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Tinderbox: The Untold Story of the Up Stairs Lounge Fire and the Rise of Gay Liberation
Buried for decades, the Up Stairs Lounge tragedy has only recently emerged as a catalyzing event of the gay liberation movement. In revelatory detail, Robert W. Fieseler chronicles the tragic event that claimed the lives of thirty-one men and one woman on June 24, 1973, at a New Orleans bar, the largest mass murder of gays until 2016. Relying on unprecedented access to survivors and archives, Fieseler creates an indelible portrait of a closeted, blue- collar gay world that flourished before an arsonist ignited an inferno that destroyed an entire community. The aftermath was no less traumatic—families ashamed to claim loved ones, the Catholic Church refusing proper burial rights, the city impervious to the survivors’ needs—revealing a world of toxic prejudice that thrived well past Stonewall. Yet the impassioned activism that followed proved essential to the emergence of a fledgling gay movement. Tinderbox restores honor to a forgotten generation of civil-rights martyrs.
12 pages, Audiobook
First published June 5, 2018
134 people are currently reading
2689 people want to read
About the author
Robert W. Fieseler
3 books51 followersRobert W. Fieseler is a journalist and the author of the acclaimed debut book Tinderbox, winner of the Edgar Award, the Louisiana Literary Award and Lambda Literary's Judith A. Markowitz Award for Emerging Writers. Fieseler graduated co-valedictorian from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and is a recipient of the Pulitzer Traveling Fellowship. He lives with his husband and kittens in New Orleans.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 184 reviews
May 25, 2018
I won this through Goodreads Giveaways, all my opinions are my own :)
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Sidenote: My ARC copy is 320 pages, the actual book ends at 254 pages before the 'Notes' section
An important read!
Like many, I did not know about this tragedy. This came to my attention when I saw it on the Goodreads Giveaways page and I was immediately drawn in.
I've rewritten this a few times, each time the words seeming to fall short of what I want to convey. Its not often a book leaves me speechless and struggling to find words to say.
The author did a great job highlighting what happened before, during, and the aftermath of the fire. I was equal turns horrified, sad, and angry throughout.. and more than a few times I wanted a time machine to go back and smack a few people.
The book is divided into three parts: before the fire, the fire itself, and the aftermath. In the first part you meet the people who frequent the bar and the ones who held their church services there. Ordinary people, relaxing at their favorite hangout with friends/lovers.
You get a feel for the vibe of the city and the atmosphere back then and what the community endured from other people (bad word choice, sorry). It may be difficult to keep the various people straight in your head but it'll help you keep track of them later on.
The Fire Itself: I was zipping through this section, a ball of dread in my stomach and a constant litany of "ohmygodohmygod" running through my head. Horrified, angry, and sad at what happened.. it was very hard to put the book down and go to about my life.
The aftermath of the fire was very well done, highlighting everything everyone went through, and the frustrations they faced trying to get the city to recognize what happened and find the person responsible, as well as fighting for their rights and to have those who died properly remembered.
The treatment of the victims/survivors after by both police and regular folk... baffles me. The way this case was handled was very haphazard and mistakes were made that had me reading sections again to make sure I was reading it right.
There's a sense of despair woven in at times... it was a long hard road but despite setbacks, hope was there as well and it warmed my heart that there were those who kept fighting.
One part near the end puts a smile on your face and say "About time."
This review isn't great but I would highly recommend reading this, its something that should be in every home and library so that its never forgotten again.
----
Sidenote: My ARC copy is 320 pages, the actual book ends at 254 pages before the 'Notes' section
An important read!
Like many, I did not know about this tragedy. This came to my attention when I saw it on the Goodreads Giveaways page and I was immediately drawn in.
I've rewritten this a few times, each time the words seeming to fall short of what I want to convey. Its not often a book leaves me speechless and struggling to find words to say.
The author did a great job highlighting what happened before, during, and the aftermath of the fire. I was equal turns horrified, sad, and angry throughout.. and more than a few times I wanted a time machine to go back and smack a few people.
The book is divided into three parts: before the fire, the fire itself, and the aftermath. In the first part you meet the people who frequent the bar and the ones who held their church services there. Ordinary people, relaxing at their favorite hangout with friends/lovers.
You get a feel for the vibe of the city and the atmosphere back then and what the community endured from other people (bad word choice, sorry). It may be difficult to keep the various people straight in your head but it'll help you keep track of them later on.
The Fire Itself: I was zipping through this section, a ball of dread in my stomach and a constant litany of "ohmygodohmygod" running through my head. Horrified, angry, and sad at what happened.. it was very hard to put the book down and go to about my life.
The aftermath of the fire was very well done, highlighting everything everyone went through, and the frustrations they faced trying to get the city to recognize what happened and find the person responsible, as well as fighting for their rights and to have those who died properly remembered.
