Theodore Bruce Bawer (born October 31, 1956) is an American writer who has been a resident of Norway since 1999. He is a literary, film, and cultural critic and a novelist and poet, who has also written about gay rights, Christianity, and Islam. Bawer's writings on literature, gay issues and Islam have been seen as both controversial and affirming. While championing such authors as William Keepers Maxwell Jr.,

Flannery O'Connor Mary Flannery O'Connor (March 25, 1925August 3, 1964) was an American novelist, short story writer and essayist. She wrote two novels and 31 short stories, as well as a number of reviews and commentaries. She was a Southern literature, Southe ...

, and

Guy Davenport Guy Mattison Davenport (November 23, 1927 – January 4, 2005) was an American writer, translator, illustrator, painter, intellectual, and teacher. Life Guy Davenport was born in Anderson, South Carolina, in the foothills of Appalachia on Novem ...

, he has criticized such authors as Norman Mailer and

E. L. Doctorow Edgar Lawrence Doctorow (January 6, 1931 – July 21, 2015) was an American novelist, editor, and professor, best known for his works of historical fiction. He wrote twelve novels, three volumes of short fiction and a stage drama. They included ...

. A member of the New Formalists, a group of poets who promoted the use of traditional forms, he has assailed such poets as

Allen Ginsberg Irwin Allen Ginsberg (; June 3, 1926 – April 5, 1997) was an American poet and writer. As a student at Columbia University in the 1940s, he began friendships with William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac, forming the core of the Beat Gener ...

for what he views as their lack of polish and technique. Bawer was one of the first gay activists to seriously propose

same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being Mexico, constituting ...

, especially in his book ''A Place at the Table'' (1993). ''While Europe Slept'' (2006) was one of the first to skeptically examine the rise of Islam(ism) and Sharia in the

Western world The Western world, also known as the West, primarily refers to the various nations and states in the regions of Europe, North America, and Oceania.

, and ''The Victims' Revolution'' (2012) was an early criticism of academic identity studies. Although he has been described as a conservative, by some, Bawer has often argued that such labels are misleading or reductionist. He has explained his views as follows: "Read ''A Place at the Table'' and ''Stealing Jesus'' and ''While Europe Slept'' and ''Surrender'' one after the other and you will see that all four books are motivated by a dedication to individual identity and individual freedom and an opposition to groupthink, oppression, tyranny."

Early life and education

Bawer is of Polish descent through his father and is of English, Welsh, Scottish, Scotch-Irish, and French descent through his mother, whom he profiled in the September 2017 issue of ''

Commentary Commentary or commentaries may refer to: Publications * ''Commentary'' (magazine), a U.S. public affairs journal, founded in 1945 and formerly published by the American Jewish Committee * Caesar's Commentaries (disambiguation), a number of works ...

''.

Born and raised in New York City, Bawer attended New York City public schools and Stony Brook University, where he studied literature under the poet

Louis Simpson Louis Aston Marantz Simpson (March 27, 1923 – September 14, 2012) was an American poet born in Jamaica. He won the 1964 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for his work ''At the End of the Open Road''. Life and career Simpson was born in Jamaica, the so ...

, among others. As a graduate student, he taught undergraduate courses in literature and composition. He earned a B.A. in English from Stony Brook in 1978, followed by an M.A. in 1982 and a Ph.D. in 1983, both also in English. While in graduate school, he published essays in such academic journals as ''Notes on Modern American Literature'' and the ''

Wallace Stevens Wallace Stevens (October 2, 1879 – August 2, 1955) was an American modernist poet. He was born in Reading, Pennsylvania, educated at Harvard and then New York Law School, and spent most of his life working as an executive for an insurance compa ...

Journal'', and opinion pieces in ''

Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely ...

'', the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...

'', and elsewhere. His dissertation, "The Middle Generation", was about the poets

Delmore Schwartz Delmore Schwartz (December 8, 1913 – July 11, 1966) was an American poet and short story writer. Early life Schwartz was born in 1913 in Brooklyn, New York, where he also grew up. His parents, Harry and Rose, both Romanian Jews, separated when ...

Randall Jarrell Randall Jarrell (May 6, 1914 – October 14, 1965) was an American poet, literary critic, children's author, essayist, and novelist. He was the 11th Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress—a position that now bears the title Poe ...

John Berryman John Allyn McAlpin Berryman (born John Allyn Smith, Jr.; October 25, 1914 – January 7, 1972) was an American poet and scholar. He was a major figure in American poetry in the second half of the 20th century and is considered a key figure in th ...

, and Robert Lowell.

Writing career

Literary criticism

A revised version of Bawer's dissertation was published under the same title in 1986. Reviewing the book in ''

The New Criterion ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'',

James Atlas James Robert Atlas (March 22, 1949 – September 4, 2019) was a writer, especially of biographies, as well as a publisher. He was the president of Atlas & Company and founding editor of the Penguin Lives Series. Early life and education Atlas wa ...

called the "character analyses... shrewdly intuitive and sympathetic", found Bawer's "explanation for why the poets of the Middle Generation were so obsessed with .S. Eliot especially persuasive", and described Bawer as "an impressive textual critic" with a "casual and self-assured" critical voice. In ''

Commonweal Magazine ''Commonweal'' is a liberal American journal of opinion, edited and managed by lay Catholics, headquartered in The Interchurch Center in New York City. It is the oldest independent Catholic journal of opinion in the United States. History Foun ...

'', Robert Phillips called Bawer "a critic of the first order, one of the best we have today". The book was named an Academic Book of the Year by the

American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with 49,727 members ...

. Bawer contributed to the arts journal ''

'' every month between October 1983 and May 1993. A '' New York Times Magazine'' article "The Changing World of New York Intellectuals", foregrounded the contributors to ''The New Criterion'', observing that "The youthful contributors to Hilton Kramer's magazine—Bruce Bawer, Mimi Kramer,

Roger Kimball Roger Kimball (born 1953) is an American art critic and conservative social commentator. He is the editor and publisher of ''The New Criterion'' and the publisher of Encounter Books. Kimball first gained notice in the early 1990s with the public ...

—are still in their 20s, but they manage to sound like the British critic

F.R. Leavis Frank Raymond "F. R." Leavis (14 July 1895 – 14 April 1978) was an English literary critic of the early-to-mid-twentieth century. He taught for much of his career at Downing College, Cambridge, and later at the University of York. Leavis ra ...

