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Jack Parlett

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Fire Island: A Century in the Life of an American Paradise Hardcover – June 14, 2022

by Jack Parlett (Author)

4.1 332 ratings

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*A Town and Country Must-Read Book of Summer*
*A BUZZFEED BEST BOOK OF JUNE*
*A Washington Post “Book to Read This Summer”*
*AN ADVOCATE BEST LGBTQ+ BOOK OF 2022*
*A USA Today "Book to Celebrate Pride Month"*
*A New York Times "Editor's Pick"*
*A Kirkus Reviews Hottest Book of Summer*

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.

From the Publisher

A Washington Post Book to Read this Summer; An Advocate Best LGBTQ+ Book of 2022

"A meticulously researched, century-spanning chronicle of queer life." -- New York Times Book Review

"…the history of a queer landmark…and its seemingly constant evolution."—The Advocate

WARNING: California’s Proposition 65

Editorial Reviews

Review

“A beautiful, beguiling journey to the ultimate queer utopia, a site of riotous hedonism, wild creativity and immense loss. Fire Island is a fascinating, throbbing history that asks the most urgent of contemporary questions: what does paradise look like, and who does it exclude?”— Olivia Laing

"Jack Parlett’s Fire Island is that rare book: a compelling social history of a time and place that, through carefully assembled detail and astute analysis brilliantly illuminates American culture as well as its topic. Its expansive cast of characters—Frank O’Hara, W.H. Auden, James Baldwin, Truman Capote, Carson McCullers Tennessee Williams, Andy Warhol, Robert Mapplethorpe, Patricia Highsmith—demonstrate that Fire Island was a crucible of brilliance and creativity as well sexual and personal freedom. Interlacing insightful observations with flashes of personal memoir Parlett beautifully conjures Fire Island as myth, metaphor, and microcosm of queer culture that profoundly changed American culture."—Michael Bronski, author of A Queer History of the United States

"The zingy tale of one magnetic place — as well as a sprawling rumination on the intertwined urges to get away and get together. Clued-up but insatiably thirsty, poignant, packed with literary intrigue, Fire Island is a beaming beach read."—Jeremy Atherton Lin, author of Gay Bar

Vibrant… uniquely insightful and colorful cultural history… An illuminating, well-written history of a unique place.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Poetic and moving…beautifully written … Readers of all stripes will appreciate this fast-paced general interest title.”—Library Journal

"A fine account of an important place in gay cultural history."—Booklist

"Delightfully chronicled... the history of a queer landmark, its beginnings, its influence, and its seemingly constant evolution."—The Advocate

"A must-read. [Parlett's] prose illuminates and educates as well as lovingly shimmers across chapters... a memorable tribute to an unforgettable queer vacation destination."—Bay Area Reporter

"A riveting social history of Fire Island... Supremely engaging and highly informative."—Buzzfeed

“[An] engrossing history… This is essential reading for the ferry from Sayville or wherever you happen to be.”–Town and Country

“[A] concise, meticulously researched, century-spanning chronicle of queer life on Fire Island captures, with a plain-spoken yet lyric touch, the locale’s power to stun and shame, to give pleasure and symbolize evanescence… Parlett is sharp-minded about gentrification, class, racism and the “structural privilege” built into Fire Island’s style, a hegemonic strand… this book enacts a glancing yet trenchant meditation on community, “ecological precarity” and the fugitive links between place and sexuality… the well-timed pulsations [of Parlett’s prose] bring beach light onto the page.” –The New York Times Book Review

“Parlett’s task of compacting about 100 years of cultural history into a slim volume would seem nearly impossible. That is, if he weren’t such a deft storyteller. His book breezes by with beach-read ease but is packed with enough facts, theories, and anecdotes to inspire weeks’ worth of dinner conversations…. Wonderful…detailed, inclusive, and compassionate.”—Jezebel

"[Fire Island] takes a 30,000-foot view, helmed by one of the island’s greatest gifts: literature. Through an investigation of the queer writers who took up residence in Cherry Grove and the Pines (the island’s queer communities), Jack Parlett assembles a literary history that embraces complexity."—Esquire

"With its stunning beaches, legendary parties and rich cultural history, Fire Island is celebrated in Parlett’s deeply researched book."—New York Daily News

"[A] richly textured history ... Parlett captures the giffy excesses, but his real aim is to show how a community sought to define, protect, liberate, and celebrate themselves."—The New Yorker

About the Author

Jack Parlett is a writer, poet, and scholar. He is the author of The Poetics of Cruising: Queer Visual Culture from Whitman to Grindr, published by the University of Minnesota Press and Same Blue, Different You, a chapbook. He holds a Junior Research Fellowship at University College, Oxford, where he teaches American literature and literary theory. His essays have appeared in Poetry London, Lit Hub, and elsewhere. He lives in Oxford.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Hanover Square Press; Original edition (June 14, 2022)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1335475184
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1335475183
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.6 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.96 x 0.87 x 9.22 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #856,163 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,130 in LGBTQ+ Biographies (Books)
- #7,195 in Sociology Reference
- #13,610 in U.S. State & Local History