The treatment of the victims/survivors after by both police and regular folk... baffles me. The way this case was handled was very haphazard and mistakes were made that had me reading sections again to make sure I was reading it right.
There's a sense of despair woven in at times... it was a long hard road but despite setbacks, hope was there as well and it warmed my heart that there were those who kept fighting.
One part near the end puts a smile on your face and say "About time."
This review isn't great but I would highly recommend reading this, its something that should be in every home and library so that its never forgotten again.
June 12, 2018
A Joyfully Jay review.
5 stars
If you are at all interested in gay history, Tinderbox is an absolute must read. Like many, I had never heard of the UpStairs Lounge, but I’m a fan of nonfiction so I thought I’d give this book a go. Fieseler breaks the event down into three chunks. First, we are introduced to several of the victims, learning about their histories prior to the night of the fire. These are often tender vignettes of lovers going about their day to day lives. One of the most memorable ones for me describes the drive Buddy Rasmussen and Adam Fontenot take past the still-under-construction New Orleans Superdome. The second chunk starts by setting the scene the night of the fire—who was there, what they were doing—and accounts almost minute-for-minute who does what as The UpStairs Lounge is completely consumed by flames. The third part focuses on the local and national reaction to the tragedy. Fieseler does a quality job gently reminding this (outraged) reader that “few legal protections existed to prevent the firing of gays and suspected gays” and the Lavender Scare in the 1950s where the Department of State fired some 5,000 people for being gay. This is also the part of the book that zeroes in on one particular character named Nunez, about whom there is a “preponderance of evidence” suggesting he set the fire and constantly evaded the, well, lazy arm of the law.
Read Camille’s review in its entirety here.
5 stars
If you are at all interested in gay history, Tinderbox is an absolute must read. Like many, I had never heard of the UpStairs Lounge, but I’m a fan of nonfiction so I thought I’d give this book a go. Fieseler breaks the event down into three chunks. First, we are introduced to several of the victims, learning about their histories prior to the night of the fire. These are often tender vignettes of lovers going about their day to day lives. One of the most memorable ones for me describes the drive Buddy Rasmussen and Adam Fontenot take past the still-under-construction New Orleans Superdome. The second chunk starts by setting the scene the night of the fire—who was there, what they were doing—and accounts almost minute-for-minute who does what as The UpStairs Lounge is completely consumed by flames. The third part focuses on the local and national reaction to the tragedy. Fieseler does a quality job gently reminding this (outraged) reader that “few legal protections existed to prevent the firing of gays and suspected gays” and the Lavender Scare in the 1950s where the Department of State fired some 5,000 people for being gay. This is also the part of the book that zeroes in on one particular character named Nunez, about whom there is a “preponderance of evidence” suggesting he set the fire and constantly evaded the, well, lazy arm of the law.
Read Camille’s review in its entirety here.
July 13, 2021
Tinderbox: The Untold Story of the Up Stairs Lounge Fire and the Rise of Gay Liberation
by Robert W. Fieseler
This book is so detailed, informative, and interesting! He goes through each of the main characters and gives a character study of each. There overall life history of them. Each one of them is interesting themselves before he starts talking about the bar. As he describes the people, what life was like then is presented. I forgot about those times. How gays and lesbians were attacked all the time, (I know they are now too but not like then), they were arrested for being gay, they were classified as mentally ill, they could be fired from their jobs, and so much more. It was legal to not to rent to gays. It was a horrible time for America.
When the author then gets to the bar and the community, we see society underground. Then the fire, and the aftermath. It really is an intriguing, heartbreaking, informative book and really the start of gay rights.
by Robert W. Fieseler
This book is so detailed, informative, and interesting! He goes through each of the main characters and gives a character study of each. There overall life history of them. Each one of them is interesting themselves before he starts talking about the bar. As he describes the people, what life was like then is presented. I forgot about those times. How gays and lesbians were attacked all the time, (I know they are now too but not like then), they were arrested for being gay, they were classified as mentally ill, they could be fired from their jobs, and so much more. It was legal to not to rent to gays. It was a horrible time for America.
When the author then gets to the bar and the community, we see society underground. Then the fire, and the aftermath. It really is an intriguing, heartbreaking, informative book and really the start of gay rights.
January 5, 2021
4.5 stars
March 31, 2018
Wow. What a powerful book about an incredibly little known story.
The book is divided into thirds. First, we meet the characters who hang out at the bar, including the church for gay Christians that worshipped there.
The middle third is the fire. And I'm afraid of fire pretty solidly. And that fire is TERRIFYING. Like it just got worse and worse.
And then it gets worse. Because the fire damaged peoples lives in ways other than burns. And the fact that gays were still so persecuted so recently ago, (even though I surely was aware of this) was REALLY brought to life with all the Up Stairs Lounge clientele had to deal with and what it ultimately met.
Fieseler has heavily researched the topic, and interviewed almost all of the survivors and families. Quite a story of reporting that has earned all of its pre-pub buzz.