. Their articles are full of pronouncements about 'moral values,' 'the crisis in the humanities,' 'the significance of art.' Their mission is to defend American culture against shoddy merchandise, and they don't shirk from the task." During the 1980s, Bawer also contributed book reviews to ''

The New York Times Book Review ''The New York Times Book Review'' (''NYTBR'') is a weekly paper-magazine supplement to the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times'' in which current non-fiction and fiction books are reviewed. It is one of the most influential and widely rea ...

'', ''

The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...

'', ''The Washington Post Book World'', ''

The Washington Times ''The Washington Times'' is an American conservative daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., that covers general interest topics with a particular emphasis on national politics. Its broadsheet daily edition is distributed throughou ...

'', ''

The American Scholar "The American Scholar" was a speech given by Ralph Waldo Emerson on August 31, 1837, to the Phi Beta Kappa Society of Harvard College at the First Parish in Cambridge in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was invited to speak in recognition of his gro ...

'', Poetry, '' London Review of Books'', and ''

Times Literary Supplement ''The Times Literary Supplement'' (''TLS'') is a weekly literary review published in London by News UK, a subsidiary of News Corp. History The ''TLS'' first appeared in 1902 as a supplement to '' The Times'' but became a separate publication ...

''. He served as an editor of the short-lived magazine ''Arrival'', based in

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, in 1987–88, was a member of the board of the

National Book Critics Circle The National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) is an American nonprofit organization (501(c)(3)) with more than 700 members. It is the professional association of American book review editors and critics, known primarily for the National Book Critics C ...

, and editor of the ''NBCC Journal'' in 1989–90. Bawer spent two years (1991–93) as University Preceptor at

Adelphi University Adelphi University is a private university in Garden City, New York. Adelphi also has centers in Manhattan, Hudson Valley, and Suffolk County. There is also a virtual, online campus for remote students. It is the oldest institution of higher ed ...

. In recent years, he has written considerably less literary criticism than he did in the 1980s. Much of it has appeared in ''

The Hudson Review ''The Hudson Review'' is a quarterly journal of literature and the arts. History It was founded in 1947 in New York, by William Arrowsmith, Joseph Deericks Bennett, and George Frederick Morgan. The first issue was introduced in the spring of 194 ...

''.

Early books

In 1987, his book ''The Contemporary Stylist'' was published by Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. The year after, Graywolf Press issued Diminishing Fictions, a collection of essays on the modern novel. Reviewing it in the ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television a ...

'', Jack Fuller complained of "sour notes", such as "undeserved sneers", but concluded that "What redeems Bawer's excesses is the persuasive case he makes that he is on a desperate rescue mission." Graywolf published Bawer's second collection of essays on fiction, ''The Aspect of Eternity'', in 1993. ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

'' called the essays "beautifully written" and "a cause for celebration", and George Core, in ''

'', called Bawer "a first-rate critic whose continuing achievement as an independent literary journalist... is cause for our astonishment and celebration—one of the few positive signs about critics and criticism in our contentious and stuffy times". Bawer also published a collection of essays on poetry, ''Prophets and Professors'', in 1995. "Running through these critical commentaries", wrote ''Publishers Weekly'', "is the theme that too many younger poets are caught up in romantic excess, that the influence of

and

the Beats The Beat Generation was a literary subculture movement started by a group of authors whose work explored and influenced American culture and politics in the post-war era. The bulk of their work was published and popularized by Silent Generation ...

and the confessional self-destruction of

Sylvia Plath Sylvia Plath (; October 27, 1932 – February 11, 1963) was an American poet, novelist, and short story writer. She is credited with advancing the genre of confessional poetry and is best known for two of her published collections, '' Th ...

have excused so much of the sloppy, informal and poured-out emotion of today's poets... He is on the side of the formalists and those for whom poetry is not a game of literary gossip. This book is an intelligent study by someone who has read and judged a great deal of poetry and criticism." In ''The New York Times'', Katherine Knorr wrote that "Bawer is one of the best literary critics in America today", who proves "that the best literary criticism comes from a serious, close reading of the work that avoids the temptations of celebrity and fashionable politics". Reviewing ''Prophets and Professors'', ''Washington Post'' critic

Jonathan Yardley Jonathan Yardley (born October 27, 1939) was the book critic at ''The Washington Post'' from 1981 to December 2014, and held the same post from 1978 to 1981 at the ''Washington Star''. In 1981, he received the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism. Bac ...

described Bawer as "one of the appallingly few American literary journalists whose work repays the reading" and "an intelligent, independent, tough-minded critic and a clear-eyed observer of literary affairs". In ''The New York Times Book Review'', Andrea Barnet described the book as "immensely readable... provocative and entertaining", saying that Bawer was "thoughtful, sharply opinionated, high-minded and unafraid to slash at sacred cows", Leslie Schenk of ''

World Literature Today ''World Literature Today'' is an American magazine of international literature and culture, published at the University of Oklahoma. The stated goal of the magazine is to publish international essays, poetry, fiction, interviews, and book revie ...

'' opined that Bawer "has the uncanny knack of writing good sense precisely in those fields where good sense seems to have been taboo... As though with the scalpel of a surgeon removing tumors, he deftly, coolly, cuts through the ephemeral malarkey that hitherto obscured his subjects. His book ''A Place at the Table'', for example, stands as solid as the Rock of Gibraltar in the seas of mush that otherwise surround the subject of homosexuality." In ''Prophets and Professors'', "Bawer performs a similar operation on American academia's pet fetish, modern poetry", resulting in "the most important book on poetry since Dana Gioia's Can Poetry Matter?"

Poetry

Along with

Dana Gioia Michael Dana Gioia (; born December 24, 1950) is an American poet, literary critic, literary translator, and essayist. Since the early 1980s, Gioia has been considered part of the literary movements within American poetry known as New Forma ...

Thomas M. Disch Thomas Michael Disch (February 2, 1940 – July 4, 2008) was an American science fiction author and poet. He won the Hugo Award for Best Related Book – previously called "Best Non-Fiction Book" – in 1999, and he had two other Hugo nomination ...

, Charles Martin, and others, Bawer was one of the leading figures of the

New Formalism New Formalism is a late 20th- and early 21st-century movement in American poetry that has promoted a return to metrical, rhymed verse and narrative poetry on the grounds that all three are necessary if American poetry is to compete with novels an ...

movement in poetry. His poetry appeared in the 1996 anthology ''Rebel Angels: 25 Poets of the New Formalism'', and he contributed to an essay (described as "heavy-handed" by ''Publishers Weekly'') to the movement's manifesto, ''Poetry after Modernism''. Bawer's poems have appeared in such magazines as ''

Poetry Poetry (derived from the Greek ''poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings i ...

