Review
"Readings in the History and Evolution of a Gay Male Subculture" by Les Wright, PhD, Editor
Every aspect of the global bear phenomenon is explored through this anthology of insightful interviews with pioneers of the movement. Essential reading for anyone interested in understanding contemporary male homosexuality or aspects of masculinity in general.
Table of Contents
Foreword by Tim Martin
Introduction: Theoretical Bears by Less Wright
Introduction
The Indeterminacy of Social Identity
Utopia, Queer Nationalism, and Bears in Community
Bears and the Beauty Myth
Bears Among the Social Classes
Bears as a Response to AIDS
Section I: HISTORY
Chapter 1: A Concise History of Self-Identifying Bears by Less Wright
Roots; First-Wave Bears of the Zeitgeist, 1986-1994; Play Parties; BEAR Magazine; "Cyberspace"; Second Wave: Formalizing, 1989-1994; A Decade of Bears: Globalism or Tribalism
Chapter 2: Bear Roots by Ron Suresha
Chapter 3: The Bear Clan: North American Totemic Mythology, Belief and Legend by Michael Ramsey
The Bear as "Healer"; The Bear as "Creator"; The Bear as "Warrior"; The Bear as "Renewer"
Chapter 4: Aroused From Hibernation by Scott Hill
Chapter 5: Bearaphernalia: An Exercise in Social Definition by Robert B. Marks Ridinger
Chapter 6: Academics as Bears: Thoughts on Middle-Class Eroticization of Workingmen's Bodies by Eric Rofes
Class, Silenses, and Ursine Representations; The Subtext of Erotic Class Warfare; Bears, Ideology, and the Urge for Reunification
Section II: BEAR IMAGES
Chapter 7: Male Images in the Gay Mass Media and Bear-Oriented Magazines: Analysis and Contrast by Philip Locke
Introduction; Male Body Imagery in the Mass Media; A Content Analysis of Gay Media Images; A Beauty Myth for Gay Men?; Body Types, Self-Esteem, and Identity; Voices in the Woods- The Rise of Bear Media; What Does a Bear Look Like?; The "Superbear" Sterotype; Conclusion and Areas for Further Research
Chapter 8: Beardom by Rychard G. Powers
Chapter 9: The Natural Bears Classification System: A Classification System for Bears and Bearlike Men, Version 1.10 by Bob Donahue and Jeff Stoner
The Classification Scheme; Other Classifers for Bears; Additional Punctuation
Chapter 10: John Rand, Photographer: An Interview with Less Wright
Transcription by Dale Wehrle
Section III: BEAR SPACES
Chapter 11: The Original Bears Mailing List: An Interview with Steve Dyer
Chapter 12: Front Range Bears: A History by Van Lynn Floyd
Chapter 13: The Bear Essentials of Country Music Lars Rains
Section IV: BEAR SPACES: SAN FRANCISCO
Chapter 14: The Bear Hug Group: An Interview with Sam Ganczaruk
Chapter 15: BEAR Magazineby Luke Mauerman
Chapter 16: Bear Mecca: The lone Star Saloon Revisited by Ron Suresha
 Section V: BEARS ABROAD
Chapter 17: Bears in the Land Down Under by Bob Hay
Bear Clubs in Oz; The Demise of Ozbears; The Future of Bears in Australia
Chapter 18: Kiwi Bears by John Webster
Chapter 19: Atlantic Crossing: The Development of the Eurobear by McCann
Bear Mark  I- The American Model
Bear Mark II- Eurobear: The General Model
Bear Mark III- Eurobear- The German Model
Bear Mark IV- Whither Eurobear?
Chapter 20: A French Bear Asks: Are Bears an American Thing? by Pierre De Mey
Index
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