The book is divided into thirds. First, we meet the characters who hang out at the bar, including the church for gay Christians that worshipped there.
The middle third is the fire. And I'm afraid of fire pretty solidly. And that fire is TERRIFYING. Like it just got worse and worse.
And then it gets worse. Because the fire damaged peoples lives in ways other than burns. And the fact that gays were still so persecuted so recently ago, (even though I surely was aware of this) was REALLY brought to life with all the Up Stairs Lounge clientele had to deal with and what it ultimately met.
Fieseler has heavily researched the topic, and interviewed almost all of the survivors and families. Quite a story of reporting that has earned all of its pre-pub buzz.
September 17, 2018
For all its libertine reputation, it wasn’t easy to be yourself as a gay man in New Orleans in 1972. One of the places that made it easier was an upstairs bar known as the Up Stairs Lounge. The bar was frequented mostly by working class gay men, and the efforts of the bar manager ensured that it was a home for these folks and their friends. It even served as the location for the local MCC services for a time.
It was a safe place, or as safe as one could be, which meant that when an arsonist started the fire that burned 32 individuals alive and injured many others, the heart was cut out of New Orleans’ gay culture.
The author relates the story of the disastrous fire, its aftermath, and the long-term effects on gay liberation in this beautifully written and often devastating book. He teases out the many threads and, with the benefit of hindsight, situates the Up Stairs Lounge in terms of the burgeoning national gay movement as well as in local politics.
This is an important book when it comes to understanding our history.
It was a safe place, or as safe as one could be, which meant that when an arsonist started the fire that burned 32 individuals alive and injured many others, the heart was cut out of New Orleans’ gay culture.
The author relates the story of the disastrous fire, its aftermath, and the long-term effects on gay liberation in this beautifully written and often devastating book. He teases out the many threads and, with the benefit of hindsight, situates the Up Stairs Lounge in terms of the burgeoning national gay movement as well as in local politics.
This is an important book when it comes to understanding our history.
November 7, 2018
Outstanding investigative research book on the 1973 fire which burned a prominent New Orleans gay bar killing 32 people. Fieseler packs so much detail into his pages. Riveting throughout, Tinderbox is an important chronicle of a tragic arson which devastated a community still living on the fringe of society. Up until the Pulse Nightclub shooting, the Up Stairs Lounge fire was the worst LGBT tragedy in the history of the country. Its legacy helped launch modern-day New Orleans LGBT civil rights activism. Must-read (or listen if you download the audiobook like I did).
April 9, 2020
In 1973 thirty-two people burned to death in a deliberately set fire at the Up Stairs Lounge, a gay bar in New Orleans. The people impacted by this horrific crime weren’t treated with dignity by police, the media, local government and churches, and the majority of citizens of New Orleans. Because of the normalized homophobia of the time local leaders who normally offer support in times of tragedy were silent when it came to the Up Stairs Lounge. It’s difficult to read about how terribly people in positions of power reacted, or failed to react, to this tragic event.
The book itself was pretty dry. It’s obvious that the author did a lot of research and interviewed people who are still alive to get their stories. However, sometimes the book was difficult to follow. There were so many names of patrons of the bar, local government, local churches, and gay activists from around the country that it became difficult to remember who all of the different people were. There are definitely parts of the book that are very emotionally impactful but a lot of the book just felt like a tedious recounting of facts.
I’m always trying to read more non-fiction about LGBTQ+ history since that was never part of any of my classes in school. I’m glad I read this book so I was able to learn more about this tragedy and how it fits into the larger picture of LGBTQ+ liberation over the years.
The book itself was pretty dry. It’s obvious that the author did a lot of research and interviewed people who are still alive to get their stories. However, sometimes the book was difficult to follow. There were so many names of patrons of the bar, local government, local churches, and gay activists from around the country that it became difficult to remember who all of the different people were. There are definitely parts of the book that are very emotionally impactful but a lot of the book just felt like a tedious recounting of facts.
I’m always trying to read more non-fiction about LGBTQ+ history since that was never part of any of my classes in school. I’m glad I read this book so I was able to learn more about this tragedy and how it fits into the larger picture of LGBTQ+ liberation over the years.
March 11, 2020
I am always astounded by how much of queer history - of my history - has gone unwritten because of the refusal, for so many decades, to speak about the unspeakable (homosexuality). In an authentic, well-researched, and important book, Robert Fieseler uses "Tinderbox" to finally tell the story of the 32 queer people who died in the Up Stairs Lounge Fires, their lives lost to arson and their memories lost to homophobia.
The book itself is beautifully written, telling the backstories of the victims, the survivors, the organizations they belonged to, founded, and used to fight for their rights. Rather than end the book with the end of the investigation into who burned this gay bar to the ground, Fieseler uses the story of this tragedy to understand how it brought a community together and inspired them to fight for more. To fight for themselves. To fight for those they lost. And to change their city for the better.