'', ''

Paris Review ''The Paris Review'' is a quarterly English-language literary magazine established in Paris in 1953 by Harold L. Humes, Peter Matthiessen, and George Plimpton. In its first five years, ''The Paris Review'' published works by Jack Kerouac, Phil ...

'', and ''The New Criterion''. A chapbook of Bawer's poems, Innocence, was published in 1988 by Aralia Press, which also published individual poems by Bawer in other forms. A full-length collection of Bawer's poetry, ''Coast to Coast'', appeared in 1993. It was selected as the year's best first book of poetry by the '' Dictionary of Literary Biography Yearbook''.

Film criticism

From 1987 to 1990, Bawer served as the film critic for the conservative monthly ''

The American Spectator ''The American Spectator'' is a conservative American magazine covering news and politics, edited by R. Emmett Tyrrell Jr. and published by the non-profit American Spectator Foundation. It was founded in 1967 by Tyrrell, who remains its editor- ...

''. He also wrote several articles on film for ''The New York Times'' and other publications. A collection of his film reviews, ''The Screenplay's the Thing'', was published in 1992. "Best known as a literary critic, Bawer is an engaging, astute, formidable film reviewer as well", wrote ''Publishers Weekly'', describing Bawer as a " litically unpredictable" critic who "deflates the arty (Caravaggio), the preachy (Platoon; ''

The Milagro Beanfield War ''The Milagro Beanfield War'' is a 1988 American comedy-drama film directed by Robert Redford from a screenplay written by John Nichols and David S. Ward based on Nichols's novel of the same name. The ensemble cast includes Ruben Blades, Richar ...

'') and the kitschy (''

The Unbearable Lightness of Being ''The Unbearable Lightness of Being'' ( cs, Nesnesitelná lehkost bytí) is a 1984 novel by Milan Kundera, about two women, two men, a dog and their lives in the 1968 Prague Spring period of Czechoslovak history. Although written in 1982, the no ...

''), but gives thumbs up to ''

The World According to Garp ''The World According to Garp'' is John Irving's fourth novel, about a man, born out of wedlock to a feminist leader, who grows up to be a writer. Published in 1978, the book was a bestseller for several years. It was a finalist for the Natio ...

'', ''

Raising Arizona ''Raising Arizona'' is a 1987 American crime comedy film directed by Joel Coen, produced by Ethan Coen, and written by Joel and Ethan Coen. It stars Nicolas Cage as H.I. "Hi" McDunnough, an ex-convict, and Holly Hunter as Edwina "Ed" McDunnough, ...

'', '' Roxanne'', ''

Crossing Delancey ''Crossing Delancey'' is a 1988 American romantic comedy film starring Amy Irving and Peter Riegert. Joan Micklin Silver directed it, drawing upon a play by Susan Sandler, who also wrote the screenplay. The film also features performances fro ...

'' and '' The Mosquito Coast''... One wishes he were a full-time movie critic." Bawer later wrote that he left ''The American Spectator'' because of a conflict with an editor over a reference to homosexuality in one of his reviews. He has since returned to the magazine as a freelance book reviewer.

Gay rights

''A Place at the Table''

Bawer's book ''A Place at the Table: The Gay Individual in American Society'' (1993) was published by

Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster () is an American publishing company and a subsidiary of Paramount Global. It was founded in New York City on January 2, 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. As of 2016, Simon & Schuster was the third largest pu ...

. He described it in its first pages as "a reflection on the theme of homosexuality", motivated by the fact that current debates had "generated a lot more heat than light". The book, which criticized both heterosexuals' antigay prejudices and the political and cultural stereotypes which, in his view, were foisted on many gay people by the "queer subculture", received much attention. Reviews in mainstream media tended to be positive, while, as Bawer himself later put it, "antigay conservatives and queer lefties alike savaged the book" Author and attorney

Dale Carpenter Dale Carpenter (born December 27, 1966) is an American legal commentator and Professor of Law at the SMU Dedman School of Law. He formerly served as the Earl R. Larson Professor of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Law at the University of Minneso ...

later summed up the response of many gay publications: "In a year-end roundup of gay-themed books for 1993, one critic for

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...

's Bay Area Reporter called the book 'terrible,' but nevertheless 'important' because of its widespread impact. Gay professor and author David Bergman chided Bawer for allegedly failing to appreciate 'the great spectacle of human difference,' but acknowledged that Bawer had expressed 'what many people feel.'" Among the book's admirers were James P. Pinkerton, who, writing in '' Newsday'', praised Bawer's "live and let live" message. Describing the book as "a conservative manifesto declaring what the silent majority of gays wants and why", John Fink of the ''

'' wrote: "If there is one book about homosexuality and gay rights that everyone should read, it is probably this one." In ''

Reason Reason is the capacity of consciously applying logic by drawing conclusions from new or existing information, with the aim of seeking the truth. It is closely associated with such characteristically human activities as philosophy, science, ...

'', David Link wrote that "Bawer is not a champion of any cause except good sense... A Place at the Table is ultimately a defense of self-determination, and a much-needed one." Lee Dembart described it in the ''

'' as "a remarkable, gutsy, even brilliant book" and "the most interesting, provocative and original discussion of gay themes that I can recall".

Christopher Lehmann-Haupt Christopher Lehmann-Haupt (June 14, 1934 – November 7, 2018) was an American journalist, editor of the ''New York Times Book Review'', critic, and novelist, based in New York City. He served as senior Daily Book Reviewer from 1969 to 1995. Bi ...

gave the book a mixed review, describing it as "eloquent", "intelligent", and "eye-opening", but accusing Bawer of "sometimes twisting the logic of those he disagrees with", "relying too heavily on his own dogma", and "failing to come to grips with some fundamental issues". Still, he wrote, the book "smashes the common stereotypes of gay people to smithereens". In ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'',

, too, found the book "imperfect", accusing Bawer of a "regrettable penchant for sweeping generalizations", "a surprisingly rancorous view of conventional heterosexual marriage", and an occasional "angry edge", but called the book "courageous" and felt that Bawer, whose stated aim was to approach his topic "with reason, not rancor", had fulfilled that aim "with precisely the qualities that distinguish his literary criticism". Moreover, Yardley supported Bawer's case for gay marriage, even though "the mere mention of tstill sends millions of Americans into orbit". More conservative voices included Margaret O'Brien Steinfels of the Catholic magazine ''

Commonweal Commonweal or common weal may refer to: * Common good, what is shared and beneficial for members of a given community * Common Weal, a Scottish think tank and advocacy group * Commonweal (magazine), ''Commonweal'' (magazine), an American lay-Cath ...

