Inferno in the French Quarter: The UpStairs Lounge Fire
Johnny Townsend
(Author)
Isabel Beeson
(Cover Design by)
21,000+ Reviews
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Description
On Gay Pride Day in 1973, an arsonist set the entrance to a French Quarter gay bar on fire. In the terrible inferno that followed, thirty-two people lost their lives, including a third of the local congregation of the Metropolitan Community Church, their pastor burning to death halfway out a second-story window as he tried to claw his way to freedom.A mother who'd gone to the bar with her two gay sons died alongside them. A man who'd helped his friend escape first was found dead near the fire escape. Two children waited outside a movie theater across town for a father and "uncle" who would never pick them up.During this era of rampant homophobia, several families refused to claim the bodies, while many churches refused to bury the dead. Author Johnny Townsend pored through old records and tracked down survivors of the fire as well as friends and relatives of those killed to compile the first full account of a forgotten moment in gay history. This second edition on the 50th anniversary of the fire includes additional research and information not available previously.Product Details
Price
$21.95
$20.41
Publisher
Johnny Townsend
Publish Date
May 16, 2023
Pages
508
Dimensions
5.5 X 8.5 X 1.13 inches | 1.41 pounds
Language
English
Type
Paperback
EAN/UPC
9798988084723
BISAC Categories:
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About the Author
A climate crisis immigrant who relocated from New Orleans to Seattle in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Johnny Townsend wrote the first account of the UpStairs Lounge fire, an attack on a French Quarter gay bar which killed 32 people in 1973. He was an associate producer for the documentary Upstairs Inferno, for the sci-fi film Time Helmet, and for the deaf gay short Flirting, with Possibilities. His books include Please Evacuate, Racism by Proxy, and Wake Up and Smell the Missionaries. His novel, Orgy at the STD Clinic, set entirely on public transit, tells the story of an isolated man finding connection in the midst of political extremism, climate upheaval, and anti-maskers during the pandemic.
Reviews
"In [Inferno in the French Quarter] author Johnny Townsend restores this tragic event [the UpStairs Lounge fire] to its proper place in LGBT history and reminds us that the victims of the blaze were not just 'statistics, ' but real people with real lives, families, and friends."Jesse Monteagudo, The Bilerico Project Inferno in the French Quarter: The UpStairs Lounge Fire is "a gripping account of all the horrors that transpired that night, as well as a respectful remembrance of the victims."Terry Firma, Patheos In Inferno in the French Quarter, "Townsend's heart-rending descriptions of the victims...seem to [make them] come alive once more."Kit Van Cleave, OutSmart Magazine
"[Inferno in the French Quarter] is a one-of-a-kind piece of history. Without Townsend's diligence and devotion, many details would've been lost forever. With his tremendous foresight and tenacious research, Townsend put a face on this tragedy at a time when few people would talk about it....Through Townsend's vivid writing, you will sense what it must've been like in those final moments as the fire ripped through the UpStairs Lounge. [Inferno in the French Quarter] is a chilling and insightful glimpse into a largely forgotten and ignored chapter of LGBT history."Robert Camina, writer and producer of the documentary Upstairs Inferno