Customer Reviews:
4.1 332 ratings

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Jack Parlett

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Jack Parlett is a writer, poet and scholar. He completed a PhD in English at Cambridge University and published it as a monograph with the University of Minnesota Press, entitled "The Poetics of Cruising: Queer Visual Culture from Whitman to Grindr". His second book, a queer literary history of New York's Fire Island, is due for publication in June 2022. He currently holds a Junior Research Fellowship at University College, Oxford, where he also teaches modern American literature and literary theory. His debut poetry chapbook, Same Blue, Different You, was published by Broken Sleep Books in 2020, and his essays have appeared in Poetry London, Lit Hub and elsewhere. He lives in Oxford.

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Customers find the book engaging and thought-provoking. They describe it as a sophisticated, well-written read that is concise and a masterwork of concision. Opinions differ on the history aspect, with some finding it fascinating and rekindling their interest in historic gay fiction, while others feel it's not really history and not the author's story to tell.

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Thought provoking Readability History

6 customers mention "Thought provoking"6 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and thought-provoking. They describe it as a nice, enriching read that covers historical topics like literary history and pop culture. The author accurately narrates the mood and events.

"...write you & share my enthusiasm after just finishing your incredible book “Fire Island”...." Read more

"...anthropological history of Cherry Grove and The Pines gave me an enjoyable primer while lounging about on another remote island sand bar called the..." Read more

"...So memorable and evocative. Easily the best work of non-fiction I e read this year." Read more

"...Based on my own experience at the Pines, he narrates the mood and events accurately. Nice enriching read!" Read more

3 customers mention "Readability"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well-written and engaging. They describe it as a concise work that highlights important aspects.

"...Well-written and readable, ‘Fire Island’ is a masterpiece of concision recounting what matters most and what endures...." Read more

"...the author takes us on a journey of the location, the culture and literacy that is known as Fire Island with intimate perspectives at times...." Read more

"It looks to be a great read." Read more

6 customers mention "History"3 positive3 negative

Customers have different views on the book's history. Some find it fascinating and captivating, rekindling their interest in historic gay fiction. Others feel it doesn't really cover history and is not the author's story to tell.

"...ways that are hard to describe and it has really reignited my interest in some historic gay fiction...." Read more

"This book is not really history...." Read more

"This history is both professional and personal. Written by a 21st-century gay academic, we learn of Fire Island’s past in terms of what resonates..." Read more

"...To me, it's not this author's story to tell. Did not enjoy the book at all." Read more

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Lindsey Witmar
A Letter to the Author
Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2022
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Dear Mr Parlett - I had to write you & share my enthusiasm after just finishing your incredible book “Fire Island”. It has moved me in ways that are hard to describe and it has really reignited my interest in some historic gay fiction. It also sparked a flame in me to check out some books that I wasn’t as familiar with, such as William Delligan’s “Cherry Grove” and “Fire Island Pines” as well as Donald Windham’s “Two People” - I found a gorgeous First Edition copy of that book online. And I’ve decided it’s time to reread Andrew Hollaran‘s “Dancer From The Dance”.

The cultural history here alone was just so eye opening. I’ve been an out gay man since the early 1980’s & witnessed my gay father die from AIDS in 1989. The emotions from that era that your writing brought back were, at times, both overwhelming and welcoming. This book was meant for me to read right at this moment. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Please keep writing. PS - I also ordered “The Poetics of Cruising”!!

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JP Waddell
Required Gay Beach Reading.
Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2022
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I never made it out to Fire Island because on my first trip to Provincetown I met my partner and we immediately settled down, focusing on our joined families, careers and less pride-oriented adventures. So I have always been fascinated by what makes Fire Island tick, and Jack Parlett’s anthropological history of Cherry Grove and The Pines gave me an enjoyable primer while lounging about on another remote island sand bar called the Outer Banks. Understanding licensing constraints I nonetheless longed for photos and perhaps some juicier tea on the lives of the notable doyennes at the forefront of Fire Island’s social circuit.

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JP Waddell

Required Gay Beach Reading.

Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2022
I never made it out to Fire Island because on my first trip to Provincetown I met my partner and we immediately settled down, focusing on our joined families, careers and less pride-oriented adventures. So I have always been fascinated by what makes Fire Island tick, and Jack Parlett’s anthropological history of Cherry Grove and The Pines gave me an enjoyable primer while lounging about on another remote island sand bar called the Outer Banks. Understanding licensing constraints I nonetheless longed for photos and perhaps some juicier tea on the lives of the notable doyennes at the forefront of Fire Island’s social circuit.