'', who, in the '' New York Times Book Review'', described the book as "a model polemic" and admired Bawer's "efforts to be fair and balanced". Yet she rejected Bawer's call for same-sex marriage, arguing that insisting on it "is likely to prove... explosive". Gay-rights opponent Maggie Gallagher, while calling the book "fascinating", criticized Bawer for being dissatisfied with "mere tolerance". Helle Bering-Jensen, in the ''

Washington Times ''The Washington Times'' is an American conservative daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., that covers general interest topics with a particular emphasis on national politics. Its broadsheet daily edition is distributed throughout ...

'', sounded a similar note, arguing that while most Americans "are quite happy to let other folks live the lives they please", many "draw the line... at gays in the military, gay marriages, gay parenting and so forth". ''A Place at the Table'' was nominated for a

Lambda Literary Award Lambda Literary Awards, also known as the "Lammys", are awarded yearly by Lambda Literary to recognize the crucial role LGBTQ writers play in shaping the world. The Lammys celebrate the very best in LGBTQ literature.The awards were instituted i ...

in the category of Gay Men's Studies and was named a Notable Book of the Year by ''The New York Times'', which described it as a "sharply argued polemic". In a 1999 article, "A Book that Made a Difference", author and attorney

noted that in the 1990s, the defining gay political causes were not revolutionary in nature but instead "sought to weave gays into the larger fabric of American life" and that "No author better crystallized this deep and widespread yearning than Bruce Bawer in... A Place at the Table, the decade's most important book on the gay movement." The book, claimed Carpenter, "articulated better than any book before or since gays' rightful place in our culture" and "fueled a self-conscious movement of gay moderates and conservatives that is still redirecting gay politics". Largely as a result of Bawer's book, a "new generation" of gays entered politics and "insisted that gay organizations put issues like marriage at the top of the agenda". To be sure, "A Place at the Table wasn't solely responsible for all of this... But the book brought it together, nurtured it, and sent it on its way. Bawer's world, to a very large extent, is now our world; his methods, our methods; his goals, our goals. He wrote the book of the decade and changed gay politics forever." In a 2019 article commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the Stonewall riots,

James Kirchick James Kirchick (; born 1983) is an American reporter, foreign correspondent, author, and columnist. He has been described as a conservative or neoconservative. Career Kirchick was raised in a Jewish family and attended Yale University, whe ...

stated that gay-rights activists had long been divided into integrationists, who "argued for the incorporation of gay people into all aspects of American society", and separatists, who "believe that American society itself should be upended", and referred to ''A Place at the Table'' as "the integrationist founding text".

Gay issues: Other writings and activities

On an episode of the '' Charlie Rose Show'' marking the 25th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, Bawer took part in a discussion with fellow gay moderate Andrew Sullivan and gay-left writers

Tony Kushner Anthony Robert Kushner (born July 16, 1956) is an American author, playwright, and screenwriter. Lauded for his work on stage he's most known for his seminal work ''Angels in America'' which earned a Pulitzer Prize and a Tony Award. At the turn ...

and Donna Minkowitz. Minkowitz underlined the conflict between the two sides of the gay-rights movement by saying: "We don't want a place at the table! We want to turn the table over!" A New York Public Library lecture by Bawer, also marking the 25th anniversary of Stonewall, appeared in abbreviated form as a cover story in the ''New Republic''. A ''Washington Post'' article about the 25th anniversary of Stonewall quoted Bawer on gay pride marches: "It's hard to make straight people understand how serious an issue gay rights is when they look and see a kind of Mardi Gras atmosphere... It doesn't communicate the idea that these are serious issues." In a letter to ''The New York Times'', Bawer criticized an editorial that ran on the morning of the Stonewall 25 gay-pride march. The editors chided "gay moderates and conservatives" for seeking "to assure the country that the vast majority of gay people are 'regular' people just like the folks next door". Bawer retorted, in part: "Well, most gays do live next door to straight people... we're not putting down cross-dressers or leathermen or anyone else; we're simply refuting an extremely misleading stereotype." After the publication of ''A Place at the Table'', Bawer wrote widely about gay life, culture, and politics. From 1994 to 1999, he was a regular columnist for ''The Advocate'', the gay newsmagazine. His Advocate columns and other articles by Bawer on gay issues were later collected in an e-book, ''The Marrying Kind''. In 1994, reviewing

Robb Forman Dew Robb Forman Dew (October 26, 1946 – May 22, 2020) was an American writer known for fiction that dealt sensitively with the emotions of daily life and the ties that bind people together as families. She described writing as "a strange absorption a ...

's book ''The Family Heart: A Memoir of When Our Son Came Out'', Bawer praised the book but added: "To be gay is to yearn for a time when it won't be necessary for mothers to write sensitive books about their children's coming out." Reviewing a book by

Urvashi Vaid Urvashi ( sa, उर्वशी, Urvaśī}) is the most prominent apsara (celestial nymph) in Hindu mythology, considered to be the most beautiful of all the apsaras, and an expert dancer. She is mentioned in both ''Vedic'' and ''Puranic'' scr ...

in 1995, Bawer argued that "while more and more gay people" were seeking a gay-rights movement focused on "integration, education and conciliation", Vaid wished "to return to the day of class struggle and liberation fronts". The fact that "her rhetoric has come to seem so old so fast", he concluded, "is a measure of how gay political discourse outside the academy, anyway—has been profoundly altered in a relatively brief time". Bawer explicitly called for same-sex marriage in a March 1996 ''New York Times'' op-ed. In June 1997, he expressed concern that so-called "morning-after" treatments for possible HIV infection could result in "increased carelessness" by at-risk individuals. In January 2001, he urged the Bush administration in a ''New York Times'' op-ed "to take substantive action on behalf of gays", arguing that the U.S. government was "now lagging behind the American people on gay issues". Bawer commented frequently on the treatment of gays in the films and TV. In a March 10, 1996, Times article, Bawer argued that while new films from Britain, the Netherlands, France, and Germany provided fresh, human treatments of gay people, most Hollywood movies about gays continued to be timid, banal, and formulaic. On April 14, 1996, Bawer said on the

CBS Evening News The ''CBS Evening News'' is the flagship evening television news program of CBS News, the news division of the CBS television network in the United States. The ''CBS Evening News'' is a daily evening broadcast featuring news reports, feature st ...

