Home › Books › Fire Island: A Century in the Life of an American…
Fire Island: A Century in the Life of an American Paradise – A Highly Informative LGBTQ+ United States History Biography
by
58/99
Critics' Rating Index
12/99
Readers' Rating Index
n/a
Scholars' Citation Index
66/99
Volume of Reviews
60/99
Volume of Reader Ratings
Sign in to add to your shelf, rate, or review this book.
About This Book
A groundbreaking account of New York's Fire Island, chronicling its influence on art, literature, culture and queer liberation over the past century Fire Island, a thin strip of beach off the Long Island coast, has long been a vital space in the queer history of America. Both utopian and exclusionary, healing and destructive, the island is a locus of contradictions, all of which coalesce against a stunning ocean backdrop. Now, poet and scholar Jack Parlett tells the story of this iconic destination—its history, its meaning and its cultural significance—told through the lens of the artists and creators who sought refuge on its shores. Together, figures as divergent as Walt Whitman, Oscar Wilde, James Baldwin, Carson McCullers, Frank O'Hara, Patricia Highsmith and Jeremy O. Harris tell the story of a queer space in constant evolution. Transporting, impeccably researched and gorgeously written, Fire Island is the definitive book on an iconic American destination and an essential contribution to queer history.
Reviews
"Uniquely insightful and colorful cultural history ..."
"A fine account of an important place in gay cultural history."
"It's aptly punctuated with scenes from the author's own island visits during a period living in Manhattan."
"Among the most poetic and moving parts of this beautifully written book are Parlett's own memories of New York City, Fire Island, and his growth as a gay man ..."
"Parlett excels at portraying literary odd couples who helped shape the culture of Fire Island ..."
"Quick personal vistas turn his book into a hybrid act, a place-based memoir sketching the evolution of a community animated by sexual arrangement ..."
Preview
Reader Reviews
0 reviewsSign in to write a review.
No reader reviews yet. Be the first!