The book itself is beautifully written, telling the backstories of the victims, the survivors, the organizations they belonged to, founded, and used to fight for their rights. Rather than end the book with the end of the investigation into who burned this gay bar to the ground, Fieseler uses the story of this tragedy to understand how it brought a community together and inspired them to fight for more. To fight for themselves. To fight for those they lost. And to change their city for the better.
March 10, 2018
Tinderbox
Robert W. Fieseler
Book Review | 📚📚📚📚 4/5
This is a must read for anyone interested in LGBTQ history.
Why I was interested in reading this book:
The prologue talked about the shooting at the Pulse Nightclub and how so many people from all walks of life rallied together to show their support and recognize the tragedy as an American tragedy, not just a gay one. It then compared that public response to a very unknown tragedy from the 1970s that fought to even get its own community to publicly rally together during a time of need. I had not heard of the fire at the Up Stairs Lounge. The book did a great job piecing together the personal accounts of the traumatic experience, from personal testimonies, to public records and other publications.
The book’s format:
The book was presented in three parts:
* Before the fire
* The fire itself
* The aftermath following the fire
My assessment:
Author, Robert Fieseler, did a great job citing all of the sources to back up his fact-based statements. There were hundreds of footnotes. As a textbook, that is terrific and it definitely lent credibility to the depiction of the tragedy. Unfortunately, it also made the book feel more like a textbook. But the reader should get past that. The second issue was that there seemed to be an identity crisis in how the story was told. There were parts that were, again, very fact-based and testimonies that were called out as coming from interviews and articles. There were other parts that felt more like a story.
The Before the Fire part of the book seemed to have the most push-pull of narrative, testimony and author commentary that seemed to be a little cliche in its descriptions. But the reader should get past that. While that type of disconnect made it difficult to connect with the people being depicted, it did help set the stage for the following sections.
The section that told the story of the fire, itself, was so fast paced and dynamic that I could not stop reading it. This is why the readers should forgive the first section’s writing style. The second section really makes it feel like the reader is in the moment along side the victims and survivors. It was emotional and realistic, making it difficult to not feel empathy for all involved.
The final section of the book really did a good job of illustrating the chaos of what occurred in the aftermath. This part of the book was well written and offered equal parts that frustrated the reader with its hopelessness, while also offering hope.
Readers should get past the first section - while making sure to pay attention to who the characters are - and then the rest of the book will go quickly. This is an important book. The author’s premise to share this piece of history, now, to gain public awareness of the fire and also the challenges of being gay in the 1970s, is validated and an important historic “never forget” book about one story within the fabric of the LGBTQ family in the United States.
Stories of the human condition:
What I find most important about this story is that it truly shows a broad spectrum of the human condition - the spirit to overcome adversity, the pain of tragedy and loss, the struggle and fight to survive, the inspiration of hope. As a story, it packs a punch. That it is a true story makes it all the more emotional and important.
TAGS:
#RobertWFieseler #review-book #bookreview #TuggleGrassBlues #Tinderbox #UpStairsLounge
DISCLAIMER: I received this book via Netgalley for the purposes of a review. I requested this book because it seemed fell into my wheelhouse of what I am most interested in. This review can also be read on my blog https://tugglegrassblues.tumblr.com.
Robert W. Fieseler
Book Review | 📚📚📚📚 4/5
This is a must read for anyone interested in LGBTQ history.
Why I was interested in reading this book:
The prologue talked about the shooting at the Pulse Nightclub and how so many people from all walks of life rallied together to show their support and recognize the tragedy as an American tragedy, not just a gay one. It then compared that public response to a very unknown tragedy from the 1970s that fought to even get its own community to publicly rally together during a time of need. I had not heard of the fire at the Up Stairs Lounge. The book did a great job piecing together the personal accounts of the traumatic experience, from personal testimonies, to public records and other publications.
The book’s format:
The book was presented in three parts:
* Before the fire
* The fire itself
* The aftermath following the fire
My assessment:
Author, Robert Fieseler, did a great job citing all of the sources to back up his fact-based statements. There were hundreds of footnotes. As a textbook, that is terrific and it definitely lent credibility to the depiction of the tragedy. Unfortunately, it also made the book feel more like a textbook. But the reader should get past that. The second issue was that there seemed to be an identity crisis in how the story was told. There were parts that were, again, very fact-based and testimonies that were called out as coming from interviews and articles. There were other parts that felt more like a story.
The Before the Fire part of the book seemed to have the most push-pull of narrative, testimony and author commentary that seemed to be a little cliche in its descriptions. But the reader should get past that. While that type of disconnect made it difficult to connect with the people being depicted, it did help set the stage for the following sections.
