Cherry Grove, Fire Island
Sixty Years in America's First Gay and Lesbian Town
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- CHF 28.00
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- CHF 28.00
Beschreibung des Verlags
First published in 1993, the award-winning Cherry Grove, Fire Island tells the story of the extraordinary gay and lesbian resort community near New York City. This new paperback edition includes a new preface by the author.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
After spending five summers in Cherry Grove, lesbian anthropologist Newton ( Mother Camp ) has written a soundly researched cultural history of this unique homosexual summer retreat in N.Y. where, as a demographic majority, gays ``achieved American ideals of independence and citizenship.'' Based on interviews with 46 former and current residents, the author chronicles the colony's development from an isolated few cabins to a thriving, commercial, publicized community with Mafia-run discos and occasional police raids. The island's theater, drag balls, athletic and campy events entertain residents and visiting celebrities alike. However, the gay liberation movement of the '70s and '80s temporarily caused friction among owners, landlords and businesses; the era was marked by an influx of lesbian couples and hordes of day-trippers, many of them black or Hispanic. Although many aspects of gay culture have changed since the '80s, the Grove remains a place where gays and lesbians still go ``to be part of something unique.'' Newton shows us why. Illustrations not seen by PW.
