Books: “Fire Island” by Jack Parlett

Fire Island, the fabled stretch of barrier beach off Long Island’s south shore, is considered a paradise to many LGBTers. The Pines, in particular, boasts some of the most sumptuous beaches in the country, as well as architecturally stunning houses inhabited by gay glitterati from around the world. It is also known for its irrationally exuberant nightlife and its “Tea Dances” (dubbed Low, Mid, and High, depending on time of day).

What it didn’t have up until now was a properly written history, and Jack Parlett’s “Fire Island: A Century in the Life of an American Paradise” may be just the ticket.

Parlett, a Brit, takes us back to the late 19th century when celebrities like Walt Whitman and Oscar Wilde came to visit Fire Island. In the early 20th century, “theater people,” artists and writers (e.g, W. H. Auden, James Baldwin and Frank O’Hara) began to frequent Cherry Grove, heretofore a modest vacation refuge for working-class families.

The great hurricane of 1938 destroyed much of Cherry Grove, and within a decade a much fancier, less funky destination cropped up a mile to the east. This would come to be known the Pines. The growth of the Pines paralleled the growth of the gay liberation movement of the late 1960s and 1970s, when gay behavior was not something to be ashamed of but take pride in (and revel in, often to excess).

The 1970s saw the emergence of the Pines as a distinct “gay paradise” given its no-car policy allowed, and gerry-only access to the mainland, which helped facilitate all sorts of shenanigans of all sorts. Unfortunately, the AIDS crisis of the 1980s—and beyond—turned this LGBT utopia into an island of great sadness.

In somewhat scholarly but very readable prose, Parlett waxes optimistic for the future of gay Fire Island—a paradise that has become less about white male privilege and more socially conscious. I’d recommend it as a nice book to take to the beach and read some quiet afternoon. After all, Low Tea doesn’t kick off till 5pm, folks.