Readers' Comments
Readers are invited to submit their comments, criticisms, and commendations
by e-mail:<mail@bearsonbears.com>
Readers are also encouraged to add their comments to the book's comment section on Amazon.com and BN.com.
| |
Bears On Bears is excellent. I really found your interviews with
such a wide variety of people who may or may not identify as "Bears"
extremely interesting. Ultimately it is not about labeling oneself
but finding peace with who we really are.
As a person who is very involved with politics, it saddens me that
Bears are not as political as they could be. Their talents, their
resources, their very look could be very important in moving the
fight for human rights, sexual and otherwise.
Thank you again for writing a very thought provoking, informative and
important book.
|
|
RJM, Melbourne, FL (USA)
|
| |
|
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.
|
|
KF, Arlington, VA (USA)
|
| |
|
Dear Ron:
I'd like to take just a few minutes from your undoubtedly busy schedule to write you
this note of appreciation.
Yesterday I finished reading Bears On Bears. Ý
What an enlightening and totally cathartic read. Ý
I am a Bear, although I never thought of myself as such before reading your wonderful book. Ý
You see, I am African-American, husky, very hairy (chest, arms, legs AND back),
and therefore always thought of myself as being very much outside the gayscene. Ý
I've always been terrifically uncomfortable in typical gay bars/clubs/functions.Ý
I have been fighting my weight and my hairy body for all of my adult life
not because I thought I was unattractive or physically unfashionable but because
I always received that message from my gay brethren. Ý
Men always told me how handsome I am but that I'd be a real hottie if I lost a lot of weight. Ý
Recently, an acquaintance suggested I have my body hair removed via laser treatment! Ý
I read your book, and my whole outlook has changed, my confidence has soared.
My next step is to visit one of the bars here in Chicago during a Great Lakes Bears Night.
My only reservation is that I will find myself in a room full of husky hairy men like myself
only to find myself the only African-American there. Ý
I'm willing to take a chance and try it though. Ý
I really feel that you should take credit for bringing this Bear out of hibernation. Ý
Many thanks. ÝNow, I'm ready to read Bearotica. Ý;-))
|
|
J, Chicago, IL (USA)
|
| |
|
Bears On Bears by Ron Suresha is the best book I have read on the effect
of the Bear culture on the gay community.
It is a collection of interviews from Bears on all aspects of bear life.
An interesting subject touched on is the concept of lesbian bears.
|
|
MV, Atlanta, GA (USA)
|
| |
we met on the hibernation run in p-town. i bought your book, which i guess doesnt really
narrow it down much. i have been so swamped i dont have much time to read, but what i have read
so far i enjoy. having a degree in gender studies i am totally fascinated by this double gender
of the bear archetype as nuturing mother and tough daddy. i cant believe i hadnt come across it
before. of course there is little to no scholarship about bears out there.
well there is more emerging now, but pickins were slim there for a long time.
anyway i love the book, and would love to talk to you about nerdy stuff sometime.
i am *always* looking for bear intellectuals/academics.
wanna hear your thoughts on class-drag, since you talk about class and masculinity some ...
|
|
g [via email] (USA)
|
| |
A must book for the thinking bear!
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.
|
|
MF, Northeast NJ (USA)
|
| |
Dear Ron,
I'm a 33 yr. old musician/teacher cub from Philadelphia, involved with the
Freedom Bears. I just returned from a trip to Dallas . . . . During my stay,
I got to hang out with members of both the Dallas Bears and Firedancers Leather
group at the Hidden Door and the Eagle. One of the highlights of my trip was
being able to visit the Crossroads Market bookstore at Cedar Springs and
Throckmorten and saw Bears On Bears there, autographed from TBRU.
. . . I have to tell you that your book opened my eyes to the breadth and
depth of the community and helped me to find a deeper appreciation for my
bretheren. Being able to not only understand the issues behind "what/who is"
but also allowing readers to make up their own minds on a variety of topics
was truly rewarding. Your insights helped me to understand myself and relate
to other bears and the group as a whole as never before.
Thanks for all your hard work in putting together this wonderful book. It was
a real pleasure to experience! I hope I can shake your hand at the
booksigning here in Philly in September.
|
|
Huge Hugs, TGR, Philadelphia, PA (USA)
|
PS. It was also really cool to see two acquaintences of mine interviewed:
Adam Steg and Terry Jamro, two very cool guys with good hearts! |
| |
Ron,
I was so glad I made it down to JJ's to meet you in person, I had a great time.
My breasts enjoyed the attention as well.
I read your book.... OH MY GOD!!! FANTASTIC! your chapter with the Les bears
and trans bears really hit home!
The effort you put forth to get all those people together should at least get you
a really GREAT blowjob! LOL
Again it was my pleasure to meet you. Art truly has great friends, and I am so
glad we met!
