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Bear Bones Books, the hairy arm of Lethe Press, is proud to have nominated, for the 22nd annual Lambda Literary Award for Excellence in GLBT Nonfiction:
 Bears on Bears, Revised edition, front cover Bears on Bears: Interviews & Discussions, revised edition, by Ron J. Suresha, Bear Bones Books/Lethe Press
Bears on Bears, the second book in the BBB catalogue, is the only Bear-themed book submitted in any category this year (with the possible exception Wayne Courtois’s lovely fur-brushed memoir, A Report from Winter).
This groundbreaking book, with 62 contributors from 6 continents discussing every aspect of the gay/bi male Bear subculture, was acclaimed by Tristan Taormino in her Village Voice column as “required reading for anyone interested in gender studies,” and has been widely praised by members of the Bear and GLBT community.
Bears on Bears is also the first interview book compiled primarily using Internet chat technology. This significantly revised edition includes a new section on Bear arts and culture, and 5 fresh interviews including Rev. Troy Perry, founder of the Metropolitan Community Church.
There are 27 titles submitted in the GLBT Nonfiction category this year. Bear Bones Books is among 170 publishers who submitted works for consideration.
Finalists will be announced in March, and the awards ceremony is planned for May in New York City.
See the complete list of nominated books here. Please support BGLT literature by becoming a member of Lambda Lit today!
BBB has its own Facebook page nowadays, and although we realize that FB automatically adds ’s to incorrectly form the possessive for the company name (“Books’s”), here it is and welcome to it:
Bear Bones Books
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Thanks for becoming — and being — a fan!
Bear Bones Books wishes to thank A Bear’s Life magazine for featuring the revised edition of Bears on Bears in this issue (“Falling in Love” #17)!
A revised and expanded edition of the “invaluable book” on Bears
Revealing, challenging, often humorous, Bears on Bears is a groundbreaking book that examines the homomasculine subculture called Bears.
In 30 wide-ranging interviews, 62 men reveal their experiences as gay, bi, and trans Bears and Bear-lovers who find their physical image and personal lifestyle at odds with stereotypically ephebic, effeminate, fashion-obsessed gay male culture. Finding intimate affirmation within the increasingly international Bear brotherhood, they discuss coming-out as and homomasculine Bears and trace the early history of Bear community and subculture.
Contributors include comedian Bruce Vilanch, “Survivor” Richard Hatch, model Jack Radcliffe, and authors David Bergman, Michael Bronski, Jack Fritscher , Wayne Hoffman, Arnie Kantrowitz, Richard Labonté, Dr. Lawrence Mass, Eric Rofes, Mark Thompson, and Les K. Wright.
The revised edition, which is the second title from the Bear Bones Books imprint of Lethe Press, features fresh interviews with filmmakers Kevin Bowe (A Bear’s Story) and Dan Hunt (Bear Run), Sirius OutQ radio personality Larry Flick, Bear Like Me author Jonathan Cohen, and Metropolitan Community Church founder Rev. Troy Perry.
Bears on Bears confronts conventional images of male beauty and contemporary concepts of masculinity in a moving and colorful portrait of a men’s community that makes for fascinating reading on many levels.
328 pages, softbound, $25. Available to book distributors through Ingram. ISBN-10: 1590212444, ISBN-13: 978-1590212448
Order your copy now from Amazon of “the invaluable book” on Bears.
Bear Bones Books now has a FaceBook page!
Check out Bear Bones Books on Facebook
BBB and Jeff Mann’s Edge were mentioned in “Out in Print” by self-identified “polar bear” Wayne Courtois’ review of the revised edition of Ron Suresha’s Bears on Bears: Interviews & Discussions.
 Bears on Bears, Revised edition, front cover Here’s a bearish statement for you: oral history is the best kind. And there’s enough of it in the Revised Edition of Bears on Bears: Interviews and Discussions, edited by Ron Suresha, to satisfy even the most orally-fixated Bear, Cub, Otter, or what-have-you. An expanded version of the book that was first published in 2002, the new BoB adds an updated section on Bear Arts and Culture, as well as an engaging interview with Metropolitan Community Church founder Rev. Troy Perry.
For anyone who has been living in a cave (ha ha), I should explain that in the context of gay life, a Bear is a big, hairy male. From that starting point the definition can go almost anywhere. How big is “big”? How hairy is “hairy”? Are we talking butch, or nelly, or both? It turns out that there are as many variations on Bear as there are people—thus we have the older, or “polar” bear; the slimmer bear, or “otter”; bears of color; even female bears. This inclusive book even contains a lively discussion by a group of men who identify as ex-bears or postbears.
It’s tremendously entertaining to read about, say, the history of the Lone Star bear bar in San Francisco—destroyed by the 1989 earthquake just three months after opening, only to re-open ten months later and become a Bear Mecca. And it’s inspiring to read the stories of men from all over the world who have learned—often after periods of loneliness and rejection—that it’s okay to be big and hairy, and/or to be turned on by big, hairy guys.
