Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE:  CLUBBED: A Story of Gay Love: Trials, Tribulations and Triumphs

SERIES:  Stories of Gay Love #1

AUTHOR: Robert A. Karl

PUBLISHER:  Self-Published

LENGTH:  249 pages

RELEASE DATE:  April 12, 2021

BLURB:

CLUBBED: A Story of Gay Love, is a celebration of Queer Culture. Set in Philadelphia in the 1970s – 80s, the narrator (Joey) shares stories of diverse characters in the queer community. He also shares the story of the positive, successful relationship he has with his partner, Henry. A story of trials, tribulations and triumphs, this book is a loving tribute to the strength and love in the LGBTQ+ community.

CLUBBED is Book One of a planned three-part historical fiction series exploring and celebrating queer culture.

REVIEW:

CLUBBED: A Story of Gay Love: Trials, Tribulations and Triumphs, along with its successor, CLUBBED TWO, is an extraordinary look at gay life in the 1970s and early 1980s in Philadelphia. Author Robert A. Karl calls these books “queer, romantic, historical fiction”. I call them fantastic. Joey is the star but we meet dozens of diverse gay men – an array of white, Black, Asian, Latino characters; friends, club goers, hustlers, drag queens, a reverend, lesbians, protesters, advocates, leathers, prostitutes, and trans men; poor, homeless, wealthy men, young and old.

Through these men we experience the best and the worst of gay life, from close friendships, love, and sexual freedom to the ugliness of addiction, homophobia, suicide, and violence. Through these characters, Mr. Karl delivers his messages of self-hatred, denial, the quest to find one’s true self, and discrimination in an era when there were no gay rights laws. The gay experience cannot be lumped together as being all the same. Some men desperately wish they weren’t gay, others embrace it, while others want nothing more than to be accepted into the community. And then there’s the beginning of the AIDS era which began as Kaposi’s sarcoma, the gay cancer.

This is Joey’s story, from his coming of age in a rural Pennsylvania town to his move to Philadelphia, experiencing big city gay culture as a young man. He meets Henry, the love of his life, and with an inheritance, they open Sanctuary, a gay nightclub that becomes the biggest and best in the state.

When Joey was in high school in the mid-1970s, he didn’t have the words to describe his feelings for other boys. He had no friends he could talk to and he knew no one light himself. There was no internet to find answers. The pressure to be straight weighted heavily. Spurs were commonplace, anti-gay discrimination was legal, and by the time he graduated, it was only six years after the Stonewall Riots. Coming out could get Joey, disowned, shunned, beaten up, even killed. But then at nineteen, an opportunity arises and he moves to Philadelphia where her discovers a while world of gaydom.

Having lived a sheltered, small-town life, Joey’s eyes are opened to things he’s never experienced: exposure to Black men, poor people, and gays trying to maintain a balancing act between gay and straight worlds. Joey’s fortunate that he can create a sanctuary for all gay men, literally. He opens Club Sanctuary, complete with a disco, a leather bar, a lesbian bar, and at times, a radio station and a ministry.

Sanctuary – and Joey and Henry – is a huge success. Their journey is interesting and enlightening. As a native of Philadelphia who grew up in the 70s and entered adulthood in the mid 80s, this book felt personal and added greater delight. During the time frame of CLUBBED, I spent much of my time walking along the streets and parks mentioned, visiting stores and restaurants Joey patronized, partying on South Street and visiting bars and clubs within walking distance of Sanctuary and the Gayborhood. I never thought about a separate gay society, however.

The book reads like an autobiography with a recitation of events and little dialogue. The story begins a bit slowly and oddly, with the narrative jumping between Joey’s first-person point of view and third person storytelling. The changes occur from one paragraph to the next. It’s a bit confusing, just a little strange at first but I grew to like it. Joey’s direct experiences are intermingled with interesting anecdotes and short stories of other gay men – friends and customers of Sanctuary.

While there is a love story component, the focus of the book is not on the type of romance in the novels I usually review. If you’re up for something different, I urge you to step out of your box to read this compelling story.

RATING:

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