Bears on Bears: Interviews and Discussions (Paperback)

by Ron Jackson Suresha (Author) "I am not a bear..." (more)
Key Phrases: bear archetype, bear community, chubby chasers, San Francisco, New York, American Bear (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Bears, for the uninitiated, are gay men who defiantly challenge society's ideal of physical appearance, who celebrate the fact that they are often large, hairy, and don't give a hoot about what fashions are parading down the runway. Ron Suresha's thought-provoking, humorous long-form interviews with men, including editor David Bergman, cartoonist Tim Barela, and comedian and writer Bruce Vilanch examine questions of gay male stereotyping, commodification of the human body, the oppressiveness of the "physical ideal," and how body image affects personal growth.

In 25 candid discussions, Bears on Bears brings together 57 contributors from around the world, from a rich variety of perspectives and backgrounds. With lighthearted playfulness as well as serious analysis, these Bears (as well as some nonbearish Bear-lovers) describe themselves, their lives and loves, their sense of masculinity, and their flourishing community-cum-culture. Widely excerpted in the gay media, Bears on Bears is the first interview book ever (gay-themed or otherwise) compiled primarily from online interactions. This groundbreaking collection of voices gathered from in and around the edge of this unique culture is both entertaining and enlightening.

Contributors include:
Tim Barela (Temecula, CA) * David Bergman (Baltimore) * Michael Bronski (Cambridge, MA) * Van Buckley (SF) * Craig Byrnes (Springfield, VA) * Drew Campbell (SF) * Eduardo Chavez (Mexico City, Mexico) * Al Cotton (Atlanta, GA) * D. Alex Dammon (Peoria, IL) * Lou Dattilo (Austin, TX) * Steve Dyer (Boston) * Steve Evans (NYC/ Newark, NJ) * Jack Fritscher (SF) * Dave Gerard (Boston) * Jeff Glover (SF) * Rich Hatch (Middletown, RI) * Mike Hernandez (Anza, CA) * Wayne Hoffman (NYC) * Seumas Hyslop (Sydney, NSW, Australia) * Terry Jamro (Boston) * Arnie Kantrowitz (NYC) * Brian Kearns (Toronto) * Richard Labont=E9 (SF/ Calabogie, Ontario) * Gene Landry (Brooklyn/ Minneapolis, MN) * Manny Lim (Boston) * Ali Lopez (Santa Rosa/ DC) * Tim Martin (Louisville, KY) * Dr. Lawrence Mass (NYC) * Heath McKay (Boston) * Rev. Jim Mitulski (SF) * Tim Morrison (Kansas City, MO/ SF) * Xavier Navarro (Barcelona, Spain) * Michael Patterson (Sacramento, CA) * Marcelo Perales (Buenos Aires, Argentina) * Frank Perricone (Mobile, AL) * Glen Purdon (Port Elizabeth, South Africa) * Jack Radcliffe (SF) * Mike Ramsey (Tucson/ Pittsburgh) * Kirk Read (SF) * Matt Rice (SF) * Eric Rofes (SF) * Mali Sahin (Ankara, Turkey) * Alex Schell (NYC) * Woody Shimko (Tokyo, Japan/ Provincetown, MA) * Adam Steg (New Orleans, LA) * Justin Spooner (Port Talbot, Wales, UK) * Mark Thompson (LA) * Sen. Rick Trombly (Concord, NH) * Pete Vafiades (SF) * George Varas (NYC) * Bruce Vilanch (LA) * Reed Wilgoren (Everett, MA) * Danny Williams (SF) * Chris Wittke (Boston) * Rex Wockner (San Diego) * Les K. Wright (Fitchburg, MA)

About the Author
Ron Suresha is a writer and editor living in Boston. His writing has appeared in The Gay and Lesbian Review, Lambda Book Report, American Bear, Gay Community News, White Crane Journal, Art & Understanding, Southern Voice, In Newsweekly, Darshan, and Visionary, and the anthologies The Bear Book, The Bear Book 2, My First Time 2, Bar Stories, Quickies 2, and Tales from the Bear Cult. He is also the editor of an anthology of Bear-themed fiction, Bearotica, forthcoming from Alyson Publications in April 2002.

Product Details

• Paperback: 308 pages
• Publisher: Alyson Books (February 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1555835783
• ISBN-13: 978-1555835781
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #917,507 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must book for the thinking bear!, March 4, 2002

By	Mike (Northeast NJ) - See all my reviews

Bears on Bears covers all aspects of beardom. Bear of course refers to a subculture of gay men who tend to be hairy and not-so-thin. Suresha's book is both funny and thoughtful. Reading it is entertaining. Suresha talks to porn stars, bear politicians and even "ex-bears." The broad range of subjects covered and topics raised would make this a good book for a gender studies class or a discussion group. Want to find out about a subculture of a subculture of a subculture? It's here.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GRRRRRReat & Insightful Reading, July 4, 2003

By	Danny L Peters (Knoxville, TN United States) - See all my reviews

Though I have only been exposed to the gay sub-culture, know as BEARS, for almost 4 years, it was fascinating to read the history of how this wide spread community began. Ron Suresha seems to have opened a whole new realm in the way I look at this group of masculine, "regular Joe"group of men.
The interviews in this book really get to the heart of what makes up the psychy of a BEAR man. And suprisingly, we are not much different than any other man..gay or straight!
These are very candid interviews and even give some insight into the author's 1st encounters with the BEAR sub-culture, back in its infancy!
GRRRRRRRReat job Ron & I am anticipatorily waiting for your next book!

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Bear on "Bears on Bears", April 13, 2002

By	Kevin (Arlington, VA, USA) - See all my reviews

I was given "Bears on Bears" as a gift, and read it from cover to cover with interest and excitement. As a self-described bear who has been in a relationship with another self-described bear for 23 years, I thought "I had seen or knew it all." I was wrong. Ron's book opened my eyes to a much wider world, filled with diversity, a sense of history, and evolution. His interviews with a wide spectrum of men (and even a couple of women!) gave me comfort in knowing that my own experiences were not as unique as I once thought, and allowed me to learn more about the people and events that enable me to live the life I currently enjoy (as well as better understand myself). I highly recommend this book to anyone who is part of or interested in the "bear scene" not only in the United States but also around the world. It's a great read and a great learning experience.