My goodness! It turns out that the blithe optimism with which I looked forward to a vax-girl summer in our previous issue — champagne flutes and meaningless sexual encounters and nothing but shame to worry about after all! — was a bit premature! Indeed, there have been dinner parties and we did toast to the recent engagement of some lovely friends using fully eight of our 15 vintage champagne flutes, but now every day seems like a slow journey back into the confusing and ominous fog of a life where the health and well-being of you and everyone around you ultimately relies on the blind hope that the responsible choices of everyone around you match your own. I don't know about you all, but I certainly don't trust other people all that much, so needless to say — here we all are! I sincerely hope that you and yours have done what you can to get vaccinated, to stay safe and healthy and to let those in positions of authority around you how you feel about helping others in your community to have similar access to the life-saving miracle of our glorious and terrible modern age. Perhaps I am foolish enough to will it into the ether that our next go-round will have our collective world in a more stable and less horrifying and disastrous funk, but I also know enough to know that that is not a realistic possibility. However, in casually sifting through the various pieces of my own confusing series of choices and dreams and life, I do know that my main way of persevering remains these sorts of blindly optimistic visions of the future, which is why I do know that I will purchase this gorgeous A-Frame in central Vermont and welcome you all there in the weeks and years to come. After all, what is central Vermont known for if not for...THE BEARS! 

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 Patricia Lockwood On Canadian Bear Erotica Is Essential Reading
If We All Just Let The Bears Alone, Think Of Our Universal Joy
WHO WILL PROTECT JOHN'S GRANDCHILDREN AT THE PARK???
Bears: They're Just Like Us! (Lazy)
Congrats To Aliza and Shahar for Living Their Best Lives
Leave The Bears Alone (But Not the Bear Militias, Probably)
These Bears Know How To Properly Bathe, and For That, We Salute Them
'Spanish Bear Murder Mystery Sounds Delightful, Is Actually Not
Another Bear Murder Mystery, Which Feels Suspiciously LIke A Podcast 
Bears Stand Up To Learn, Which Makes My Standing Desk Seem Clever
Japan's Bears Want To Watch The Olympics More Than Japanese People Do
A Rare Instance Where Leaving The Bears Alone is a Bad Idea
This Bear, However — Leave Him Alone
These Bears, Too — Please Look, But Do Not Touch 
This Bear Knew To Leave Humans Alone — How Very Kind
While We're Team 'Leave Bears Alone,' This Particular Cub Makes It Hard To Say That
Why Punish This Bear For L I V I N G???
Bears Love A Cool Dip, It's True
And Also? A Warm Dip
You Cannot Blame A Bear For Swimming In Your Pool
Honestly, I Blame The Human Youth For This One
This Bear Has The Vibes We're All Looking For
Leave Bears Alone — And Do Not Feed Them!
California Could Absolutely Vote For A Bear for Governor Right Now
I Am Not Kidding, This Is Not Outside the Realm of Possibility
But That Doesn't Mean It Isn't Totally Insane
Bear. Season. Is. Upon. Us.
Bob the Bear Understands Safety
This Is The Only Way To Build A Bear, Truly
France — What Part of "Laissez les bon ours roulez" Do You Not Understand?
My Own Home Region Is Trying To Leave The Bears Alone
PROTECT. THE. BEARS.
And By Project the Bears, I Do Mean — Prevent Them From Being Electrocuted
I'm Glad You Made a Friend — But Did It Have to Come At the Expense of the Bear?
It's Hot In California — Why Blame This Bear for Cruising?
Feels Like — You Should Have (Say It With Us) Left The Bears Alone

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Back Bar | Reversusque vectes, a delightful, thoughtful and semi-secret speakeasy style drinking establishment nestled in Somerville, Massachusetts' Union Square, Back Bar is a true neighborhood joint with the added flair of being one of the city and country's best cocktail bars to date. Yes, this bar is in my neighborhood, more or less, but it is also a beautiful, creative and delicious bar that, to date, has a Back Bear theme, and as such, more than deserves our attention.

food: In any other issue, my recommendation of a neighborhood cocktail speakeasy might seem...well, off. You're here for the bears, not for for bourbon! But! The menu of Back Bear this month is all bear themed / puns, and having recently consumed quite a few of these delicious bear cordials myself with a few friends, I can confirm that 1) they are delicious 2) the menu is adorable (see below) 3) the range of bear cocktails extends into mocktails should that be where you're at in a particular evening. Also, because this is a section where we usually discuss what a bear in question consumes for its sustenance, obviously Back Bar consumes your cold hard cash, and after the difficult year every dining establishment has had, I'd fully endorse your visiting Back Bar during its Back Bear theme and coughing up some of said cash. (I must admit — I let our waiter / the host know that I would be featuring Back Bar in my bear newsletter, and he did try to offer his $5 souvenir Back Bear menu to be as a promise I would feature the bar in this issue, but I paid for the menu myself, so while the concept of a pay-to-play for this small, quirky and not important newsletter is tempting I am endorsing a Back Bar visit with the whole of my small, quirky and not important heart.)

habitat: Union Square, Somerville — 7 Sanborn Court, 02143. Reservations are currently not accepted, but proof of vaccination is. If you happen to visit because of this newsletter, it would really make me happy if you told the host / your waiter that this silly little newsletter is why you dropped by. Again — there was no money / souvenir menu / promise of first born child exchanged for this suggestion, but I would love to spread the love if I can! 

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