Les K. Wright is Looking for Contributors for The Bear Book III

What began as a predominantly American gay white cisgender male identity and community has grown and transformed substantially since the publication of Bear Book II in 2000. Bear culture has taken root and been transformed in many cultures across the globe. As queer folk have embraced and embodied new sex and gender identities beyond the hetero/homo binary, bears have also been embracing their own queer “bearness.” Bear Book III will document these profound shifts in bear identity, community, and culture and, ideally, serve as a seminal reference work alongside The Bear Book (1997).

Submissions are sought from every corner of the international queer bear community—personal accounts, private and social organizations’ histories, commercial and media synergies, academic studies, and any other voice or perspective that will expand our understanding of bear identity, community, and culture today.

Manuscripts of any length will be considered. Please follow a standard style guide (Chicago preferred) and submit via email in PDF or WORD format. Please include an English translation of any work written in another language. Essays or articles published elsewhere will be considered, provided the author obtains permission to reprint. Deadline is December 31, 2024. Please direct all communications, including submissions to leskwright53@gmail.com .

Les K. Wright (https://leskwright.com) is a gay historian, gay activist, memoirist, and literary scholar. Peter Hennen has described him as a “founding figure of the bear community.” He is the founder of the original Bear History Project and the current Bear History Project International (https://www.facebook.com/groups/345065667129819).