Jack Fritscher
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John Joseph Fritscher (born June 20, 1939) is an American author, university professor, historian, and social activist known internationally for his fiction,
erotica Erotica is art, literature or photography that deals substantively with subject matter that is erotic, sexually stimulating or sexually arousing. Some critics regard pornography as a type of erotica, but many consider it to be different. Erot ...
, and nonfiction analyses of pop culture and gay male culture. An activist prior to the Stonewall riots, he was an out and founding member of the '' Journal of Popular Culture''. Fritscher became highly influential as editor of ''
Drummer A drummer is a percussionist who creates music using drums. Most contemporary western music ensemble, bands that play Rock music, rock, Pop music, pop, jazz, or Contemporary R&B, R&B music include a drummer for purposes including timekeepi ...
'' magazine.


Early life

Fritscher was born June 20, 1939, in
Jacksonville Jacksonville ( ) is the most populous city proper in the U.S. state of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast of North Florida, northeastern Florida. It is the county seat of Duval County, Florida, Duval County, with which the City of Jacksonv ...
and raised in Peoria, Illinois. His family was
Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
. Born during the
Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
and growing up during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
in rental housing, Fritscher was part of the gay generation who in their teens, during the 1950s, rebelled against conformity through the birth of
pop culture Popular culture (also called pop culture or mass culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as popular art pop_art.html" ;"title="f. pop art">f. pop artor mass art, some ...
and the Beats. From a young age he was raised to believe he should be a priest. In 1953 at age 14, Fritscher attended the Pontifical College Josephinum, for both high school and college, studying Latin and Greek. He earned a degree in philosophy in 1961, followed by graduate work in theology and the Scholasticism of
Thomas Aquinas Thomas Aquinas ( ; ; – 7 March 1274) was an Italian Dominican Order, Dominican friar and Catholic priest, priest, the foremost Scholasticism, Scholastic thinker, as well as one of the most influential philosophers and theologians in the W ...
(1961–1963). He was also schooled by
Jesuit The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
s in the Humanism of
Marsilio Ficino Marsilio Ficino (; Latin name: ; 19 October 1433 – 1 October 1499) was an Italian scholar and Catholic priest who was one of the most influential humanist philosophers of the early Italian Renaissance. He was an astrologer, a reviver of Neo ...
,
Erasmus Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus ( ; ; 28 October c. 1466 – 12 July 1536), commonly known in English as Erasmus of Rotterdam or simply Erasmus, was a Dutch Christian humanist, Catholic priest and Catholic theology, theologian, educationalist ...
, and
Jacques Maritain Jacques Maritain (; 18 November 1882 – 28 April 1973) was a French Catholic philosopher. Raised as a Protestant, he was agnostic before converting to Catholicism in 1906. An author of more than 60 books, he helped to revive Thomas Aqui ...
. While in school, Fritscher earned his first publication (1958) and the production of his first play (1959). He has said that while he was celibate at the seminary, "I probably became gay because of the Josephinum, although nothing happened (to me) there." In 1962 and 1963, inspired by French Worker-Priests and tutored by
Saul Alinsky Saul David Alinsky (January 30, 1909 – June 12, 1972) was an American community activist and political theorist. His work through the Chicago-based Industrial Areas Foundation helping poor communities organize to press demands upon landlord ...
, Fritscher worked as a social activist on the
South Side of Chicago The South Side is one of the three major sections of the city of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Geographically, it is the largest of the sections of the city, with the other two being the North and West Sides. It radiates and lies south o ...
. He was ordained by the
Apostolic Delegate An apostolic nuncio (; also known as a papal nuncio or simply as a nuncio) is an ecclesiastical diplomat, serving as an envoy or a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to a state or to an international organization. A nuncio is ...
to the orders of porter, lector, exorcist, and acolyte. In 1964, he entered
Loyola University Chicago Loyola University Chicago (Loyola or LUC) is a Private university, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1870 by the Society of Jesus, Loyola is one of the largest Catholic Church, ...
and completed his master's and doctoral program, writing a dissertation on
Tennessee Williams Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the three ...
entitled ''Love and Death in Tennessee Williams'' (1968).


