How does the devout son of evangelical Christians, growing up dedicated to mission work in Africa, become one of America's leading sex columnists and a self-avowed slut committed to kink as his new religion? Across his debut book, My Love Is a Beast: Confessions, Alexander Cheves details his path from piousness to faithlessness, and his awakening to the saving power of hedonism. He tells intimate stories of what he sees as the sacred grace of pleasure as he embraces his life as a sex writer, worker, and activist. In stories richly lyrical, boldly erotic, and fearlessly honest, Cheves takes readers on a tour through Savannah, Atlanta, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York City. Along the way, he explores the darker corners of Queer culture and his own life, highlighting experiences most will have never considered. His rise to national popularity among LGBTQ+ writers gets balanced by his own struggles with and recovery from substance use — and his public embrace of kink and fetish as a belief system, way of life, and identity. In the end, Cheves writes with complete, even shocking, transparency and authenticity in the service of shattering sexual shame. Graphic and at times controversial, this book is sure to become a watershed moment among erotic memoirs.
Alexander Cheves, one of America's leading sex writers, is best known for his work as a contributing editor at The Advocate and his widely read "Sexy Beast" column. He is currently a columnist for Out Magazine and also runs the popular Love, Beastly advice blog, notable for its frank, unflinching answers to questions about Queer sex. His work has also appeared in VICE, Them, and other magazines. He is a recipient of a 2021 Excellence in Journalism award from the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association. Cheves is a graduate of the Savannah College of Art & Design.
"A rare memoir ... provocative and poetic. I loved every uncomfortable minute ... it's a must-read." - Diane Anderson-Minshall
"A much needed and influential voice, Cheves shocks while also liberating and healing ... This book cements him as an important author." - Dr. Chris Donaghue
"Savor every word of this literary bacchanal. I predict it will catapult to the top of Queer book offerings." - Race Bannon
"Cheves tells his story of early gay life as it should be told: terrifying, daring, angry, and so very fragile." - Christopher Harrity
"This book is a poignant rebellion against the constant pathologizing of all things Queer." - Amariah Love
"This is an unfettered memoir… This kind of deep, resonant, penetrating confessional is a rare treat to be savored. Conceptually combustive and executed with great introspection, this is exceptionally brazen, epiphanic queer writing which can only be described as carnal and poetic, much akin to the tattooed words of Jack Kerouac emblazoned across the author's ribcage." - Jim Piechota
"Cheves excels at portraying sex and place, but more than anything he is a perceptive and shrewd writer about people. He approaches the characters who populate these pages with a generous helping of empathy, which makes the sometimes-extreme behavior he describes feel unexpectedly accessible… poignant insights and shocking moments of beauty." - Kirkus Reviews
"My Love Is a Beast is a life-changer… it will startle you with its frankness and lyricism. It is the most honest, shameless, beautiful [sexual memoir] I've ever read. Highly, highly recommend." - Janet Hardy
