Alexander Cheves is an American writer and essayist covering sex, culture, art, music, and the evolving state of manhood. His work blends memoir, journalism, and cultural criticism, often exploring intimate and socially charged topics. He writes two columns in Out Magazine—a print column on sex and culture, and a digital advice column. His writing has also appeared in The Advocate, VICE, Them, Document, and elsewhere. He previously authored "Sexy Beast" for The Advocate, the historic magazine’s most widely read column. His first book, My Love Is a Beast: Confessions (Unbound Edition Press, 2021), is an erotic memoir told through a series of literary essays, weaving explicit personal experience with meditations on identity, intimacy, and the body. It was a bestseller and won the 2022 Geoff Mains Nonfiction Prize from NLA International. Cheves was named to the Out 100 in 2021 and received an Excellence in Journalism Award from the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association. He has spoken at SXSW, the International AIDS Conference, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and other events, and has appeared on numerous podcasts, including Loveline and Dan Savage’s Savage Lovecast. He is the founding editor of Hinterhaus, a new nightlife magazine based in Berlin. He regularly collaborates with nonprofits, educators, and advocacy organizations on projects related to LGBTQ+ storytelling, HIV, and sex education. Originally from the Southeastern United States, he now lives and works in Berlin, where he is a member of the Berlin Queer Writers Circle.
"My Love Is a Beast: Confessions is a life-changer ... it will startle you with its frankness and lyricism ... I've read a lot of sexual memoirs ... and My Love Is a Beast is the most honest, shameless, beautiful one I've ever read."
— Janet W. Hardy, co-author of The Ethical Slut
"A much needed and influential voice, Cheves shocks while also liberating and healing readers with his vulnerable account of a journey into sexual authenticity and humanity ... This book cements him as an important author."
— Dr. Chris Donaghue, host of Loveline and author of Rebel Love and Sex Outside the Lines
"Cheves takes us on an unforgettable, hedonistic journey ... the intimacy lies in the author’s unflinching, masterful storytelling ... this hardcore memoir flies in the face of the sanitised mores of his contemporaries."
— Chris Andoe, author of House of Villadiva and Delusions of Grandeur
“Conceptually combustive ... exceptionally brazen, epiphanic queer writing ... much akin to ... Jack Kerouac.”
— Jim Piechota, Bay Area Reporter
"Cheves excels at portraying sex and place, but more than anything he is a perceptive and shrewd writer about people ... consistently delivering poignant insights and shocking moments of beauty. While perhaps not for the most squeamish readers, the book presents an unapologetic vitality that will linger long after the covers are closed."
— Kirkus Reviews
"A rare memoir ... provocative and poetic ... I loved every uncomfortable minute ... it's a must-read."
— Diane Anderson-Minshall, former CEO and Editorial Director of Pride Media and author of Queerly Beloved: A Love Story Across Genders and four novels
"Cheves tells his story of early gay life as it should be told: terrifying, daring, angry, and so very fragile."
— Christopher Harrity, The Advocate
"We need more anti-assimilationist and un-sanitised queer voices like Alexander Cheves."
— Stephan Ferris, aka Blue Bailey, activist attorney and author of Blue Movie
“Cheves has created a work of art that worships at the altar of desire ... Savor every word of this literary bacchanal.”
— Race Bannon, author and community leader
"This book is a poignant rebellion."
— Amariah Love, MS, NCC, LPC
#1 Amazon Bestseller
#1 Nonfiction Bestseller at Small Press Distribution
Winner of the Geoff Mains Nonfiction Prize from NLA International
Published in