, apropos of the new movie ''

The Birdcage ''The Birdcage'' is a 1996 American comedy film directed by Mike Nichols, adapted by Elaine May, and starring Robin Williams, Gene Hackman, Nathan Lane, and Dianne Wiest. Dan Futterman, Calista Flockhart, Hank Azaria, and Christine Baranski appear ...

'', that "A good farce has one foot in reality. A gay person going to see this movie realizes this movie doesn't have a single foot in reality." Martin Walker in ''The Guardian'' cited Bawer's complaint about the makers of ''The Birdcage'': "They don't get gay life. They don't get anything, outside of a narrow Hollywood idea of gay life. These characters have no dignity, nor pride." Bawer was a major subject of Angela D. Dillard's 2001 book ''Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Now? Multicultural Conservatism in America''. Reviewing it for ''Salon'', he described it as a book written from "the heart of Academic Country, where the very existence of conservatives who are not straight white males can indeed generate horror and confusion (or, alternatively, amusement, perhaps bordering on clinical hysteria), and where, as surely as a multiplicity of genders, skin colors, ethnic backgrounds and sexual orientations is the collective dream, a multiplicity of viewpoints is the collective nightmare". He described Dillard's account of "gay conservative" as ill-informed and criticized her for, among other things, including him on "a list of people who have 'sided with the Religious Right'—even though I wrote ''Stealing Jesus'' (1997), which indicts fundamentalism as a betrayal of Christianity". In a 1995 ''Washington Post'' article, Jim Marks cited Bawer's observation that (in Marks's paraphrase) " gets harder to claim that gay men and lesbians are outside mainstream culture, when so much of mainstream culture—the Mona Lisa and Moby-Dick, to use Bawer's examples—is seen as the product of gay and lesbian minds." In a 1996 piece on gay marriage, ''New York Times'' columnist

Frank Rich Frank Hart Rich Jr. (born 1949) is an American essayist and liberal op-ed columnist, who held various positions within ''The New York Times'' from 1980 to 2011. He has also produced television series and documentaries for HBO. Rich is curren ...

cited Bawer's view that there existed "a gentlemen's agreement" among Washington conservatives. He quoted Bawer as saying: "They say 'We'll socialize with you and your significant other and we'll all be charming, as long as you don't mention it in public, and we get to say anything we want in public.'" A 1997 ''Washington Post'' article about an upcoming episode of

Ellen DeGeneres Ellen Lee DeGeneres ( ; born January 26, 1958) is an American comedian, television host, actress, writer, and producer. She starred in the sitcom ''Ellen'' from 1994 to 1998, which earned her a Primetime Emmy Award for " The Puppy Episode". Sh ...

's sitcom, ''

Ellen Ellen is a female given name, a diminutive of Elizabeth, Eleanor, Elena and Helen. Ellen was the 609th most popular name in the U.S. and the 17th in Sweden in 2004. People named Ellen include: * Ellen Adarna (born 1988), Filipino actress * Elle ...

'', on which her character would come out of the closet, mimicking DeGeneres's own recent coming out, ended with a quote from Bawer. "People used to do courageous things without having a publicist around to tell the world." Bawer's prominence in the gay-rights commentariat drew the ire of some leftists. Peter Kurth complained at ''Salon'' on November 30, 1998, that "Bruce Bawer, Gabriel Rotello, Michelangelo Signorile, and the inevitable Larry Kramer have, with ndrewSullivan and a few others, secured a virtual lock on gay commentary in the American media." Paul Robinson's book '' Queer Wars: The New Gay Right and Its Critics'', published by the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chic ...

in 2005, devoted the first of its three chapters to an analysis and critique of Bawer's writings on gay issues.

''Beyond Queer''

The Free Press published the anthology ''Beyond Queer: Challenging Gay Left Orthodoxy'' in 1996. Edited by Bawer, it included essays by John W. Berresford,

David Boaz David Boaz (; born August 29, 1953, Mayfield, Kentucky) is the executive vice president of the Cato Institute, an American libertarian think tank. He is the author of ''Libertarianism: A Primer'', published in 1997 by the Free Press and described ...

, Stephen H. Chapman, Mel Dahl, David Link, Carolyn Lochhead, Daniel Mendelsohn, Stephen H. Miller,

Jonathan Rauch Jonathan Charles Rauch (; born April 26, 1960) is an American author, journalist, and activist. After graduating from Yale University, Rauch worked at the ''Winston-Salem Journal'' in North Carolina, for ''National Journal'', and later for ''The ...

, Andrew Sullivan, Paul Varnell, Norah Vincent, and John Weir, as well as Bawer. ''

Booklist ''Booklist'' is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. ''Booklist''s primary audience consists of libraries, educators, and booksellers. The magazine is av ...

'' called it one of the "outstanding anthologies" of 1996", saying that it "marks the end of radical dominance in gay politics and culture" and "the beginning of a pragmatic and democratic approach to gay issues". Ron Hayes, writing in ''

The Palm Beach Post ''The Palm Beach Post'' is an American daily newspaper serving Palm Beach County in South Florida, and parts of the Treasure Coast. On March 18, 2018, in a deal worth US$42.35 million, ''The Palm Beach Post'' and ''The Palm Beach Daily News'' ...

'', called it "complex, unsettling and thought provoking" and maintained that "No straight person who reads these essays will ever assume all gays are liberal again. And no gay person will ever assume that all conservatives are his enemy, either." To read the essays in ''Beyond Queer'', wrote Joseph Bottum in the ''

Weekly Standard ''The Weekly Standard'' was an American neoconservative political magazine of news, analysis and commentary, published 48 times per year. Originally edited by founders Bill Kristol and Fred Barnes, the ''Standard'' had been described as a "red ...

'', "is to experience, again and again, this sense of language broken loose, words unmoored from meaning". Bottum argued that the book's contributors fail "to understand the internal logic of the forms of life to which they demand admittance"; they "want... the tradition without the discipline, the gravity of dogmatic religion and conventional marriage without the duties and surrenders that create gravity. They want, in other words, a reformation of language to purchase for them the fruits that require a reformation of life." Bottum later reversed his views entirely, writing an article, "The Things We Share: A Catholic's Case for Same-Sex Marriage", in which he admitted that "there's been damage done in the course of this whole debate, some of it by me". ''Beyond Queer'' was nominated for a Lambda Literary Award in the category of Nonfiction Anthology. Looking back on the book in 2007,

of the ''New Republic'' said that it had been "perhaps the most important work of gay nonfiction since

Randy Shilts Randy Shilts (August 8, 1951February 17, 1994) was an American journalist and author. After studying journalism at the University of Oregon, Shilts began working as a reporter for both '' The Advocate'' and the ''San Francisco Chronicle'', as wel ...