Academic life and writing

In 1961 Fritscher arrived in San Francisco and established a base there. Beginning in 1965, he taught at
Loyola University Chicago Loyola University Chicago (Loyola or LUC) is a Private university, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1870 by the Society of Jesus, Loyola is one of the largest Catholic Church, ...
, received tenure at
Western Michigan University Western Michigan University (Western Michigan, Western or WMU) is a Public university, public research university in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. It was initially established as Western State Normal School in 1903 by Governor Aaron T. B ...
, and was a regular visiting lecturer at
Kalamazoo College Kalamazoo College is a private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Founded in 1833 by American Baptist Churches USA, Baptist ministers as the Michigan and Huron Institute, K ...
. From 1968 to 1975, he served on the board of directors of the
Kalamazoo Institute of Arts The Kalamazoo Institute of Arts (KIA) is a non-profit art museum and school in downtown Kalamazoo, Michigan, Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. History In 1924, members of the Kalamazoo Chapter of the American Federation of Arts established an ...
where he founded and directed the museum film program. In 1969 he founded and taught the first film-as-literature courses at the Western Michigan University Department of English. In San Francisco in between academic posts, Fritscher used his academic credentials and publishing career in the Catholic press to find jobs as an editorial writer for KGO-ABC TV, as a technical writer for the San Francisco Muni Metro, and as manager of marketing at Kaiser Engineers, Inc. (1976–1982). Fritscher has published both fiction and nonfiction. His first novel was '' What They Did to the Kid: Confessions of an Altar Boy'' (1965), and his first gay novel was ''I Am Curious (Leather)'' aka ''Leather Blues'' (1969). He authored the first book to investigate gay Wicca and witchcraft, '' Popular Witchcraft Straight from the Witch's Mouth'' (1972). His short-story collection ''Corporal in Charge of Taking Care of Captain O'Malley'' (Gay Sunshine Press, 1984) was the first collection of leather fiction, and the first collection of fiction from ''Drummer'' magazine. The title entry ''Corporal in Charge'' was the only play published by editor
Winston Leyland Francis Winston Leyland (born August 29, 1940) is a British-American author and editor. Called "one of the seminal figures in gay publishing" by the '' San Francisco Sentinel'', he was originally ordained a Catholic priest and later graduated from ...
in the
Lambda Literary Award Lambda Literary Awards, also known as the "Lammys", are awarded yearly by Lambda Literary Foundation, Lambda Literary to recognize the crucial role LGBTQ+ writers play in shaping the world. The Lammys celebrate the very best in LGBTQ+ literatur ...
Winner ''Gay Roots: Twenty Years of Gay Sunshine - An Anthology of Gay History, Sex, Politics & Culture'' (1991). Fritscher's academic writing has been published in the ''Bucknell Review'', ''Modern Drama'', '' Journal of Popular Culture'', ''Censorship: A World Encyclopedia'', and ''
Playbill ''Playbill'' is an American monthly magazine for Audience, theatergoers. Although there is a subscription issue available for home delivery, most copies of ''Playbill'' are printed for particular productions and distributed at the door as the ...
''. His photographs have been published by
Taschen Taschen is a luxury art book publisher founded in 1980 by Benedikt Taschen in Cologne, Germany. As of January 2017, Taschen is co-managed by Benedikt Taschen and his eldest daughter, Marlene Taschen. History The company began as Tasch ...
, Rizzoli,
Weidenfeld & Nicolson Weidenfeld & Nicolson Ltd (established 1949), often shortened to W&N or Weidenfeld, is a British publisher of fiction and reference books. It has been a division of the French-owned Orion Publishing Group since 1991. History George Weidenfeld ...
,
Saint Martin's Press St. Martin's Press is a book publisher headquartered in Manhattan in New York City. It is headquartered in the Equitable Building. St. Martin's Press is considered one of the largest English-language publishers, bringing to the public some 700 ...
,
Gay Men's Press Gay Men's Press was a publisher of books based in London, United Kingdom. Founded in 1979, the imprint was run until 2000 by its founders, then until 2006 by Millivres Prowler. Overview Launched in 1979 by Aubrey Walter, David Fernbach, and Ric ...
London, as well as by dozens of magazines, newspapers, and book publishers including his cover for
James Purdy James Otis Purdy (July 17, 1914 March 13, 2009) was an American novelist, short-story writer, poet, and playwright who, from his debut in 1956, published over a dozen novels, and many collections of poetry, short stories, and plays. His work ha ...
's ''Narrow Rooms'' (1996). His videos and photographs are in the permanent collections of the Maison européenne de la photographie, Paris; the
Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction (often shortened to The Kinsey Institute) is a research institute at Indiana University. Established in Bloomington, Indiana, in 1947 as a nonprofit, the institute merged with In ...
; and the
Leather Archives and Museum The Leather Archives & Museum (LA&M) is a community archives, library, and museum located in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. Founded by Chuck Renslow and Tony DeBlase in 1991, its mission is making “Leather subculture, leat ...
. He has appeared on
The Oprah Winfrey Show ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'' is an American first-run syndicated talk show that was hosted by Oprah Winfrey. The show ran for twenty-five seasons from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in which it broadcast 4,561 episodes. The show was taped i ...
and on BBC Channel 4 with
Camille Paglia Camille Anna Paglia ( ; born April 2, 1947) is an American academic, social critic and Feminism, feminist. Paglia was a professor at the University of the Arts (Philadelphia), University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from 1984 until ...
.


