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Capitol Punishment
Summer 1977
Years of homophobic bullying come to a head after graduation when Caleb lashes out against his High School nemesis and loses his job in the process. Coming out to his parents has disastrous consequences prompting him to abandon his Midwestern home for the glamorous lure of New York City. There he discovers a gay community flourishing after the cultural revolution of the 1960s.
Embarking on a quest for self-discovery, he discovers the ecstasies of the hottest discos and the appeal of anonymous sex. But endless nights of partying and interchangeable partners soon lose their attraction, revealing a yearning for a more fulfilling life. As the chaos of a blackout engulfs the city, Cal gambles on a meaningful relationship. Yet as he heads down the path of domestic bliss, a mysterious epidemic begins claiming lives all around him. When illness takes his lover, Caleb decides that something drastic must be done.
Years of homophobic bullying come to a head after graduation when Caleb lashes out against his High School nemesis and loses his job in the process. Coming out to his parents has disastrous consequences prompting him to abandon his Midwestern home for the glamorous lure of New York City. There he discovers a gay community flourishing after the cultural revolution of the 1960s.
Embarking on a quest for self-discovery, he discovers the ecstasies of the hottest discos and the appeal of anonymous sex. But endless nights of partying and interchangeable partners soon lose their attraction, revealing a yearning for a more fulfilling life. As the chaos of a blackout engulfs the city, Cal gambles on a meaningful relationship. Yet as he heads down the path of domestic bliss, a mysterious epidemic begins claiming lives all around him. When illness takes his lover, Caleb decides that something drastic must be done.
371 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 31, 2022
35 people want to read
About the author
K.D. McQuain
5 books82 followersKD McQuain grew up in the Alphabet City neighborhood of Manhattan’s Lower East Side. In the spring of 1985 he became involved in the early Hardcore Punk scene and always kept a dog-eared paperback in the cargo pocket of his fatigues. KD graduated from the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts and received his BFA in sculpture. He worked as a glass bender in the neon industry for several years before starting his own record label, Skully Records, which became widely known for popularizing the Gothabilly genre. He now lives in Virginia with his wife, son and a menagerie of loving but continuously underfoot animals.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 14, 2022
I have been a fan of K.D. McQuain's for quite some time. This incredible author was one of the first authors to request one of my reviews at the beginning of my book blog journey. His books were also some of the first books of my review list that I knew I had to keep reading. You sometimes get lucky and find that author that writes as if they are writing with you in mind. K.D's style just gets me, and every time I dive into a K.D. McQuain book, I know I'm in for a great read!
Now time for Capitol Punishment, a piece of historical fiction focusing on the LGBTQ+ community. This is a step away from the fantasy, vampire books and a step towards coming of age, activism, and a take on the 1970s. If you want to feel all the feels, this book is for you. It's R rated and raunchy (as one would expect), but also touches on so many important aspects of a young LGBTQ+ man's life - experimentation, coming of age, your first love, your first loss, and the gay community. The 1970s were an interesting time with lots of homophobes prancing around, but it was also a time where many LGBTQ+ individuals started allowing themselves to come out more (even if the world was mighty messy).
Caleb is our lead, and this is his journey in his sexuality and his life. He goes from rebellious teenager with an urge to discover himself in grande New York, to a brilliant man focusing on change. He goes through a self-discovery full of drugs, one night stands, and sex clubs. Eventually, he grows into a man seeking his first love and redeeming many dark moments that get thrown his way (whether they are his dark moments or not). His story told by K.D. McQuain brings enough shock factor but also teary eyed hope. I was honestly marvelled by how incredible this book was. It covers so much in the almost 400 pages and shows how much K.D.'s writing has improved over the years. All of the applause his way, because this book sits in my top reads for 2022.
This book doesn't gloss over the dark and imperfect side of things. While New York may seem all glitz and glamour, the dark and honest side of this story really brings out what it may have been like to be LGBTQ+ in the 1970s and 1980s. It was a different environment then, but one we need to reflect on now to learn from. From the bullies and jerks, to the limited rights and the fear and loss surrounding AIDs...We had and still do have a long way to go. This book packs an emotional punch in the gut from all sides.
Emotional. Raw. Revenge. Freedom. Justice. Rights.
If you want a glimpse into the LGBTQ+ movement in the 1970s, this is the book for you. New York has never shined so bright.
Five out of five stars.
I received this book for free from the author, K.D. McQuain, in exchange of an honest review.
Now time for Capitol Punishment, a piece of historical fiction focusing on the LGBTQ+ community. This is a step away from the fantasy, vampire books and a step towards coming of age, activism, and a take on the 1970s. If you want to feel all the feels, this book is for you. It's R rated and raunchy (as one would expect), but also touches on so many important aspects of a young LGBTQ+ man's life - experimentation, coming of age, your first love, your first loss, and the gay community. The 1970s were an interesting time with lots of homophobes prancing around, but it was also a time where many LGBTQ+ individuals started allowing themselves to come out more (even if the world was mighty messy).
