Last week, the world mourned two pioneers of radical self-expression: Tim Curry, who has been beloved for his role as Dr Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show for decades, and at the same time, country superstar and national treasure Dolly Parton. The latter spent her career using a hyper-feminine, towering, glittering flamboyance as both a superpower and an emotional shield. Dolly was basically a drag queen—and I’m not the first person to say that. She even confirmed it in interviews over the years, stating:
So it felt appropriate to speak with Jack Parlett, the writer, researcher and historian of LGBTQ+ culture whose most recent book is titled Flamboyance: The Power of Living Boldly.
Jack’s first book, The Poetics of Cruising, followed his graduate research on the subject and is subtitled: “Queer Visual Culture from Whitman to Grindr.” He followed that up with a wonderful book that is part historical and part memoir, titled, Fire Island: A Century in the Life of an American Paradise. All that, and he just turned 34 years old! (Yes, I’m jealous.)
I began by asking Jack how he had the confidence to embark on this subject—which so many people have so many opinions on—at such a young age. I could only imagine he’s heard plenty from those who have dedicated their lives to this queer sanctuary. For example, I had just read a wonderful piece by James Dale, who has been traveling and participating in various aspects of the culture of gay Fire Island since 1993. Jack confessed it probably because he was young and naive and didn’t realize that it would provoke so many opinions.
Frank O’Hara’s Poetry
We also had a great discussion of Frank O’Hara, who died at the age of 40 when he was struck by a dune buggy on the beach July 25, 1966. That led to a discussion of his poetry, why it has persisted for the past 60 years, and how it inspired Jack’s own research into cruising, flamboyance and Fire Island.
Plus, Jack suggested three poems to get you started:
* “Meditations in an Emergency”
* “Mayakovsky” (which was featured in an episode of Mad Men)
The Quietly Flamboyant Evolution
Jack writes beautifully about sober queerness and the misconception that “sobriety is where flamboyance goes to die.”He’s noted that while writing Fire Island, he was navigating his own problematic drinking habits in a historically hedonistic space. Now that he’s a few years into recovery, I was curious how his understanding of “flamboyance” shifted? In particular: How can sobriety itself—with its radical candor and clarity—become its own powerful, intimate form of queer self-expression and love? You’ll want to listen to his answer (That’s around the 19-minute mark.)
Why love is a flamboyant feeling
I played a clip from the audiobook for Jack (narrated by Joe Jameson), and we discussed his statement about what it means to love flamboyantly or “to not run away from the dangers of love, as well as this quotation:
“There are few people more dramatic than those with broken hearts. Few more likely to use the language of catastrophe and death to describe their feelings. Having spent most of my life in the throws of an overwhelming crush, the raw and early choked up days of a breakup or even, years henc,e pining for memories that seem to be slipping out of view…”
Pop music and role models
To close things out, I asked Jack a few rapid-fire questions, including:
* What pop music does he turn to in times of need? Answer: After Lorde, there’s Chappel Roan (and Dolly Parton, of course). As well as Joni Mitchell.
* What historical figure he’d choose to be his teenage queer role model: Answer: James Baldwin
* What’s his first personal memory of wearing or doing something unapologetically flamboyant?Answer: a blue ball gown as a kid
“I remember being maybe eight or nine and being around a friend’s house and we raided her mum’s wardrobe, and I wore this blue long ball gown. I’m just having the time of my life as a happy memory. It wasn’t a common occasion, but in some ways, I guess the sheer playfulness and almost fearlessness of that is That’s the project for me. It’s like working my way back to that, I think.”
* Is there a piece of art, literature, or media that you think perfectly captures the essence of queer romance?Answer: The TV show Looking
Of course I had plenty to add on this topic, including why I think Looking is such an important show and people need to discover it (or rewatch) if they haven’t already. Plus, I’ll give another pug for It’s a Sin!
If you’re curious what Jack’s flamboyant Loewe coat looks like, here’s a recent shot of him wearing it (and is featured in this UK Sunday Times piece, which is unfortunately blocked behind a paywall).
Thanks everyone for watching or listening, you can find Jack Parlett’s latest book, Flamboyance: The Power of Living Boldly, as well as his fantastic history of queer sanctuary, Fire Island: A Century in the Life of an American Paradise, everywhere books are sold.
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