The section that told the story of the fire, itself, was so fast paced and dynamic that I could not stop reading it. This is why the readers should forgive the first section’s writing style. The second section really makes it feel like the reader is in the moment along side the victims and survivors. It was emotional and realistic, making it difficult to not feel empathy for all involved.
The final section of the book really did a good job of illustrating the chaos of what occurred in the aftermath. This part of the book was well written and offered equal parts that frustrated the reader with its hopelessness, while also offering hope.
Readers should get past the first section - while making sure to pay attention to who the characters are - and then the rest of the book will go quickly. This is an important book. The author’s premise to share this piece of history, now, to gain public awareness of the fire and also the challenges of being gay in the 1970s, is validated and an important historic “never forget” book about one story within the fabric of the LGBTQ family in the United States.
Stories of the human condition:
What I find most important about this story is that it truly shows a broad spectrum of the human condition - the spirit to overcome adversity, the pain of tragedy and loss, the struggle and fight to survive, the inspiration of hope. As a story, it packs a punch. That it is a true story makes it all the more emotional and important.
TAGS:
#RobertWFieseler #review-book #bookreview #TuggleGrassBlues #Tinderbox #UpStairsLounge
DISCLAIMER: I received this book via Netgalley for the purposes of a review. I requested this book because it seemed fell into my wheelhouse of what I am most interested in. This review can also be read on my blog https://tugglegrassblues.tumblr.com.
June 25, 2019
Tinderbox is a non-fiction book mainly set in New Orleans in 1973. Robert W. Fieseler does a great job of setting the scene and explaining how queer people during that time wished, beyond all else, to avoid public declarations of their lifestyle. Even though New Orleans had a large queer community, conspiracy or the intent to practice a "homosexual offense" was punishable by law. The state and professional bar associations used licensing laws to prevent homosexuals from practicing in multiple occupations. Queer people were at risk of being barred from their church community and family as well as being victims of assault. One of the few protected spaces was the Upstairs Lounge, a gay bar known and loved within the community. Fieseler manages to introduce all bar patrons early in the book so that you feel like they're your friends and neighbors and you have a personal stake in their happiness. Then on June 24th 1973 a fire was set to the building during which and shortly after 32 people died. The chapter of the actual fire is written in an extremely captivating way, terrible and fascinating at the same time. The book covers the infuriating ways of how society on all levels (politicians, police investigators, journalists, religious communities ...) failed to respond to the tragedy appropriately, with humanity and compassion, which shows how deep the homophobia ran at that time. Two others interconnected storylines follow the prime suspect and how this incident fits into the bigger scope of rising gay liberation after the Stonewall riots in 1969. The content of the book was something I knew very little, if anything, about and so I appreciate how much I was able to take away from it. Fieseler's skill is definitely the depicting the local community in New Orleans and you can tell that he has spent time there and put great research efforts into the book and connecting to contemporary witnesses. The chapters about the greater movement at times got somewhat confusing and distracting as a lot of names, occupations, and locations were brought up. He also states that the Pulse Nightclub shooting happened in a late stage of his work on the book and it feels like the connections drawn between the two tragedies don't go as deep. Definitely recommend this book to learn about an unspoken chapter of queer history in the US and for me it is also a great starting point for further education on the issues of queer liberation.
February 27, 2018
This was an incident I hadn’t heard of until the Pulse shooting and death counts were compared. This was definitely another level of horrific- 32 people burned in a bar on a casual Sunday night. The police never apprehended the perpetrator. People made crass jokes about the victims. Some bodies were burned so badly they were never identified. Families of some of the victims were reluctant to come forward because they didn’t want anyone to know they had a gay son. And to make it just a little extra worse, many of them were members of a church community hanging out after services.
At times it was a little difficult to keep track of all the people involved, but overall I was drawn in and wanted to know about the victims and survivors and what happened in New Orleans in 1973.
At times it was a little difficult to keep track of all the people involved, but overall I was drawn in and wanted to know about the victims and survivors and what happened in New Orleans in 1973.
July 6, 2022
There's a lot going on here. The Up Stairs Lounge fire may be an untold story, but the rise of gay liberation is not. The New Orleans angle might be a fresh take on gay activism. At times this book also felt like a history of the MCC (a gay Christian church). Mention of Anita Bryant took me back — I remember all those brunches where orange juice was forbidden!
This author obviously did enormous amounts of research and at times the volume of research weighed heavily on the page.
This author obviously did enormous amounts of research and at times the volume of research weighed heavily on the page.
July 15, 2018
An extremely well researched and written book that documents one of the most horrific crimes against the gay community in history. The crime wasn't simply the arson and murder of 32 human beings. There was also the crime of the repressive and intolerant society in which homosexual citizens lived that forced most of them to live in the closet, leading a dual life which resulted in much personal pain and anguish. And there was the crime of the way the arson was investigated and reported. The victims were often de-humanized because of their sexual preference and "lifestyle", and the personal tragedy was met with insensitive silence from local political and religious leaders, lacking in support and care for the victims and their families. However, this tragedy ignited the seeds of change in attitudes towards the gay community in New Orleans, both internally and externally.