' ''

And the Band Played On ''And the Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic'' is a 1987 book by ''San Francisco Chronicle'' journalist Randy Shilts. The book chronicles the discovery and spread of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immun ...

''".

''House & Home''

In 1996, Dutton published ''House and Home,'' the memoir of Steve Gunderson, a gay Republican Congressman from

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

, and Gunderson's partner, Rob Morris. Gunderson and Morris wrote the book with Bawer. A reviewer in '' The Hill'' called the book "powerful".

Christianity

''Stealing Jesus''

In his book ''Stealing Jesus: How Fundamentalism Betrays Christianity'' (1997), Bawer stated, in the words of ''Publishers Weekly'', "that

fundamentalist Christianity Christian fundamentalism, also known as fundamental Christianity or fundamentalist Christianity, is a religious movement emphasizing biblical literalism. In its modern form, it began in the late 19th and early 20th centuries among British and ...

... has been preaching a message of wrath and judgment" that "is incompatible with Jesus' message of love". While criticizing "Bawer's sometimes strident tone", ''Publishers Weekly'' said that his "graceful prose and lucid insights make this a must-read book for anyone concerned with the relationship of Christianity to contemporary American culture". Walter Kendrick, in ''The New York Times'', noted that like ''A Place at the Table'', ''Stealing Jesus'' was an "alarm bell", in this case about Christian fundamentalism. Although Kendrick complained that, Bawer's hopes to the contrary, there was "no hope of converting the fundamentalists", he concluded that the book might "prove of value simply for its clear exposition of what today's American 'fundamentalists' believe and want to do". The response of fundamentalist Protestants and traditional Catholics to the book was more critical. "The thesis of ''Stealing Jesus'' is an antinomian heresy rooted in gnostic dualism about the flesh and spirit", pronounced Catholic priest George W. Rutler in ''

National Review ''National Review'' is an American conservative editorial magazine, focusing on news and commentary pieces on political, social, and cultural affairs. The magazine was founded by the author William F. Buckley Jr. in 1955. Its editor-in-chief ...

'', suggesting that "Bawer could some day write something about the real Church, if he read

St. Francis de Sales Francis de Sales (french: François de Sales; it, Francesco di Sales; 21 August 156728 December 1622) was a Bishop of Geneva and is revered as a saint in the Catholic Church. He became noted for his deep faith and his gentle approach to ...

's ''Treatise on the Love of God'', spent a few days in Lourdes, and quieted down with a good cigar." ''Stealing Jesus'' was nominated for a

in the category of Spirituality/Religion.

Christianity: Other writings and activities

Bawer has written widely on religious topics. In an April 1996 article for the ''New York Times Magazine'', he reported on the heresy trial in the Episcopal Church over the ordination of gay clergy. In a 1997 ''New York Times'' op-ed, he discussed what he saw as "the growing divide between North and South in American Protestantism and the declining significance of denominational distinctions". In a 1998 article about Robert Duvall's film ''

The Apostle ''The Apostle'' is a 1997 American drama film written and directed by Robert Duvall, who stars in the title role. John Beasley, Farrah Fawcett, Walton Goggins, Billy Bob Thornton, June Carter Cash, Miranda Richardson, and Billy Joe Shaver also a ...

'', Bawer expressed surprise "that a movie with such a dark, realistic texture... should candy-coat the religious subculture in which it is set". In a 1998 review of New York Episcopal Bishop Paul Moores autobiography, Bawer described him as "a more complex figure than the privileged lefty portrayed by his critics".

Europe

Bawer moved from the U.S. to

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

in 1998, in part, as he later explained, because his long-term exposure to Christian fundamentalism via ''Stealing Jesus'' had drawn him to the purportedly more liberal life in Western Europe. In a 2004 ''New York Times'' article about American attitudes toward Europe, Richard Bernstein quoted a recent ''

Hudson Review ''The Hudson Review'' is a quarterly journal of literature and the arts. History It was founded in 1947 in New York, by William Arrowsmith, Joseph Deericks Bennett, and George Frederick Morgan. The first issue was introduced in the spring of ...

'' essay in which Bawer said, in Bernstein's paraphrase, "that for a time he thought about writing a book lamenting American anti-intellectualism, indifference to foreign languages and academic achievement, and susceptibility to trash TV", but in the end "didn't write that book... because he discovered that Europe wasn't so comparatively fantastic after all". After moving to Europe, Bawer contributed a number of travel articles to ''The New York Times'' about destinations in

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...

and the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

. He has also written scores of articles about the rise of Islam on the continent, the earliest being "Tolerating Intolerance", which appeared in 2002 in ''Partisan Review''.

''While Europe Slept''

Bawer's book ''While Europe Slept: How Radical Islam is Destroying the West from Within'' (2006) concerns his belief in the threat that the rise of Islam in Europe poses to liberal values. Once established in Western European nations, Bawer maintains,

Muslims Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

avoid integration and answer only to sharia law, while avoiding the legal systems of their host nations, allowing abuse of women and gays, as well as Jews and other non-Muslims. In his conclusion, Bawer states that rising birthrates among Muslims and their "refusal" to integrate will allow them to dominate European society within 30 years, and that the only way to avoid such a disaster is to abolish the

politically correct ''Political correctness'' (adjectivally: ''politically correct''; commonly abbreviated ''PC'') is a term used to describe language, policies, or measures that are intended to avoid offense or disadvantage to members of particular groups in socie ...

and

multicultural The term multiculturalism has a range of meanings within the contexts of sociology, political philosophy, and colloquial use. In sociology and in everyday usage, it is a synonym for " ethnic pluralism", with the two terms often used interchang ...

doctrines that, according to him, are rife within the continent.

of ''

The New Republic ''The New Republic'' is an American magazine of commentary on politics, contemporary culture, and the arts. Founded in 1914 by several leaders of the progressive movement, it attempted to find a balance between "a liberalism centered in hu ...

