Memoir and Manifesto. That is how Jeff Woods describes his informative, engaging and wide-ranging new book, Being Bi. It is a powerful and ambitious statement. Books can change lives and Woods’s latest book delivers.
Jeff Woods is Canada’s foremost rock ‘n roll musicologist. He is the voice of classic rock in Canada having interviewed thousands of domestic and internationally well-known rock musicians. He is the host and producer of the well-known radio series, Legends of Classic Rock, along with two podcasts, Records and Rockstars and The Blue Hotel. He is also a long time resident of Grey Bruce and remains a vital part of the music scene.
His contribution to Canadian culture is substantial.
In this book, however, Woods is not talking much about music, but rather offers up a timely, authoritative and wildly engaging book about understanding what it means to be bisexual and 2SLGBTQ+. (The acronym stands for: Two spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer & Questioning, and the + covers Intersex, Asexual and anything else we are coming to understand).
It is a mix of his lived experiences as well as interviews and references to professional and academic studies that show the significant and consistent generational trends of growing numbers of people who identify as something other than heterosexual.
There are perhaps many reasons for this trend but the most significant is that the norms of the past are being shaken off as socially contrived. As progressive cultures continue to evolve, we are seeing more people simply being honest and less fearful of stating who they are and what they find interesting and attractive.
There is a lot to unpack in all of this and Woods does it in an incredibly deft, digestible and accessible manner. For Woods, he has arrived at an age and stage in his life where being honest about who he is and where he has been is the only option.
The book allows Woods the opportunity to acknowledge some difficult moments in his past but mostly it offers a tender hand to anyone who is coming to terms with the fact that they are ‘different’ from the traditional cultural expectations of heterosexuality and monogamy. His message is largely an invitation to inspire and empower others to explore their fullest and most authentic self.
Not surprisingly given Woods’s career, his ability to weave a captivating story and inject humour and compelling stories along the way make this eminently readable and unique. The writing is honest, and to the point, but not without a nice dose of humour.
Interspersed are ten erotic stories that infuse the book with a mix of eroticism and sex which are both an ‘amuse bouche’ and a full five course meal at the same time (You will understand when you read them, but suffice it to say, they are spicy!!). The stories break up the more serious nature of the book which adds to the wide range that the book encompasses.
Being Bi is a book is for everyone regardless of how you identify. For someone like me who identifies as straight, it offers the bonus of being a primer, but for every reader it is a celebration and a validation of differences and diversity. In many ways, it is a roadmap to embrace who you really are and explore what that means for you.
Being Bi covers a tremendous amount of territory in a mere 258 pages and does so head on, without giving short shrift to each topic. My best comparison is that it is like a vast buffet that satisfies the senses – intellectual, emotional & sexual. It is the work of an accomplished storyteller and craftsperson.
Woods achieves the most difficult task of inviting the reader to be completely open and honest about who you are and what you want to explore without conventional restrictions. For me, the book piqued curiosity and stimulated some fascinating conversations with my partner and others.
Being Bi succeeds in a stand-out way by laying the groundwork for these fundamental dialogues in unexpected, powerful and important ways and that is the lasting gift that Woods leaves you with.
You can find his book here.
Written by Carey Low