''Drummer'' magazine

Fritscher entered post-Stonewall gay publishing as founding San Francisco editor-in-chief of ''
Drummer A drummer is a percussionist who creates music using drums. Most contemporary western music ensemble, bands that play Rock music, rock, Pop music, pop, jazz, or Contemporary R&B, R&B music include a drummer for purposes including timekeepi ...
'' (March 1977December 1979), San Francisco's longest-running magazine (1975–1999). He was one of only two editors-in-chief in ''Drummer'' history. Fritscher was the magazine's most frequent contributor as editor, writer, and photographer through all three publishers, emerging as historian of the institutional memory of ''Drummer''. While at ''Drummer'', Fritscher introduced into gay media such artists as
Robert Mapplethorpe Robert Michael Mapplethorpe ( ; November 4, 1946 – March 9, 1989) was an American photographer, best known for his black-and-white photographs. His work featured an array of subjects, including celebrity portraits, male and female Nude (art), n ...
and David Hurles (Old Reliable), and showcased talents such as Robert Opel,
Arthur Tress Arthur Tress (born November 24, 1940) is an American photographer. He is known for his staged surrealism and exposition of the human body. Early life and education Tress comes from a Jewish background; his parents immigrated from Europe. He was ...
,
Samuel Steward Samuel Morris Steward (July 23, 1909 – December 31, 1993), also known as Phil Andros, Phil Sparrow, was an American tattoo artist and pornographer. Throughout his life, he kept extensive secret diaries, journals, and statistics of his ...
(Phil Andros),
Larry Townsend Larry Townsend (27 October 1930 – 29 July 2008) was the American author of dozens of books including ''Run, Little Leather Boy'' (1970) and ''The Leatherman's Handbook'' (1972), published by pioneer erotic presses such as Greenleaf Classics a ...
, John Preston,
Wakefield Poole Walter Wakefield Poole III (February 24, 1936 – October 27, 2021) was an American dancer, choreographer, theatrical director, and pioneering film director in the gay pornography industry during the 1970s and 1980s.
, Rex, and A. Jay. As an analyst and framer of gay linguistics in the first post- Stonewall decade when gay journalists were inventing new words for the emerging gay culture, Fritscher coined the gay-identity word homomasculinity, as well as redefining S&M as "Sensuality and Mutuality" (1974). As such, he self-described as homomasculinist, which falls within the larger group of masculinist men. Documenting on page and on screen the dawn of the "Daddy" and "Bear" movements, Fritscher was the first writer and editor to feature "older men" (''Drummer'' 24, September 1978) in the gay press. Fritscher's eyewitness recollections and interviews of ''Drummer'' history was published in 2007 as ''GAY PIONEERS How Drummer Magazine Shaped Gay Popular Culture 1965–1999''. A selection of Fritscher's writing in ''Drummer'' was published in 2008 as ''Gay San Francisco: Eyewitness Drummer''.


Genre publishing

After leaving ''Drummer'', Fritscher published eight quarterly issues of the raunchy gay
zine A zine ( ; short for ''magazine'' or ''fanzine'') is, as noted on Merriam-Webster’s official website, a magazine that is a “noncommercial often homemade or online publication usually devoted to specialized and often unconventional subject ...
''Man2Man'' between 1980 and 1981. Primarily created on typewriter, under the slogans "What You're Looking For Is Looking for You" and "The Mag You Can Stick Your Nose In," issues ranged from 44 to 60 pages. Contents included uncensored and sometimes bizarre personal ads, readers' letters, artwork from Old Reliable, Rex, and others, interviews, pornographic fiction by Fritscher, ads by purveyors of erotic merchandise, and articles on such topics as "Clothes Harvesting" (stealing athletes' clothes from locker rooms), jockstraps, cigars, and other extreme fetishes. Mark Hemry is credited as publisher and graphic designer. With ''California Action Guide'', Fritscher became the first editor to refer to the gay "Bear" subculture on a magazine cover in November 1982. Fritscher contributed to the start-up of dozens of other emerging gay magazines as well as booking anthologies for new publishers such as Gay Sunshine Press and Bowling Green University Press.


Palm Drive Video

Together with producer Mark Hemry, Fritscher co-founded the pioneering Palm Drive Video in 1984, dedicated to homomasculine entertainment. Fritscher wrote, cast, and directed more than 150 fetish features for Palm Drive Video. The studio also produced documentary content of a wide range of street festivals and competitive events, including the first "Bear" contest (Pilsner Inn, February 1987). The 2021 documentary film ''Raw! Uncut! Video!'' examines the output and influence of Fritscher and Hemry.