Caleb is our lead, and this is his journey in his sexuality and his life. He goes from rebellious teenager with an urge to discover himself in grande New York, to a brilliant man focusing on change. He goes through a self-discovery full of drugs, one night stands, and sex clubs. Eventually, he grows into a man seeking his first love and redeeming many dark moments that get thrown his way (whether they are his dark moments or not). His story told by K.D. McQuain brings enough shock factor but also teary eyed hope. I was honestly marvelled by how incredible this book was. It covers so much in the almost 400 pages and shows how much K.D.'s writing has improved over the years. All of the applause his way, because this book sits in my top reads for 2022.
This book doesn't gloss over the dark and imperfect side of things. While New York may seem all glitz and glamour, the dark and honest side of this story really brings out what it may have been like to be LGBTQ+ in the 1970s and 1980s. It was a different environment then, but one we need to reflect on now to learn from. From the bullies and jerks, to the limited rights and the fear and loss surrounding AIDs...We had and still do have a long way to go. This book packs an emotional punch in the gut from all sides.
Emotional. Raw. Revenge. Freedom. Justice. Rights.
If you want a glimpse into the LGBTQ+ movement in the 1970s, this is the book for you. New York has never shined so bright.
Five out of five stars.
I received this book for free from the author, K.D. McQuain, in exchange of an honest review.
July 12, 2022
This book starts as a gripping but difficult coming out story which quickly turns into a dark sexual self-discovery with multiple anonymous partners, endless partying, and a quest for revenge and a more meaningful and happy life. Capitol Punishment speaks to us almost in a documentary way about a gay community of New York in the 1970s, raw, brutal, emotional, and unforgiving. The story doesn’t lack sex scenes that will make more sensitive readers blush, but it runs much deeper than quick one-night stands. It carries a strong human rights message, strong as a cry for freedom, liberation, and justice. And honest as the need to be loved and to love somebody.
I congratulate the author on the ending. It will stir some emotions and reactions, but, for me, this is the perfect and the only logical ending for a dark novel like Capitol Punishment.
I congratulate the author on the ending. It will stir some emotions and reactions, but, for me, this is the perfect and the only logical ending for a dark novel like Capitol Punishment.
June 13, 2022
Wow, not only did I find myself engrossed in the 1970's NY underground gay scene in ways that opened my eyes to the history of the movement, but the story was gripping and powerful. The writing is well crafted and easy to read, and the plot pulls you along and compels you to finish what is a rollercoaster of an emotional ride. Read it if you're curious about the time period and the LBTGQ scene or read it if you just like a good tale of love, revenge, and redemption.
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December 18, 2025Capitol Punishment is a poignant, courageous novel that captures a defining moment in LGBTQ+ history with honesty, empathy, and emotional depth. K.D. McQuain brings 1970s New York City vividly to life, portraying both the exhilaration of newfound freedom and the quiet vulnerability beneath it. Caleb’s journey is raw, human, and deeply resonant.
What makes this story especially powerful is its balance between personal discovery and historical reality. Caleb’s escape from a hostile hometown into a thriving yet imperfect gay community is rendered with nuance the excitement of liberation, the emptiness of excess, and the longing for something more meaningful. The shift from celebration to loss is handled with restraint and respect, allowing the emotional weight to unfold naturally.
As the mysterious epidemic begins to claim lives, the novel transforms into a moving reflection on love, grief, and resolve. Capitol Punishment is not only a story of survival, but of choosing connection and purpose in the face of devastating uncertainty. It is a heartfelt, important read that lingers long after the final page.
What makes this story especially powerful is its balance between personal discovery and historical reality. Caleb’s escape from a hostile hometown into a thriving yet imperfect gay community is rendered with nuance the excitement of liberation, the emptiness of excess, and the longing for something more meaningful. The shift from celebration to loss is handled with restraint and respect, allowing the emotional weight to unfold naturally.
As the mysterious epidemic begins to claim lives, the novel transforms into a moving reflection on love, grief, and resolve. Capitol Punishment is not only a story of survival, but of choosing connection and purpose in the face of devastating uncertainty. It is a heartfelt, important read that lingers long after the final page.
August 5, 2022
Following the life of a young gay man, this novel provides an engaging, if sometimes bleak, perspective on being homosexual in the US from the post-civil rights hope of the 1970’s to the new puritanism of the 1980’s.
Fired from his job and cast out of his parent’s home for finally responding to years of homophobic abuse, Caleb leaves his midwestern US town for 1970’s New York. Arriving with a dream but no plan, he is swiftly embraced by the flourishing gay community. At first, the parties and one night stands feel like liberation; however, as the rush of being among other openly gay men fades, he realises the casual sex is just as unfulfilling as his old life and the big city just as full of casual bigotry. But what is he prepared to do for a different future?
McQuain’s novel portrays a series of episodes in Caleb’s life from the summer after his high school graduation to his late twenties, set within the wider history of the homosexual community in the USA.