'' wrote that the book confirmed Bawer's "intellectual consistency; witnessing American religious fundamentalism, he moved to more socially liberal Europe only to find that Europeans' vaunted cultural tolerance was overlooking a strain of Islamist religious fundamentalism that puts Jerry Falwell to shame". ''While Europe Slept'' was nominated for the

National Book Critics Circle Award The National Book Critics Circle Awards are a set of annual American literary awards by the National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) to promote "the finest books and reviews published in English".Eliot Weinberger Eliot Weinberger (born 6 February 1949 in New York City) is a contemporary American writer, essayist, editor, and translator. He is primarily known for his literary writings (essays) and political articles, the former characterized by their wide-ra ...

, one of the board members of the Circle, stated when he presented the list of nominations that Bawer's book was an example of "racism as criticism". The President of the Circle, John Freeman, declared: "I have never been more embarrassed by a choice than I have been with Bruce Bawer's ''While Europe Slept''", and claimed that " s hyperventilated rhetoric tips from actual critique into

Islamophobia Islamophobia is the fear of, hatred of, or prejudice against the religion of Islam or Muslims in general, especially when seen as a geopolitical force or a source of terrorism. The scope and precise definition of the term ''Islamophobia'' ...

." J. Peder Zane, a member on the nomination committee, said that Weinberger "was completely unfair to Bruce Bawer" and insulting to the committee. ''While Europe Slept'' was translated into Spanish, Danish, Dutch, and Portuguese, and was a ''New York Times'' bestseller. Bawer discussed the book in a half-hour interview on ''

Bill Moyers Journal ''Bill Moyers Journal'' was an American television current affairs program that covered an array of current affairs and human issues, including economics, history, literature, religion, philosophy, science, and most frequently politics. Bill Moy ...

''. He has also talked about Islam on such programs as '' The Michael Coren Show'' in Canada and at various conferences in the U.S., Canada, and Europe.

''Surrender''

In ''Surrender: Appeasing Islam, Sacrificing Freedom'' (2009), Bawer argued "that people throughout the Western world—in reaction to such events as the Danish cartoon riots and the murder of filmmaker Theo van Gogh—are surrendering to fear" and thus censoring themselves and others and "refus ngto criticize even the most illiberal aspects of Islamic culture", thereby "undermin ngthe values of individual liberty and equality on which our nation was founded". Ray Olson of Booklist called the book "Sublimely literate" and "urgent". Martin Sieff in the ''Washington Times'' found it "alarming, depressing, brilliant and remarkably courageous". In ''The New York Times'' Book Review, Stephen Pollard said that the book was, "at times, hard going", partly "because of the level of detail Bawer offers in support of his argument" and partly because "Bawer is unquestionably correct, and that fact is quite simply terrifying." Like ''While Europe Slept'', the book is considered part of the "

Eurabia Eurabia is a political neologism, a portmanteau of Europe and Arabia, used to describe a far-right, anti-Muslim conspiracy theory, involving globalist entities allegedly led by French and Arab powers, to Islamise and Arabise Europe, thereby wea ...

genre".

''The Victims' Revolution''

Bawer's book ''The Victims' Revolution'' (2012) concerned the rise of identity studies in American universities. Identity studies, according to Bawer, reduce the human experience to ideologically charged jargon about power relationships among groups. ''Publishers Weekly'' said that while Bawer's "critique seldom engages seriously with the intellectual content of the field", his book was "a lively, cantankerous takedown of a juicy target" that scored "lots of entertaining points against the insufferable posturing and unreadable prose that pervades identity studies". Sohbab Ahmari, in ''The Wall Street Journal'', praised the book for its exposure of relativism on campus, while Andrew Delbanco, in ''The New York Times'' Book Review, found Bawer's complaints outdated, arguing that universities, in Delbanco's view, are returning to traditional subjects. ''National Review''s

Jay Nordlinger Jay Nordlinger (born November 21, 1963) is an American journalist. He is a senior editor of ''National Review'', and a book fellow of the National Review Institute. He is also a music critic for ''The New Criterion'' and ''The Conservative''. In ...

, on the other hand, praised the book's "wonderfulness" and wrote: "I wish people would read The Victims' Revolution. I especially wish it of students and others in academia."

Islam: Other writings and activities

After moving to Europe, Bawer worked for a time as a columnist and translator for the website of Human Rights Service, an Oslo-based think tank focused on immigration and integration issues. He has also written for ''

FrontPage Magazine ''FrontPage Magazine'', also known as ''FrontPageMag.com'', is an American political website edited by David Horowitz and published by the David Horowitz Freedom Center. It has been described by scholars and writers as right-wing, far-right, and ...

'' websites, for ''

City Journal ''City Journal'' is a public policy magazine and website, published by the conservative Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, that covers a range of topics on urban affairs, such as policing, education, housing, and other issues. The magazine ...

'', for the

Gatestone Institute Gatestone Institute is a far-right think tank known for publishing anti-Muslim articles. It was founded in 2008 by Nina Rosenwald, who serves as its president. Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and former national security advisor, J ...

website, and on his blog. ''The New Quislings: How the International Left Used the Oslo Massacre to Silence Debate about Islam'' (2012) is an e-book by Bawer about the aftermath of the mass murders committed by

Anders Behring Breivik Fjotolf Hansen (born 13 February 1979), better known by his birth name Anders Behring Breivik () and by his pseudonym Andrew Berwick, is a Norwegian far-right domestic terrorist, known for committing the 2011 Norway attacks on 22 July 2011. On ...

on July 22, 2011. Bawer has been regarded as being part of the

counter-jihad Counter-jihad, also spelled counterjihad and known as the counter-jihad movement, is a self-titled political current loosely consisting of authors, bloggers, think tanks, street movements and campaign organisations all linked by apocalyptic bel ...

movement.

Later books

In 2017, Bawer published ''The Alhambra: A Novel of Islam in Europe''. In 2019 Bawer published a short book called ''A Marriage Made at the Copa'', about his parents, and two collections of essays entitled ''Islam'' and ''So Far''.

Translated text

Since living in Europe, Bawer has translated all or part of several books from Norwegian to English, including the following: * Jørn Holme, ''The Security Council Chamber'' (Press, 2018) * Renate Nedregård, ''Vestre'' (Press, 2017) * Geir Thomas Risåsen, ''Eidsvollsbygningen'' (Press, 2016) * ''National Tourist Routes in Norway'' (Press, 2015) * Jan Freuchen, ''Columna Transatlantica'' (Press, 2015) * Daniela Büchten, ed., ''Propaganda'' (Press, 2014) * Pål Brekke and Fredrik Broms, ''Northern Lights'' (Press, 2013) * , ''Barents Portraits'' (Press, 2013) *

Magne Furuholmen Magne Furuholmen (born 1 November 1962) is a Norwegian musician and visual artist. He was named Knight First Class of the Order of St. Olav by King Harald for his services to Norwegian music and his international success. Furuholmen, better know ...