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9 people found this helpful

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Mark
Well-written, concise, memorable, and evocative.
Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2022
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This history is both professional and personal. Written by a 21st-century gay academic, we learn of Fire Island’s past in terms of what resonates still for those who will see its inevitable changes in the future. Well-written and readable, ‘Fire Island’ is a masterpiece of concision recounting what matters most and what endures. I’ve visited FI for decades and read the book during my summer stay. It remains there making the rounds among friends who like me who have lived the history, but may not know it so deeply as it is presented here. So memorable and evocative. Easily the best work of non-fiction I e read this year.

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6 people found this helpful

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Michael Young
Not really history
Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2024
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This book is not really history. It's more a random collection of anecdotes that will not be particularly interesting to anyone outside the sociological communities it describes.

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Mounir Dahdah
well written, a sophisticated read and he knows his material. Delightful
Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2023
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From early 20th to now, the author takes us on a journey of the location, the culture and literacy that is known as Fire Island with intimate perspectives at times. Based on my own experience at the Pines, he narrates the mood and events accurately. Nice enriching read!

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Amazon Customer
Captivating History
Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2022
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So much more than a gay history. This is captivating because it weaves together multiple layers of history — social history, geographical history, literary history, pop culture, and of course gay history. Fascinating and captivating.

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6 people found this helpful

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KB from NYC
Uneven but worthwhile
Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2022
I'm not sure what to make of this book. It's not really a history, per se. Few hard dates and facts, etc. When he needs historical data, they're quoted from other sources. Maybe a literary or cultural history is closer but if that's his intention, then it fails that test too. Again, he dips in and out of the people and events he profiles without giving more than a cursory understanding of who and what they are and how FI influenced them or they influenced FI. If you don't know the people he's talking about going in, you don't learn anything new. There's also a shadow of a memoir involved here but it's not a memoir and, oddly, he seems to reveal that he's never actually stayed in the The Grove or Pines which makes one wonder how he can fully understand them, and thereby convey something of depth, if he's just day tripped (or night tripped, as the case may be?) Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the book and think its worth a place on the shelf next to other Fire Island literature - the best parts are his meditations on what he calls the 'halcyon' era. His writing in the two chapters making up that section is smooth and far less self-conscious than much of the rest of the book - but I just don't get what he's trying to achieve or contribute to that body of literature.

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2 people found this helpful

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NYC Bob
Thoughtful and revealing without being salacious or cheaply titillating.
Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2022
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A wonder perspective from an academic with the research skills and a personal investment in the subject matter. Thought provoking and forgiving without apologizing for anything or anyone. Highly recommended.

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5 people found this helpful

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Lee MacDougall
Brilliant History of Gay Literature
Reviewed in Canada on December 13, 2024
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This book was beautifully written, and so well-researched. And it led me to many other amazing gay writers, and poets, and artists mentioned in its pages. A must read.

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Her Readership
Just fantastically evocative
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 2, 2023
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I’ve wanted to visit Fire a island for so long so to find such a comprehensive history of the place has been wonderful.

So brilliantly researched and superbly written. Have been recommending to everyone.

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Anonymous
Geschreven door een auteur die de hoogtij dagen niet zelf heeft meegemaakt
Reviewed in the Netherlands on July 20, 2023
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Een interessant boek omdat het vanuit een ander perspectief geschreven is. De jonge auteur (die ook dichter is) gebruikt de schrijvers/dichters en kunstenaar voor hem om te vertellen over de geschiedenis van Fire Island. Het is dus geen beschrijving van de eigen ervaringen van de auteur van de jaren 70 en 80, maar een compleet overzicht van de historie van het eiland door de ogen en geschriften van anderen. Dat is wel goed gelukt, maar de meest actieve en interessantste periode uit de geschiedenis (1975-1985) is wat onderbedeeld.

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GP
Simlpy great!
Reviewed in France on April 1, 2023
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On Labour Day weekend in 1973 I went to Fire Island for my first and only visit. Had I known all the things that this book has tought me, I would have enjoyed my visit much more! This is a sensible well researched book.

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ashley howarth
where was Fire Island
Reviewed in Australia on April 28, 2023
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As many have already said, this is more about people who visited, people who didn’t visit, and a lot about the author…but but very little about Fire Island itself.

It became tiresome to have the author find a quote by another author to tie to Fire Island, to only wander off for a chapter about the author, rather than the island.

There was little about how the island developed and at times, certainly when the AIDS crisis was addressed, that this just fell very short.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant History of Gay Literature

5.0 out of 5 stars Just fantastically evocative

3.0 out of 5 stars Geschreven door een auteur die de hoogtij dagen niet zelf heeft meegemaakt

5.0 out of 5 stars Simlpy great!

2.0 out of 5 stars where was Fire Island

Brilliant History of Gay Literature

Just fantastically evocative

Geschreven door een auteur die de hoogtij dagen niet zelf heeft meegemaakt

Simlpy great!

where was Fire Island