Ella Walter
John Irving is a novelist who has explored bisexuality, homosexuality, and transgender themes in his works. In his novel 'In One Person', the protagonist Billy Abbott is a young bisexual man who falls in love with an older transgender woman. Irving has also included gay characters in his works, such as the gay brother in 'The Hotel New Hampshire' and the gay twins in 'A Son of the Circus'. While Irving has expressed interest in sexual outsiders and misfits, he has not explicitly identified as bisexual or pansexual. However, he has stated that he had boy crushes as a young man and was attracted to a variety of people as a boy.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Sexuality | Bisexuality, homosexuality, heterosexuality, pansexuality |
| Characters | Billy Abbott, transgender women, transgender librarian Miss Frost, gay brother Frank, gay twins, transgender Roberta Muldoon, Johnny Wheelwright |
| Themes | Sexuality, intolerance, misfits, unfulfilled love, taboo subjects, gender, AIDS crisis |
| Works | In One Person, The World According to Garp, A Son of the Circus, The Cider House Rules, A Prayer for Owen Meany, The Hotel New Hampshire, The Last Chairlift |
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What You'll Learn
John Irving's novel 'In One Person'
John Irving's novel, "In One Person", explores the nature of unfulfilled love through the voice of its narrator and protagonist, Billy Abbott, a 60-year-old bisexual man. The novel is told across Billy's lifetime, from the 1950s when Billy is 13, to 2010 when he is in his late 60s.
The novel is a first-person narrative of Billy's life and his various attractions to men, women, and transgender people. Billy's character is not autobiographical, but Irving has admitted to being drawn to people that society labels as misfits. Irving has also stated that he was attracted to older classmates while in school and had gripping crushes on the older boys.
The novel includes some of Irving's classic signatures, such as wrestling, living abroad in Vienna, the loss of childhood innocence, an absent parent, New England boarding schools, and sexual deviants. The novel also explores the AIDS crisis in New York, which Irving himself witnessed while living in the city from 1981 to 1986.
"In One Person" shares a similar theme with Irving's novel "The World According to Garp", which is in part about "people who hate you for your sexual differences". The novel also includes references to other works of literature, such as Great Expectations, Madame Bovary, and Giovanni's Room. Shakespeare's plays are also performed throughout the course of the novel, with "The Tempest" resonating most clearly in terms of plot.
Irving's novel received recognition, winning the Lambda Literary Award in 2013 in the Bisexual Fiction category and the Bridge Builder Award to honour him as an ally of the LGBT community.
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Irving's views on bisexuality
John Irving has explored bisexuality in his novel, In One Person, which features a bisexual narrator, Billy Abbott, who struggles with his various attractions, including those to men, women, and transgender people. Irving has stated that he was drawn to people that society labels as misfits and sexual outsiders, and he wanted to write about a character who was brave and attracted him.
Irving has also admitted to having boy crushes as a young man and being attracted to older classmates while in school. He clarifies that he was never gay or bisexual, but he did have unwelcome and gripping crushes on older boys, which he believes was common for people who attended all-boys schools. Irving further acknowledges the societal perception of bisexual men during his youth, stating that they were often considered non-existent or gay men with one foot in the closet.
In his novel, In One Person, Irving challenges these stereotypes by portraying Billy Abbott as a character who is out about his attractions and navigates relationships in a world that views him with suspicion. Irving also highlights the mutability of sexuality and how it can be a charged issue for readers with fixed political beliefs about same-sex desire.
Irving's work often reflects his interest in exploring tolerance, particularly within the LGBT community. He has expressed disappointment in the lack of progress regarding tolerance for sexual differences, noting that intolerance and gay-bashing still persist. Irving's novel, The World According to Garp, addressed these themes of intolerance and sexual assassination, and he continues to revisit these subjects in his later works, including In One Person.
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Irving's personal sexual identity
John Irving is a straight cis man and an esteemed author known for his interest in queer and trans people. He has written several novels with LGBTQ+ characters, including The World According to Garp, A Son of the Circus, and In One Person.
In One Person features Billy Abbott, a young bisexual man who falls in love with an older transgender woman, the librarian in his local Vermont library. Billy struggles with his various attractions—including those to men, women, and transgender people—as he looks back on his life. Irving has said that Billy's bisexuality is "so odd" and that it was difficult for him to write about the AIDS crisis in New York, as he lost friends to the disease.