If I were a man, I wouldn't throw you out of my bed
UNLESS, I wanted to do you on my floor!
|
|
Fondly
S, St Louis, MO (USA)
|
| |
Hi Ron:
I enjoyed meeting you a few weeks ago at the Calamus book signing. I just
finished reading your two books, and since you asked for some feedback, I
thought I'd take some time to send you a note.
I greatly appreciate the Bears on Bears effort, but at the end found myself
as confused as ever about it all. What I did get out of the book,
however, was a sense that I'm not all alone in this wonderment. I too have
no totally clear idea of what a "bear" is or is not (though I am not vague
at all in knowing what I like). But, in any event, I do know that about
ten years ago when I saw my first Bear magazine that I had a similar
reaction to that of most of the folks you interviewed: "Oh, you mean
there's a 'type' of man out there in the gay world that comes close to what
I like!" Beyond that, however, it does seem to be that, like the
unconscious, it is all fairly uncharted territory ... which is, btw, just great!
I particularly liked the historical context into which you, and your
contributors, were able to place the Bear phenomena. That alone helped me
much in clarifying where all of this came from. My partner died of AIDS in
'92, which is also around the time that I saw my first Bear magazine. I
don't think I was attracted to it merely as a reaction to the years of
watching T (as well as several other friends) waste away, but there may
well have been something to it.
I also found myself, after the initial interest and excitement, having a negative reaction
to it all, as well .... primarily because of what you and a few of your interviewees noted
was the "commodification" of the bear concept. I have always resented that
aspect of N. American culture ... how anything gets quickly co-opted,
objectified & packaged, and sold back to you for a profit (and in the
process losing something of its essence). If I do have a criticism of the
book is probably that aspect of it. Or rather, that a discussion on the
aspect of commercialization was limited. But hey, that's just me, and it
is a minor critique, for overall I thought the book was a great effort, and
in fact the very discussion present in the book does much to de-objectify the "Bear."
Btw, there is another thing I got out of the book ... totally unrelated to
the Bear issue, and that was your use of the Internet to carry out a big
chunk of the interviews. ...
Anyways Ron, thanks a lot for your book.
Abrazos,
|
|
CD, Boston, MA (USA)
|
| |
Hi, Ron! ... I'm writing because I saw that Frontiers magazine has dropped "Leonard
& Larry", and I've written them to complain, and I've also written most of my
friends to ask THEM to complain as well. After I did that, I got back to
browsing the L&L website, and I re-read the interview that you did with Tim
Barela some time back. I really enjoyed (perhaps even more the second time)
the issues you brought up with Tim, and I realized that I appreciated your
interviewing style and insight just about as much as I did Tim's responses
and his worldview.
No requests, no questions ... just wanted to share my appreciation of that
with you. ... Bearhugs from a NYC pocket bear...
|
|
C, NYC (USA)
|
| |
Dear Mr. Suresha:
Your friend [PM] just gave me your email address (he seemed a little
SURPRISED to learn that his name was in the acknowledgements so I
apologize for ruining what might've been intended as a surprise) when
I asked him about Bears on Bears
... It was so fantastic to read Bears on Bears, the very first book
I've ever read on the subject, and almost straight through in two
sittings since last night. I've kept my red beard on--more or less,
as it grows back very quickly--for the last 12 years, but because my
... partner seems a tad dismissive of the bear community, I haven't
felt encouraged to go out into the bear community itself. Strangely
enough, even though I am very out in all areas of my life, I feel odd
about the prospect of being open about my fascination with fur.
(Believe it or not, I've NEVER gone into a bear bar or event,
although I did try a bearsex party once. The amount of recreational
drugs being consumed there didn't exactly thrill me.) ...
In any case, congratulations on getting a big WOOF! well-done. You
should be proud. :-)
|
|
RL, New York, NY (USA)
|
| |
Hi Ron,
My compliments to you and your recently published Bears on Bears.
I'd recommend this book to anyone curious of the Bear sub-culture.
I'd discovered the bears 3 years ago, but my once confusing feelings
for hairy men date all the way back to high school. I kept those
feelings in check for almost 15 years. Today it's laughable, when
thinking about how I used to associate gay men, with pretty
boy-types, and drag-queens. Whilst many of them I considered
friends, they never interested me, beyond friendly relations. So I
guess, instead of accepting my feelings for hairy men, who happened
to be gay, but whom I hadn't yet met, or at least I wasn't aware of
having met, the closet was a safe place....
Well I won't keep you any longer. Your book was very enlightening,
and thought-provoking. You should be really proud.
|
|
JW, New York, NY (USA)
|
| |
|
suresha.com Home
Bears on Bears:
Order the Book
Reader Raves
Contents by chapter
and Contributor biographies
Excerpts from Bears on Bears:
Interview with Rich Hatch
Introduction
Reprints from the Book
Donate to Brown Bear Resources
Have a look at Ron's Anthology of Bear Fiction:
Bearotica
Bears on Bears Home
|
