Susan Bergman (née Heche; May 5, 1957January 1, 2006) was an American writer and

literary scholar Literary criticism (or literary studies) is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is often influenced by literary theory, which is the philosophical discussion of literature's goals and methods. T ...

Biography and works

Bergman wrote her memoir ''Anonymity'' in 1994, which recounts the discovery, in 1983, of the

closeted ''Closeted'' and ''in the closet'' are metaphors for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender and other (LGBTQ+) people who have not disclosed their sexual orientation or gender identity and aspects thereof, including sexual identity and human ...

homosexuality Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to peop ...

and double life of her father, Don Heche, a devout Christian,

choir director A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...

, and seemingly model family man, while he was dying of

HIV/AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ...

. ''Anonymity'' had its beginnings as Bergman's doctoral dissertation at

Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Charte ...

. Bergman was the sister of actress

Anne Heche Anne Celeste Heche ( ; May 25, 1969August 11, 2022) was an American actress, known for her roles in a variety of genres in film, television, and theater, receiving numerous accolades, including a National Board of Review Award and multiple Emmy ...

, who also wrote a memoir about their father and family background, in 2001. Heche's account differed in her accusations of sexual abuse against Don Heche, as well as detailing her tensions with the rest of the Heche family, leading to a rift, including with Susan. In 1996, Bergman was editor of an anthology titled ''Martyrs: Contemporary Writers on Modern Lives of Faith'', in which contemporary authors reflected on the lives of 20th Century religious and political

martyr A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an externa ...

s. Bergman contributed the introductory chapter, a reflection on the nature of martyrdom and what it teaches about

faith Faith, derived from Latin ''fides'' and Old French ''feid'', is confidence or trust in a person, thing, or In the context of religion, one can define faith as "belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion". Religious people often ...

.
(''CT'' publication of Bergman's introductory chapter in ''Martyrs''.) Like most of her family, Bergman was a life-long evangelical Christian, and religious themes are a frequent subject of her writing. In 1996, ''

Christianity Today ''Christianity Today'' is an evangelical Christian media magazine founded in 1956 by Billy Graham. It is published by Christianity Today International based in Carol Stream, Illinois. ''The Washington Post'' calls ''Christianity Today'' "evange ...

'' named her in their profile of "Up and Comers: Fifty evangelical leaders 40 and under". However, she stated that she did not consider herself part of the Christian right. Quoting the words of a friend of hers, Bergman stated: "I dare to believe that when

Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

invites all who labor and are heavy-laden, he's not screening for HIV, or voting behavior, or asking whether or not someone has had a divorce, or an abortion."transcript
/ref> Bergman died on January 1, 2006, in

Barrington, Illinois Barrington is a village in Cook County and Lake County, Illinois, United States. The population was 10,722 at the 2020 census. A northwest suburb of Chicago, the area features wetlands, forest preserves, parks, and horse trails in a country-s ...

at the age of 48, after a three-year battle against a

brain tumor A brain tumor occurs when abnormal cells form within the brain. There are two main types of tumors: malignant tumors and benign (non-cancerous) tumors. These can be further classified as primary tumors, which start within the brain, and seconda ...

Bibliography

Books

* * (unpublished)

Anthologies

* (editor)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bergman, Susan 1957 births 2006 deaths 20th-century American memoirists 20th-century American women writers 20th-century evangelicals 21st-century evangelicals American women memoirists Deaths from brain cancer in the United States Evangelical writers Northwestern University alumni People from Bloomington, Indiana Wheaton College (Illinois) alumni