An Evening at the Garden of Allah (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Roger Simpson (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

A drag bar in Seattle? In the forties? Owned by gay men? My dear, the mind reels! I salute Paulson and Simpson for showing me a world I never knew existed. -- Quentin Crisp

A fascinating look back at gay cabaret that was a safe haven for sailors, studs, swishes, and sequins. -- Michael Musto, The Village Voice

Review

"A fascinating look back at gay cabaret that was a safe haven for sailors, studs, swishes, and sequins." -- Michael Musto, The Village Voice

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 184 pages
• Publisher: Columbia University Press (June 15, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0231096984
• ISBN-13: 978-0231096980
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 7.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,032,901 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing, Well-Written Cultural History, March 17, 2001

By	"exdancer" (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews

What an amazing find this book was! The authors artfully unveil the little-known world of drag clubs in the Fourties - and let me tell you it's NOTHING like the drag world today. Full of artists who sang for themselves (no lip-sync here!) and took their art form very seriously, it really opens up your perspective on what it must have been like to be a gay person in that era. You get both a feel for the times and a perspective that makes you appreciate today.

Told as a series of short biographies of people and places of the day, it is very readable, accessible, and educational at the same time.

I highly recommend this book, and hope the authors are working on a sequel that covers the next era in Seattle's rich history!