August 20, 2018
My view may be skewed because I read Tinderbox right after finishing another book about this fire , but while everyone associated in some way with this fire was mentioned and had at least part of their story told, I felt that in comparison to the other book (The Upstairs Lounge Arson, by Clayton Delery Edwards) the telling just seemed disjointed and the stories seemed like they were missing something.
I really did not care for the for lack of a better term, very “literary” style of writing by the author. A lot of conjecture, it seemed, of what people were thinking, or how things happened, and it made reading it feel like a bit of a chore after a while.
It’s important that people know about this fire and how the victims were treated, before and after, but this isn’t the best or definitive book on it.
I really did not care for the for lack of a better term, very “literary” style of writing by the author. A lot of conjecture, it seemed, of what people were thinking, or how things happened, and it made reading it feel like a bit of a chore after a while.
It’s important that people know about this fire and how the victims were treated, before and after, but this isn’t the best or definitive book on it.
May 27, 2021
Tinderbox is a must-read for everyone, regardless of sexual orientation. Fieseler not only tells the fascinating history of the gay liberation movement, but he brings the history to life. He tells the stories of real people, not characters--people, which is extremely important, especially so soon after the Pulse massacre of 2016. The pure devastation of the Up Stairs lounge fire which Fieseler vividly describes makes the reader want to believe this book is a work of fiction.
Loved it!
Loved it!
June 11, 2018
A heartbreaking and insightful book about one of the first and most horrendous massacres of gay citizens in the US and how this event at the Upstairs Lounge gave heart to the gay liberation movement. I was reminded that “attention must be paid” to these stories. Even though I live in a time when I’m free to live and love who I want...and we must never forget the horrible injustice to inequality that existed and still exists on some levels. Such an important read!
October 10, 2021
A very, very satisfying read that answered almost all my lingering questions about this horrific mass murder. The author does a good job of placing this crime in its full context, right after Stonewall, the Rault Center fire and the HoJo massacre -- right before AIDS and the Anita Bryant crusade. He also tells us what became of the survivors of that day. Well worth your time if you have any interest in hate crimes, arson, gay culture, or daily life in New Orleans.
June 22, 2018
I first learned about the Up Stairs fire when I was on a haunted tour in New Orleans (before the Pulse shooting) and was struck by the information the tour guide provided and the plaque he showed us. I was beyond excited to find the book to find out more information about it, and I was not disappointed.
The book tells the stories of the victims and survivors of the fire, along with insights into the political and social world at the time of the fire and touches on more current events near the end, how the reception of the fire changed. The beginning of the book is a little confusing because of all the people he introduced, so keeping track of who was who was difficult at times. But, as I continued reading, the people became more distinct.
Fieseler's writing of the actual fire, as it happened, is brutal and heart-breaking. It was so detailed and graphic, I nearly stopped reading, and I've got a pretty strong disposition for things of that nature, but since he had building up the building for all the book before that, it hurts to read those paragraphs. Though, it's completely necessary to show the tragedy of the fire and to highlight how quickly and completely it gutted the bar.
The book is well-written and researched and was a pleasure to read. This is a great book for anyone interested in LGBTQIPA+, New Orleans, True Crime, and general human interest.
The book tells the stories of the victims and survivors of the fire, along with insights into the political and social world at the time of the fire and touches on more current events near the end, how the reception of the fire changed. The beginning of the book is a little confusing because of all the people he introduced, so keeping track of who was who was difficult at times. But, as I continued reading, the people became more distinct.
Fieseler's writing of the actual fire, as it happened, is brutal and heart-breaking. It was so detailed and graphic, I nearly stopped reading, and I've got a pretty strong disposition for things of that nature, but since he had building up the building for all the book before that, it hurts to read those paragraphs. Though, it's completely necessary to show the tragedy of the fire and to highlight how quickly and completely it gutted the bar.
The book is well-written and researched and was a pleasure to read. This is a great book for anyone interested in LGBTQIPA+, New Orleans, True Crime, and general human interest.
May 29, 2018
A very thoroughly researched work. Many various sources. Definitely taught me things I did not already know. The author did an excellent job of humanizing all the victims and their contemporaries. The bar being the modern equivalent of what we now call a “safe space,” the author did an excellent job describing and explaining the backstory to, I definitely felt like I was there. I would have loved to have met the owners and patrons, especially Napoleon! My heart goes out to the suffering that community had to go through in silence. I like how the author linked it to the Pulse nightclub massacre/bloodbath from a few years back. The author himself you can tell is very educated and many times uses 50¢ words, without at all coming off as pretentious! At times, he did wander into the territory of being rather preachy in delivering his points, but I do understand his role was not just as a mere reporter of facts. All in all, this was a solid, well-researched, engaging piece. I read it cover to cover in just a few days. Highly recommended and I’m glad this history is now coming to light!
