- An intriguing literary icon: Cheever, a complex and contradictory man, "was an adulterer who wrote eloquently in praise of monogamy ... a bisexual who detested any sign of sexual ambiguity." Cheever was a stranger to those closest to him and presented to the world what he thought it wanted to see. These letters display the stark contrast between his ambitions and weaknesses, while tracing his evolution as an artist. .