Bi The Way

I freely confess, I’m a bit of a bookworm. So I figured I’d write a series of articles about interesting books I’ve read about bisexual culture.

The first book on my list is “Bi Any Other Name: Bisexual People Speak Out” which is a collection of essays by over 70 bisexual writers, both male and female, which has been complied and edited by Loraine Hutchins and Lani Kaahumanu.

First published in 1991, for years it was one of the only literary resources available to bisexuals, and whilst it has a notable bias towards female bisexuality, male bisexuality is far from ignored.

Its structure of short contributions from bisexual people from different walks of life are expressed in poetry, prose, art and short essays. It covers a range of topics from personal to political to spiritual. This means that there is almost certainly something for every bisexual in this book.

I liked this book, mostly for the shear sense of community conveyed by its multiple authors. It is after all a community effort for the bisexual community and that in itself deserves kudos.

Undoubtedly you will find yourself more engaged by some authors than others, just as I was, but the nice thing about the short essay structure is the ability to skip an essay without ruining the thread of the book.

Yet there is a story of bisexual awakening to be told in this book and its told by the skilful editing of Loraine Hutchins and Lani Kaahumanu. Which ensures that whilst no author has the “floor” for more than a few minutes, there is a fluid transition between one author and the next, and the book when taken as a whole speaks with a louder voice than sum of its individual contributions.

In my opinion, if you have never read a book about bisexuality then this should unquestionably be your first.

You can Order Online at Amazon.co.uk and from other good book stores, price: £9.99.
ISBN-13: 978-1555831745.

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