Bears on Bears, 1st ed., Reviews

Reviews of

Bears on Bears: Interviews and Discussions, 1st Edition – Ron J. Suresha (Alyson, 2002)

“The invaluable book [on bears].” – Andrew Sullivan, Salon.com

“I wasn’t expecting Bears on Bears to touch me on such a deep level. . . . My personal connection to bears never occurred to me until I read this book. In fact, I think it should be required reading for anyone interested in gender studies because it’s about bears, and then it is about so much more than bears.” – Tristan Taormino, Village Voice

“If anyone can claim to be a bear authority, it has to be Ron Jackson Suresha. . . . The subjects of Suresha’s “interviews and discussions” are a virtual Who’s Who of Bear culture. . . . Though they don’t seem to agree on who or what a Bear is, they come up with comments and ideas that are often interesting, sometimes infuriating, and occasionally earth-shattering. “ – Jesse Monteagudo, Gay Today

“Ambitious, entertaining, and often insightful . . . [its] give-and-take makes the book accessible, even inviting, for bears and non-bears alike.” – Kevin Riordan, Philadelphia Gay News

“A rich ethnographic forum . . . Bears on Bears is an extremely thorough primer on the Bear movement. . . . Suresha has done an excellent job of cultivating, organizing, and annotating these discussions. Bear aficionados will find it indispensable. – Bron Thorson, X Factor [Phoenix, AZ]

“A fascinating collection of confessions, opinions and attitudes. . . . will make you laugh, cry, cringe with guilt and pain, and generally feel astounded by what you didn’t know about these gentle giants. “ – Hal Campbell, We the People [Santa Rosa, CA]

“The quintessential book on Beardom, both for the uninitiated and for those who fancy themselves bear experts. Bears on Bears will open eyes to a diverse world, within a diverse world, that is full of history and change.” – Ken Gies, MidwestTimes.com

“A diverse collection of interviews with bears and their admirers on hot-button issues within bear culture. . . . Bears on Bears celebrates the individuals involved . . . through its candid discussions with bears from all walks of life.” – Mekado Murphy, Dallas Voice

“[These] lively interviews . . . although thought-provoking, are never dull or boring. . . . Definitely worth a read.” – Dirk Kriete, Scotsgay

“Lively interviews . . . an easy, entertaining read. . . . Anyone who’s a bear, into bear culture, or not a bear but loves their bear men, ought to find this book a must-read. But anyone with an interest in the gay subculture in general will come away with a heightened sense of awareness about our community’s amazing diversity.” – Arthur Scuttle, The Letter [Louisville, KY]

“Fascinating . . . insightful, often hilarious, stimulating, and thought-provoking. Suresha is to be commended . . . As interesting to non-Bears as it is to Bears.” – Geoff Parkes, “Logged Off” [Australia]

“These interviews, from a diverse cross-section of men, leave a variety of impressions, like so many different-sized paw-prints, across the reader’s heart.” – Tony Peregrin, Windy City Times [Chicago]

“The encyclopaedia of bears.” – Laurence P. Byrne, GCN [Dublin, Ireland]

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