, ''In Transit'' (Press, 2013) * , ''Racing'' (Press, 2012) * , a-ha: ''photographs 1994–2010'' (Press, 2012) * Various authors, '' Peter Fischli, David Weiss: Rock on Top of Another Rock'' (Press, 2012) * Various authors: ''

Mark Dion Mark Dion (born August 28, 1961) is an American conceptual artist best known for his use of scientific presentations in his installations. His work examines the manner in which prevalent ideologies and institutions influence our understanding ...

: Den'' (Press, 2012) * Henrik H. Langeland, OSL2011 (Press, 2011) * Sigbjørn Sigbjørnson, ''Taxi: A Photographic Journey'' (Press, 2010) * , a-ha: ''The Swing of Things 1985–2010'' (2004 edition translated by Donald Tumasonis; translation revised and new material translated by Bawer) (Press, 2010) * , ed., ''Neighbourhood Secrets'' (Press, 2009) * Berit Arnestad Foote, ''Point Hope, Alaska'' (Press, 2009) * Various authors, ''Capital of Culture: Stavanger 2008'' (Press, 2007) * Bjørn Li, ''introduction to Odd Nerdrum, Themes'' (Press, 2007) * and , eds., ''Into the Ice'' (Gyldendal, 2006) * , ''Paintings'' (Press, 2006) * , ''Eyewitness'' (Press, 2006) * Kjersti Alveberg, ''Visions'' (Press, 2005) * Hege Storhaug, ''Human Visas'' (Kolofon, 2003) * Vetle Karlsen Eide, ''Covenant and Grace: A Study of the Diaconate of the United Methodist Church in Light of John Wesley's Theology'' (translated with ) (master's thesis, The Theological Faculty,

University of Oslo The University of Oslo ( no, Universitetet i Oslo; la, Universitas Osloensis) is a public research university located in Oslo, Norway. It is the highest ranked and oldest university in Norway. It is consistently ranked among the top universit ...

, 2000)

Honors and awards

* ''The Middle Generation'' was selected as an Outstanding Academic Book of the Year by the American Library Association. * ''Coast to Coast'' was selected as the best first book of poetry of the 1993 by the Dictionary of Literary Biography Yearbook. * ''A Place at the Table'', ''Beyond Queer'', and ''Stealing Jesus'' were nominated for Lambda Literary Awards.

10th Lambda Literary Awards The 10th Lambda Literary Awards were held in 1998 to honour works of LGBT literature published in 1997. Special awards Nominees and winners External links 10th Lambda Literary Awards {{Lambda Literary Awards Lambda Literary Awards Lambda Lis ...

* ''While Europe Slept'' was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. In December 2004, ''New York Times'' columnist David Brooks gave one of his annual "Hookie Awards" (in memory of Sidney Hook; now known as "Sidney Awards") for best magazine articles of the year to Bawer's ''Wilson Quarterly'' essay "The Other Sixties".

Bibliography

* ''The Middle Generation: The Lives and Poetry of Delmore Schwartz, Randall Jarrell, John Berryman, and Robert Lowell'', Archon Books, 1986, * ''The Contemporary Stylist'', Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1987, * ''Diminishing Fictions: Essays on the Modern American Novel and its Critics'', Graywolf Press, 1988, * ''The Screenplay's the Thing: Movie Criticism, 1986–1990'', Archon Books, 1992, * * ''Prophets and Professors: Essays On the Lives and Work of Modern Poets'', Story Line Press, 1995, * ''Beyond Queer: Challenging Gay Left Orthodoxy'', Free Press, 1996, * * '' While Europe Slept: How Radical Islam is Destroying the West from Within'', Random House, 2006, * * ''The New Quislings: How the International Left Used the Oslo Massacre to Silence Debate About Islam'', Harper Collins, 2012, . * ''The Victims' Revolution: The Rise of Identity Studies and the Closing of the Liberal Mind'', Harper Collins, 2012, * ''The Alhambra'', Swamp Fox Press, 2017

Poetry

* ''Innocence: Eight Poems'', Aralia Press, 1988 * ''Coast to Coast: Poems'', Story Line Press, 1993,

References

External links

Bruce Bawer Homepage

* ttp://www.city-journal.org/2008/18_2_cultural_jihadists.html Bruce Bawer, "An Anatomy of Surrender", ''City Journal'' (Spring 2008)
Bruce Bawer, "The Peace Racket", ''City Journal'' (Summer 2007)
*

* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20061126035411/http://www.brucebawer.com/volkskrant.htm Bruce Bawer, "9/11, Five Years Later: A View from Europe", ''Die Volkskrant'' (September 2, 2006)
Patricia Cohen, "In Books, a Clash of Europe and Islam", ''The New York Times'' (February 8, 2007)

Tim Rutten, review of ''Surrender'' by Bruce Bawer, ''Los Angeles Times'' (May 20, 2009)

ttp://dish.andrewsullivan.com/2011/07/25/bawer-vs-bawer/ {{DEFAULTSORT:Bawer, Bruce 1956 births Living people American essayists American expatriates in Norway American expatriates in the Netherlands American humanists American literary critics American people of English descent American people of French descent American people of Polish descent American people of Scotch-Irish descent American people of Scottish descent American people of Welsh descent American political writers American translators Male critics of feminism Counter-jihad activists American critics of Islam Critics of multiculturalism Formalist poets American gay writers LGBT people from New York (state) American LGBT poets New York (state) Democrats Norwegian–English translators Norwegian critics of Islam Poets from New York (state) Stony Brook University faculty Stony Brook University alumni Writers from New York City American male essayists American male poets American poets Writers about religion and science

Early life and education

Writing career

Literary criticism

Early books

Poetry

Film criticism

Gay rights

''A Place at the Table''

Gay issues: Other writings and activities

''Beyond Queer''

''House & Home''

Christianity

''Stealing Jesus''

Christianity: Other writings and activities

Europe

''While Europe Slept''

''Surrender''

''The Victims' Revolution''

Islam: Other writings and activities

Later books

Translated text

Honors and awards

Bibliography

Poetry

See also

References

External links