Fire Island: A Century in the Life of an American Paradise
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-06-13 17:21:37
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Jack Parlett
- ISBN：1335475184
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
*AN ADVOCATE BEST LGBTQ+ BOOK OF 2022*
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。
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
Chiara
，
A fascinating account of stories both private and universal connected to this captivating and illustrious place。 I appreciated the balance of theoretical， historical， cultural and personal approaches， as well as the fact that the author did not try to brush over the problematic aspects of the history of this place， but rather featured them prominently in his narrative。
Michael Huerlimann
，
This is a wonderfully engaging history of a place that is more like a queer myth than a real place， especially for those who only know of it from other media。I enjoyed Parlett's lucid prose， his wonderfully broad range of sources and his ability to weave his own experiences with the island into a wider narrative。My only gripes are;- I felt Parlett was a little too neutral about Larry Kramer。 Whilst Kramer has his importance， his anti-sex stance is problematic at best， insidious at worst。- I wish This is a wonderfully engaging history of a place that is more like a queer myth than a real place， especially for those who only know of it from other media。I enjoyed Parlett's lucid prose， his wonderfully broad range of sources and his ability to weave his own experiences with the island into a wider narrative。My only gripes are;- I felt Parlett was a little too neutral about Larry Kramer。 Whilst Kramer has his importance， his anti-sex stance is problematic at best， insidious at worst。- I wish the 21st Century Fire Island had been given a chapter of its own， and not been relegated to the afterword。 The artist residencies， political tensions and environmental fears would have made for a great last chapter， before drawing conclusions in the afterword。But overall， this is a highly readable and joyous book about a unique and aspirational/inspirational place。 。。。more
Alyssa Lentz
，
I found this to be a really approachable and interesting read！ It gives a great overview and celebrates Fire Island as a unique queer space without dismissing its' flaws and problems。 I really learned a lot。 I would recommend this to readers who like specific， community-focused nonfiction with elements of memoir and self-reflection， or those who would like to learn about queer literary history--I didn't know going into this book I would find that here， but I did and was delighted！ Thank you to N I found this to be a really approachable and interesting read！ It gives a great overview and celebrates Fire Island as a unique queer space without dismissing its' flaws and problems。 I really learned a lot。 I would recommend this to readers who like specific， community-focused nonfiction with elements of memoir and self-reflection， or those who would like to learn about queer literary history--I didn't know going into this book I would find that here， but I did and was delighted！ Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Bookclubbish
，
CategoriesHuman Sexuality， LGBTQ+， Personal Memoirs， 20th Century United States History
Kariss Ainsworth
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