Not only engaging and inspiring but often laugh-out-loud funny, this new and improved Bears on Bears is brought to us by Bear Bones Books, an imprint of Lethe Press, with Ron J. Suresha serving as acquisitions and development editor. Some might say that the imprint is another sign of the dreaded ‘commodification’ of Bear culture. I would argue that the culture is rich enough and lively enough to support this effort.
In addition to this book, Bear Bones has provided a valuable service by reprinting Jeff Mann’s first book of personal essays, Edge: Travels of an Appalachian Leather Bear. And forthcoming is a new collection of erotica entitled Bears in Heat: Hot Macho Fiction. This polar bear can hardly wait!
Reviewed by Wayne Courtois
BBB wishes to thank Mr Courtois for the excellent notice. Where do we send his review copy of Bears in Heat?
BBB is also pleased to announce the availability of Bears on Bears on Kindle books from Amazon, where today it is already ranked as:
| #29 in |
Kindle Store > Kindle Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Gender Studies > Men |
| #67 in |
Kindle Store > Kindle Books > Lifestyle & Home > Gay & Lesbian > Nonfiction |
Order the new Kindle edition of Bears on Bears: Interviews and Discussions now at Amazon.com! 
Order the new softcover edition of Bears on Bears: Interviews and Discussions now at Amazon.com!
BBB to sponsor Bear Soup podcast
Bear Bones Books is proud to become a sponsor of the Bear Soup podcast, set to re-premiere on Monday August 17th at 10pm.
 Bear Soup to return On the re-premiere show [episode #50(a)]:
Bear Soup
Mondays 10:00–10:30pm Eastern; repeats Wednesdays
Bears on Bears: Interviews & Discussions, revised edition
Bears on Bears, Revised edition, front cover
Alphabetical list of contributors with links
Craig Byrnes • Tim Barela • David Bergman • S. Bear Bergman • Kevin Bowe • Michael Bronski • Van Buckley • Drew Campbell • Eduardo Chavez • Jonathan Cohen • Al Cotton • Alex Damman • Lou Dattilo • Steve Dyer • Steven Evans • Larry Flick • Jack Fritscher • David Gerard • Jeff Glover • Richard “Survivor” Hatch • Mike Hernandez • Wayne Hoffman • Dan Hunt • Seumas Hyslop • Terry Jamro • Kajunbear • Arnie Kantrowitz • Brian Kearns • Richard Labonté • Gene Landry • Manny Lim • Ali Lopez • Tim Martin • Dr. Lawrence Mass • Heath McKay • Jim Mitulski • Tim Morrison • Xavier Navarro • Michael Patterson • Marcelo Perales • Frank Perricone • Rev. Troy D. Perry • Glen Purdon • “Jack Radcliffe” • Mike Ramsey • Kirk Read • Matt Rice • Eric Rofes • Mali Sahin • George St. George • Alex Schell • Woody Shimko • Justin Spooner • Mark Thompson • Rick Trombly • Pete Vafiades • Bruce Vilanch • Reed Wilgoren • Danny Williams • Chris Wittke • Rex Wockner • Les K. Wright
 Bears on Bears, revised edition, back cover Is your link missing or incorrect? Let me know.
Bears on Bears: Interviews & Discussions
Revised edition
July 27, 2009, New London, CT:
Bear Bones Books is pleased to announce that the new edition of Bears on Bears: Interviews & Discussions, is available for pre-order on Amazon.com.
 Revealing, challenging, often humorous, Bears on Bears: Interviews & Discussions examines the homomasculine subculture called Bears.
In 30 wide-ranging interviews, 62 men reveal their experiences as gay, bi, and trans Bears and Bear-lovers who find their physical image and personal lifestyle at odds with stereotypically ephebic, effeminate, fashion-obsessed gay male culture. Finding intimate affirmation within the increasingly international Bear brotherhood, they discuss coming-out as Bears and the early history of Bear subculture.
Contributors include comedian Bruce Vilanch, “Survivor” Richard Hatch, model Jack Radcliffe, and authors David Bergman, Michael Bronski, Jack Fritscher, Wayne Hoffman, Arnie Kantrowitz, Richard Labonté, Dr. Lawrence Mass, Eric Rofes, Mark Thompson, and Les K. Wright.
 Jack Radcliffe. photo by Lyn Ludwig http://shutterbear.com Acclaimed by Andrew Sullivan on Salon.com as “the invaluable book” on Bears, the revised edition features fresh interviews with filmmakers Kevin Bowe (A Bear’s Story) and Dan Hunt (Bear Run), Sirius OutQ radio personality Larry Flick, Bear Like Me author Jonathan Cohen, and Metropolitan Community Church founder Rev. Troy Perry.
This edition is dedicated to Suresha’s former lover, Chris Nelson, who was the first photographer and a cofounder of Bear magazine; and to author/educator/activist Eric Rofes, whose interview begins the collection — both of whom died unexpectedly in 2006.
