliloquy now reads stark.”
– James Anthony Ellis
Lonesome
A year ago this week we lost our editor and friend, Jim Ellis. In the midst of a strong marriage, a powerful men’s team, and a host of people who loved and cared for him, Jim apparently felt, in the end, all alone.
And now we feel an emptiness too, without him. Hence, this issue includes an Open Letter to Jim Ellis about the impact of his loss on a close friend. And it seems like a good time to explore what has become an epidemic of male isolation, and also some possible remedies. Several new writers have weighed in; our Burnsie in the House column explores the key distinction between aloneness and loneliness; MDI’s President has something to say about the International meeting last month, and our cartoonists have also been busy. But we’re not leaving it there. Here are some New Features to keep you company.
Tool Time, Revisited: a Riveting New Column
Tools, home repair, lawn equipment, and other stuff men love. Going forward our resident fix-it guy, Matt Coddington, takes on all things DIY. Going forward send your Honey-Do questions to [email protected] and Matt will answer them in our next issue. Meanwhile, his maiden column tells of three amorous tools getting it on with some two-by-fours. Riveting, indeed.
Careers: Built on Purpose. A Monthly Column by career coach Matt Tager
And for those needing to build careers rather than coffee tables, expert coach Matt Tager talks purpose in his own first column.
Letters to the Editor
We are introducing a Letters to the Editor feature going forward: your thoughts on any article or topical issue. Send your letters to: [email protected]
All this and more in the February edition of Legacy Magazine.
Let's start with a few laughs
We all feel lonely (sometimes)

Aloneness
Michael ‘Burnsie’ Burns Aloneness is different from Loneliness. The latter is something I haven’t felt much in my lifetime so I can’t speak from experience.

Lonesome No More?
Dan Kempner Editor, Legacy MagazineEditorial One of my literary heroes, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., once wrote a novel about loneliness called Slaptick subtitled Lonesome No More.

An Open Letter to Jim Ellis
Hi Jim, It’s been a while. Not really, but it has been a year. A year without you. A year of dispair. Everyone knows about

I Cry Alone
David De FranciscoGuest Writer This was written twelve years before I did my Sterling Men’s Weekend and joined Mentor Discover Inspire (MDI). I was still

The Prison of Loneliness
Mark PitcherGuest WriterThe following includes material from two blog posts, originally published in December 2024 and August 2025, for Beyond Brotherhood, an organization founded by

Tool Sex
Matt CoddingtonTool Time, Revisited: A Riveting Column Imagine a bolt, a nut, and a wrench. They are conscious and have formed a threesome, a tool