McQuain does not attempt to hide the imperfections of the members of New York’s homosexual community or the community as a whole: the glamour and freedom that Caleb embraces when he arrives in New York is balanced by an honest portrayal of the hollowness of constant partying and anonymous sex in men-only “baths”; similarly, as Caleb and others face the swing back toward open intolerance in the 80’s, some are prepared to descend to their opponent’s level. While sympathetic to his protagonist and scathing of bigots, McQuain leaves it to the reader to decide when characters can be blamed for choosing a bad option and when they are merely grabbing the least worst one. Thus, the novel is a tale about a man living through significant moments in the fight for homosexual rights rather than a treatise or polemic.
Although mostly closely focused on Caleb and his emotional journey from naive boy running to the city to politically aware man, the narration frequently draws back to a more omniscient viewpoint, telling the reader briefly what the reasons for an action are or other facts Caleb doesn’t know. Depending on reader preference, this will either interrupt their immersion, weakening the impact of immediate events, or provide context on some of the history of New York gay culture, avoiding the need for the reader to learn everything via dialogue.
McQuain successfully balances the different challenges of the various points in time and Caleb’s increasing loss of youthful hope, with an underlying consistency of style and characterisation; this gives each segment a sense of being a distinct and significant part of Caleb’s life without losing the feeling that they are parts of a single life.
Unsurprisingly for a novel that ends during the height of the AIDS pandemic, this book does not end with a complete victory or a happy ever after. However, the ending fits the realistic tone of the book and is likely to provide reader’s with a sense of closure.
Caleb is a flawed by sympathetic protagonist. Although many of the challenges he faces are framed by his sexuality, McQuain skilfully roots them in the human drive to live a free and full life; thus, Caleb’s decisions are likely to resonate not just with LGBTQ readers or even minority readers but with anyone who has struggled with question of what to do if the world should be better but isn’t.
The supporting cast is well-wrought, filled with the tropes of the time without descending into stereotypical portrayals of homosexuals or those opposed to it.
Overall, I found this novel very engaging (if not enjoyable in the usual sense.). I recommend it to readers seeking a story about the impacts of prejudice that is neither downplays the depths nor wallows in them.
I received a free copy from the author with a request for a fair review.
Fired from his job and cast out of his parent’s home for finally responding to years of homophobic abuse, Caleb leaves his midwestern US town for 1970’s New York. Arriving with a dream but no plan, he is swiftly embraced by the flourishing gay community. At first, the parties and one night stands feel like liberation; however, as the rush of being among other openly gay men fades, he realises the casual sex is just as unfulfilling as his old life and the big city just as full of casual bigotry. But what is he prepared to do for a different future?
McQuain’s novel portrays a series of episodes in Caleb’s life from the summer after his high school graduation to his late twenties, set within the wider history of the homosexual community in the USA.
McQuain does not attempt to hide the imperfections of the members of New York’s homosexual community or the community as a whole: the glamour and freedom that Caleb embraces when he arrives in New York is balanced by an honest portrayal of the hollowness of constant partying and anonymous sex in men-only “baths”; similarly, as Caleb and others face the swing back toward open intolerance in the 80’s, some are prepared to descend to their opponent’s level. While sympathetic to his protagonist and scathing of bigots, McQuain leaves it to the reader to decide when characters can be blamed for choosing a bad option and when they are merely grabbing the least worst one. Thus, the novel is a tale about a man living through significant moments in the fight for homosexual rights rather than a treatise or polemic.
Although mostly closely focused on Caleb and his emotional journey from naive boy running to the city to politically aware man, the narration frequently draws back to a more omniscient viewpoint, telling the reader briefly what the reasons for an action are or other facts Caleb doesn’t know. Depending on reader preference, this will either interrupt their immersion, weakening the impact of immediate events, or provide context on some of the history of New York gay culture, avoiding the need for the reader to learn everything via dialogue.
McQuain successfully balances the different challenges of the various points in time and Caleb’s increasing loss of youthful hope, with an underlying consistency of style and characterisation; this gives each segment a sense of being a distinct and significant part of Caleb’s life without losing the feeling that they are parts of a single life.
Unsurprisingly for a novel that ends during the height of the AIDS pandemic, this book does not end with a complete victory or a happy ever after. However, the ending fits the realistic tone of the book and is likely to provide reader’s with a sense of closure.
Caleb is a flawed by sympathetic protagonist. Although many of the challenges he faces are framed by his sexuality, McQuain skilfully roots them in the human drive to live a free and full life; thus, Caleb’s decisions are likely to resonate not just with LGBTQ readers or even minority readers but with anyone who has struggled with question of what to do if the world should be better but isn’t.
The supporting cast is well-wrought, filled with the tropes of the time without descending into stereotypical portrayals of homosexuals or those opposed to it.
Overall, I found this novel very engaging (if not enjoyable in the usual sense.). I recommend it to readers seeking a story about the impacts of prejudice that is neither downplays the depths nor wallows in them.
I received a free copy from the author with a request for a fair review.
November 23, 2022
The author captures the atmosphere of the West Village during this time period perfectly. I loved too the "playlist" of songs mentioned in the story after the end of the book. I just wish someone had done a better job proofreading the text. There were far too many misspellings; it got to where I was expecting them.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews