# Fire Island: A Century in the Life of an American Paradise - Hardcover

by **Jack Parlett** (Author)

\***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.

**Number of Pages:** 272

**Dimensions:** 0.92 x 9.12 x 6.25 IN

**Illustrated:** Yes

**Publication Date:** June 14, 2022

## Details

- **Price:** 28.99 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 28.99 USD | In stock |

## Images

- Fire Island: A Century in the Life of an American Paradise - Hardcover

---

> Source: [Smart supply deals](https://smartsupplydeals.com/products/fire-island-a-century-in-the-life-of-an-american-paradise-hardcover)
> Updated: 2026-07-23