Bears on Bears confronts conventional images of male beauty and contemporary concepts of masculinity in a moving and colorful portrait of a men’s community that makes for fascinating reading on many levels.
The official publication date is August 1, 2009, and copies are now available for pre-order at Amazon.com.
Bears on Bears: Interviews & Discussions
by Ron Jackson Suresha
Revised edition, 6×9, 328 pages, softcover, $25.
Published by Bear Bones Books, an imprint of Lethe Press
Available to book distributors through Ingram.
ISBN-10: 1590212444, ISBN-13: 978-1590212448
If you pre-order on Amazon through this link, it helps this blog/site. Thanks!
Soon back in print!
Bears on Bears: Interviews & Discussions
Revised edition
Including five new interviews
by Ron Jackson Suresha
Contents
* New to this edition
Part One: Bear Philosophy and Identity
1. Bears as Subcultural Subversives. An interview with Eric Rofes
2. You Can Lead a Bear to Culture But … A discussion with David Bergman and Michael Bronski
3. Big “B” Bears and Little “B” Bears. A discussion with Wayne Hoffman, Chris Wittke, and Rex Wockner
4. Bear Essentials: Bear Spirit in Community. A discussion with Al Cotton, Alex Damman, and Jim Mitulski
5. Bear Affirmation, Bear Activism. An interview with Rev. Troy Perry *
Part Two: Bear History and Evolution
6. The Birth of Girth and Mirth. An interview with Reed Wilgoren
7. Bearness’s Big Blank: Tracing the Genome of Ursomasculinity. An interview with Jack Fritscher
8. Rainbow MC and the Old Lone Star. A discussion with Pete Vafiades
9. Let the Laughing Bear Lead. An interview with Rick Trombly
10. From Cult to Subculture to Couture: Evolving Bear Community. A discussion with Les Wright
Part Three: Bear Arts and Culture
11. Hoping for Something Bigger. An interview with Bruce Vilanch
12. Surviving as a Fat Naked Fag. An interview with Rich Hatch
13. An Entertaining Bear Life. An interview with Larry Flick *
14. The Cartoonist as Middle-Aged Bear. An interview with Tim Barela
15. Bear Like Him. An interview with Jonathan Cohen *
16. Telling a New Bear’s Story. An interview with Kevin Bowe *
17. Does a Bear Run in the Woods? An interview with Dan Hunt *
Part Four: Bear Sex and Styles
18. What Makes a Bear Porn Legend? An interview with Jack Radcliffe
19. Weight and Fat as Masculine Drag. A discussion with Dr. Lawrence Mass
20. Bear Beauty and the Affirmation of Bear Contests. A discussion with Craig Byrnes, Gene Landry, and Michael Patterson
21. Bearotica and the Selling of Bearsex. A discussion with Richard Labonté and Tim Martin
22. Circuit Bears and the Bear Circus. A discussion with Lou Dattilo, Frank Perricone, Kajunbear, and Danny Williams
Part Five: Bear Ages and Stages
23. Bear Maturity, Bear Masculinity. A discussion with Arnie Kantrowitz and Mark Thompson
24. Tourists in Bearland: Nonbearish Bear-Lovers. A discussion with Manny Lim and Kirk Read
25. Ethnic Bears and Bears of Color. A discussion with David Gerard, Ali Lopez, and George Varas
26. From Boomer Bears to Gen-X Bears to Bear Youth. A discussion with Terry Jamro, Brian Kearns, and Heath McKay
Part Six: Bears Embodied and Beyond
27. Lesbears and Transbears: Dykes and FTMs as Bears. A discussion with S. Bear Bergman, Drew Campbell, Michael “Mike” Hernandez, and Matt Rice
28. Technobears and Cybearspace. A discussion with Steve Dyer, Jeff Glover, Mike Ramsey, and Alex Schell
29. A Space beyond Beardom: Postbears and Ex-Bears. A discussion with Van Buckley, Steven Evans, and Tim Morrison
30. International Bear Brotherhood. A discussion with Eduardo Chavez, Seumas Hyslop, Xavier Navarro, Marcelo Perales, Glen Purdon, Mali Sahin, Woody Shimko, and Justin Spooner
Selected Bibliography and Resources
*
Praise for the first edition of Bears on Bears: Interviews & Discussion
“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
“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 … indispensable. — Brøn 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.” — 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 fascinating collection … 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]
One of “My Favorite Books of 2002” — Bears on Bears … was easily the most joyous book I read last year. It also generated the most reader response.” — Hal Campbell, We The People [Santa Rosa, CA]
“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
“Lively … thought-provoking … never dull or boring. … Definitely worth a read.” — Dirk Kriete, Scotsgay
“In no way just another dull, scholarly tome, it’s a series of 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]
“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]
Bears in Heat: Hot Macho Fiction
edited by R. Jackson
Submissions are closed for the first original frontlist anthology offered by Bear Bones Books, Bears in Heat, previously named Bearotica 3. More information about this title will be available soon.
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