Bears on Bears

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.Ron Suresha's work has appeared in American Bear, The Gay and Lesbian Review Worldwide, In Newsweekly, Gay Community News, White Crane Journal , Art & Understanding , The Bear Book, and The Bear Book II. He lives in Boston.