Irving has expressed empathy for sexual differences and has said that he fears for the safety of sexual outsiders, worrying about the intolerant people who want to harm them. He has also stated that he finds sexual outsiders brave and that he has always identified and sympathized with a wide range of sexual desires. As a boy, he was attracted to a disturbing variety of people and imagined having sex with them.
While promoting his novel In One Person, Irving shared his thoughts on bisexuality and talked about having boy crushes as a young man. He said that he "hated" himself at the time for being attracted to males but now identifies as straight. Irving's interest in storytelling and theatre started at a young age, and he was inspired by the works of Shakespeare and Sophocles.
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Irving's interest in sexual outsiders
John Irving has expressed a clear interest in sexual outsiders, which is reflected in his works. In an interview, Irving stated that he finds sexual outsiders especially engaging, and that he likes them and fears for their safety. He acknowledges the dangers that sexual outsiders face due to intolerance and wishes to explore these complexities in his writing.
This personal connection to the theme of sexual outsiderhood is evident in Irving's novels. His protagonist Billy in 'In One Person' is a bisexual narrator who struggles with his attractions to men, women, and transgender people. Irving uses Billy's journey to explore the nature of unfulfilled love and the challenges of navigating sexual identity in a world that is often intolerant and unaccepting.
Irving's other works also feature sexual outsiders, such as the gay brother in 'The Hotel New Hampshire', the gay twins in 'A Son of the Circus', and transsexual characters in 'The World According to Garp' and 'A Son of the Circus'. These characters reflect Irving's desire to delve into the complexities of gender and sexuality and his empathy for those who are marginalized because of their sexual identities.
Irving's exploration of sexual outsiderhood is not limited to his characters but also extends to themes within his novels. In 'The World According to Garp', Irving tackles the subject of intolerance toward sexual differences, presenting a harsh view of the so-called sexual liberation of the sixties. He questions why people of different sexual persuasions still harbour hatred toward one another.
Through his writing, Irving challenges societal norms and advocates for sexual tolerance. He refuses to shy away from controversial subjects, using his platform to give voice to the experiences of sexual outsiders and to promote empathy and understanding.
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Irving's exploration of gender and sexuality
John Irving has explored gender and sexuality in his writing, notably in his novel 'In One Person'. The book features Billy, a bisexual narrator and main character, who tells the story of his life, including his various attractions to men, women, and transgender people. Irving has expressed his interest in "sexual outsiders", stating that he likes and fears for these characters. He has also acknowledged the mutability of sexuality and the constraints society places on certain desires.
In 'In One Person', Irving portrays Billy's journey of embracing his sexual appetites with the help of a librarian, Miss Frost, and her reading suggestions. Billy's story also intersects with the AIDS epidemic, reflecting Irving's personal experience of losing friends to the disease during his time in New York City in the 1980s.
Irving's work has also drawn attention for its treatment of feminist politics, particularly in 'The World According to Garp', 'The Hotel New Hampshire', and 'The Cider House Rules'. His female characters have been noted for their juxtaposition between traditional Victorianist ideals and modern feminist perspectives, as they navigate sexual abuse and reclaim their sexuality and control over their lives.
While Irving has denied that his exploration of bisexuality in 'In One Person' is autobiographical, he has shared his own experiences of being attracted to older classmates and having boy crushes as a young man. He has also expressed his identification with a wide range of sexual desires, reflecting on the constraints of society during the 1950s and 1960s.
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Frequently asked questions
John Irving has never publicly identified as bisexual. However, he has written about bisexual characters in his books, such as Billy Abbott in *In One Person*. Irving has also expressed an interest in exploring bisexuality and other sexualities in his work.
John Irving has never publicly identified as pansexual. However, he has written about characters with a wide range of sexual desires and has expressed empathy for sexual minorities.
John Irving has not made any public statements about his sexuality. However, in an interview, he said, "Was I ever gay or bi? No, but did I ever have unwelcome and sort of gripping crushes on the older boys -- like probably half of the people who went to all-boys schools did? Sure, I did."