August 28, 2018
I picked this up from the library after seeing the author on C-SPAN over the weekend talking about the book.
I had heard a little about the Up Stairs Lounge fire of 1973 around the time of the PULSE nightclub shooting, but had not heard about it previously. I was appalled that such a massacre was not more well known in US LGBT history. There was another book about the fire released a few years ago, and I will read that one next.
I found the critiques in the reviews were missing the point. This is a history book, not a novel. I though Robert W. Fieseler did a fantastic job compiling the research into an accessible format.
Recommended for history geeks, especially scholars of LGBT history.
I had heard a little about the Up Stairs Lounge fire of 1973 around the time of the PULSE nightclub shooting, but had not heard about it previously. I was appalled that such a massacre was not more well known in US LGBT history. There was another book about the fire released a few years ago, and I will read that one next.
I found the critiques in the reviews were missing the point. This is a history book, not a novel. I though Robert W. Fieseler did a fantastic job compiling the research into an accessible format.
Recommended for history geeks, especially scholars of LGBT history.
September 4, 2018
*note, I did get a free copy from a goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
Honestly, the reason it took me so long to get through this book is that it is such a difficult read. Not the words or the writing, which is just wonderful - but the subject matter itself. As Fieseler weaves together these narratives, it becomes so hard knowing that so many of them will perish in the fire.
These nonfiction narratives are so hard and the effort Fieseler took in compiling materials and interviews from a series of decades is commendable, particularly with how accessible the text is. Altogether it's a clear strong portrait of gay life in New Orleans in the early 70s, with all its joys and heartbreaks, and it is highly recommended.
Honestly, the reason it took me so long to get through this book is that it is such a difficult read. Not the words or the writing, which is just wonderful - but the subject matter itself. As Fieseler weaves together these narratives, it becomes so hard knowing that so many of them will perish in the fire.
These nonfiction narratives are so hard and the effort Fieseler took in compiling materials and interviews from a series of decades is commendable, particularly with how accessible the text is. Altogether it's a clear strong portrait of gay life in New Orleans in the early 70s, with all its joys and heartbreaks, and it is highly recommended.
July 29, 2018
This story is tragic on so many levels, least of which was the actual loss of life. It was heartening to see how far LGBTQ rights have come in my lifetime but still disheartening that we continue to marginalize and discriminate against LGBTQ people. The people who perished in the Upstairs Lounge fire got no national mourning and one small plaque with their names on it outside the current day building where it stood. Compared to the reaction to the Pulse shooting we’ve made great strides, but that’s small comfort when massacres and discrimination continue to happen.
June 12, 2019
This book is very well researched and compiled, and it shined especially in telling the stories of many of the bar’s patrons. I was most invested in the story when these people were at the forefront, and this book compiles a very personal story about this small specific place, while also broadening the scope to touch on the political climate and contemporary movements. Definitely recommend you pick up this book if you enjoy reading true crime, lesser known or buried history, and/or LGBTQ+ history.
July 22, 2018
Full disclosure: I’m super gay and am not rating this book down for LGBT content.
The introduction to this book was beautifully written. Unfortunately, what followed was a very dry read that makes a tenuous connection between the Upstairs Lounge fire and the national gay rights struggle. I’d also note that the book was littered with names of people that the author didn’t make relatable to the reader. It’s an incredibly important topic, but this was a drag to get through.
The introduction to this book was beautifully written. Unfortunately, what followed was a very dry read that makes a tenuous connection between the Upstairs Lounge fire and the national gay rights struggle. I’d also note that the book was littered with names of people that the author didn’t make relatable to the reader. It’s an incredibly important topic, but this was a drag to get through.
October 24, 2018
A sad tragedy in New Orleans and American history has light shed on it in this exhaustively researched and intense nonfiction book. The fact this isn't fiction is galling and sad. What happened not only to those trapped inside but the aftermath is shameful.
July 4, 2018
About a third of the way through Robert Fieseler’s “Tinderbox: The Untold Story of the Upstairs Lounge Fire and the Rise of Gay Liberation,” I realized how, between the Stonewall Uprising and the era of AIDS, there has been somewhat of a reticence among LGBTQ writers and historians to cover the seventies, which is strange given how deeply, as visitors to any gay dance club can attest, the styles and ethos of the decade have been imprinted into the very DNA of what it means to be gay in America. Partly, this stems from it being politically a messy time for the movement, as groups on all sides of the political spectrum battled for dominance over the movement known as, quaint as it is to use now, Gay Liberation. Questions such as “Should a primary goal of the Gay Liberation movement be the fight for marriage equality?” were still being messily hammered out, making later Supreme Court decisions such as Lawrence v Texas(2003) and Obergefell v Hodges(2015) by no means inevitable.
With this as background, Fieseler’s account is best when it recounts the actual event itself. In his chapter, “United We Stand,” a mere seven minutes from the start of the fire until the death of MCC chaplain Bill Larsen is narrated with an immediacy and sensitivity rarely seen. However, it is after the fire, where we see both the deeply-set prejudices of a New Orleans society where the budding Gay Liberation Movement has almost zero footprint and where conservative religious and social bias exist unchallenged. Numerous witnesses, as Fieseler recounts, were interviewed with their backs to the camera, and when victims’ families were called, many hung up the phone in shame, wanting to remain in denial. When we wonder why this tragedy went forgotten for so long, it has to be remembered how homophobic the American public was in 1973, particularly in the South, with even survivors wanting the event to simply remain forgotten as they rebuilt their lives.
The last third of the book explains how, twenty years later, the New Orleans community began the process of deliberating and memorializing the tragedy. Here, the narrative begins to lose focus and drive, as we hear survivors and witnesses attempting to move on. As their lives move apart, so does much of Fieseler’s narrative, which is why various memorials take up such a disproportionate amount of the final section of the book. While the author succeeds in providing more than adequate closure, it also means a disproportionate part of the book is spent recounting ceremonial detail, memorial speeches, and other elements of public recognition.
Overall, though, Tinderbox is an excellent read, especially given this is Fieseler’s first book.
With this as background, Fieseler’s account is best when it recounts the actual event itself. In his chapter, “United We Stand,” a mere seven minutes from the start of the fire until the death of MCC chaplain Bill Larsen is narrated with an immediacy and sensitivity rarely seen. However, it is after the fire, where we see both the deeply-set prejudices of a New Orleans society where the budding Gay Liberation Movement has almost zero footprint and where conservative religious and social bias exist unchallenged. Numerous witnesses, as Fieseler recounts, were interviewed with their backs to the camera, and when victims’ families were called, many hung up the phone in shame, wanting to remain in denial. When we wonder why this tragedy went forgotten for so long, it has to be remembered how homophobic the American public was in 1973, particularly in the South, with even survivors wanting the event to simply remain forgotten as they rebuilt their lives.
The last third of the book explains how, twenty years later, the New Orleans community began the process of deliberating and memorializing the tragedy. Here, the narrative begins to lose focus and drive, as we hear survivors and witnesses attempting to move on. As their lives move apart, so does much of Fieseler’s narrative, which is why various memorials take up such a disproportionate amount of the final section of the book. While the author succeeds in providing more than adequate closure, it also means a disproportionate part of the book is spent recounting ceremonial detail, memorial speeches, and other elements of public recognition.
Overall, though, Tinderbox is an excellent read, especially given this is Fieseler’s first book.
August 2, 2018
I received an ARC of this book through a Goodreads giveaway.
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This is an extensively researched book about a tragedy within the gay community that even now, few people seem to be aware of. There's little information out there about the Up Stairs Lounge arson compared to other impactful moments in the US gay rights movement's history, which makes it difficult even for those of us previously aware of the fire to really understand what happened and how it changed the lives of individuals, a community, a city, and through those changes, affected the growing movement to gain equal rights for gay Americans. With the publication of this book, I feel that's changed.
This is tenderly written and as respectful of all involved as possible. Even when discussing the only suspect (& almost-certainly perpetrator), Fieseler manages to find and express compassion for a man who took the lives of 32 people and damaged forever countless more.
This is an important, if heartbreaking, book that deserves a place on anyone's shelf.
...
This is an extensively researched book about a tragedy within the gay community that even now, few people seem to be aware of. There's little information out there about the Up Stairs Lounge arson compared to other impactful moments in the US gay rights movement's history, which makes it difficult even for those of us previously aware of the fire to really understand what happened and how it changed the lives of individuals, a community, a city, and through those changes, affected the growing movement to gain equal rights for gay Americans. With the publication of this book, I feel that's changed.
This is tenderly written and as respectful of all involved as possible. Even when discussing the only suspect (& almost-certainly perpetrator), Fieseler manages to find and express compassion for a man who took the lives of 32 people and damaged forever countless more.
This is an important, if heartbreaking, book that deserves a place on anyone's shelf.
August 2, 2018
Really a 4.5 star rating. Engaging read through an interesting, important, and under-recognized event in LGBT history. The author does a good job building up the events that led to the tragedy and carefully details the fallout and poor-handling of the fire by so many different agencies (cops, etc.). A few statements/assertions about the event are not supported well with evidence--that the tragedy served as a catalyst for activism on the level of Stonewall--but these eventually become true (just not as soon as a few assertions suggest. Still, an important read.
July 28, 2018
This was the third book that i read about about the Up Stairs lounge Fire in New Orleans in 1973 that killed 32 people, all but one, gay men. All the books were excellent but this one clearly put the times, political machinations and history into true perspective. Highly recommended.
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