Gay historian and cultural participant

As an eyewitness participant, Fritcher contributed an article on
Chuck Arnett Charles "Chuck" Arnett (February 15, 1928March 2, 1988) was an American artist and dancer who was born in Bogalusa, Louisiana, and died in San Francisco. His best-known work is the The Tool Box (bar), Tool Box mural (1962). Biography Arnett gr ...
("Artist Chuck Arnett: His Life/Our Times”), to editor Mark Thompson’s ''Leatherfolk: Radical Sex, People, Politics, and Practice''. He was a frequent historical journalist for the ''
Bay Area Reporter The ''Bay Area Reporter'' is a free weekly LGBT newspaper serving the LGBT communities in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is one of the largest-circulation LGBT newspapers in the United States, and the country's oldest continuously published ne ...
'' and ''Leather Times''. In 1972, he was the first gay writer to unearth and interview
Samuel Steward Samuel Morris Steward (July 23, 1909 – December 31, 1993), also known as Phil Andros, Phil Sparrow, was an American tattoo artist and pornographer. Throughout his life, he kept extensive secret diaries, journals, and statistics of his ...
(Phil Andros); his Steward audiotapes were referenced in Justin Spring's biography of Steward, ''Secret Historian'' (2010). As a gay popular culture critic, Fritscher began collecting his extensive gay history archive in 1965. Chris Nelson photographed Fritscher for Richard Bulger's original ''Bear'' magazine as well as for the photography book ''The Bear Cult'', selected and introduced by
Edward Lucie-Smith John Edward McKenzie Lucie-Smith (born 27 February 1933), known as Edward Lucie-Smith, is a Jamaican-born English writer, poet, art critic, curator and broadcaster. He has been highly prolific in these fields, writing or editing over a hundred ...
. As a writer and photographer, he contributed fiction and photographs for covers and interior layouts for ''Bear'' magazine and other Brush Creek Media magazines. He wrote the introduction to Les Wright's ''Bear Book II'' and contributed to Ron Suresha's ''Bears on Bears: Interviews & Discussions'' as well as to editor Mark Hemry's fiction anthology ''Tales of the Bear Cult''. In addition to Chris Nelson, Fritscher has been photographed by
Robert Mapplethorpe Robert Michael Mapplethorpe ( ; November 4, 1946 – March 9, 1989) was an American photographer, best known for his black-and-white photographs. His work featured an array of subjects, including celebrity portraits, male and female Nude (art), n ...
,
Daniel Nicoletta Daniel Nicoletta (born December 23, 1954) is an Italian-American photographer, photojournalist and gay rights activist. Biography Daniel Nicoletta was born in New York City and raised in Utica, New York. In his late teens he left New York to at ...
,
Arthur Tress Arthur Tress (born November 24, 1940) is an American photographer. He is known for his staged surrealism and exposition of the human body. Early life and education Tress comes from a Jewish background; his parents immigrated from Europe. He was ...
, David Hurles, David Sparrow, Robert Opel and his nephew Robert Oppel, and Jim Tushinski.


Personal life

Fritscher is married to Mark Hemry, founding owner of Palm Drive Publishing. The couple met May 22, 1979, the night after the
White Night riots The White Night riots were a series of violent events sparked by an announcement of a lenient sentencing of Dan White for the assassinations of George Moscone, the mayor of San Francisco, and of Harvey Milk, a member of the city's Board of S ...
under the marquee of the
Castro Theatre The Castro Theatre is a historic movie palace in the Castro District of San Francisco, California. The venue became San Francisco Historic Landmark #100 in September 1976. Located at 429 Castro Street, it was built in 1922 with a California ...
. Following a
civil union A civil union (also known as a civil partnership) is a legally recognized arrangement similar to marriage, primarily created to provide legal recognition for same-sex couples. Civil unions grant some or all of the rights of marriage, with ch ...
in Vermont (July 12, 2000) and a Canadian marriage (August 19, 2003), they were married in California (June 20, 2008). Fritscher's previous significant partners were David Sparrow and
Robert Mapplethorpe Robert Michael Mapplethorpe ( ; November 4, 1946 – March 9, 1989) was an American photographer, best known for his black-and-white photographs. His work featured an array of subjects, including celebrity portraits, male and female Nude (art), n ...
. Fritscher was portrayed by actor Anthony Michael Lopez in the 2018
biopic A biographical film or biopic () is a film that dramatizes the life of an actual person or group of people. Such films show the life of a historical person and the central character's real name is used. They differ from docudrama films and histo ...
'' Mapplethorpe''.


Bibliography


Novels

* * * * *


Nonfiction

* * * * * *


Anthology contributions

* *


Awards

* 2020 -
National Leather Association International National Leather Association International (NLA-I) is a BDSM organization, based in the United States with chapters in various cities in the United States and Canada. It was founded in 1986 as the "National Leather Association" (NLA), as a nation ...
:
Samois Samois was a lesbian feminist BDSM organization based in San Francisco that existed from 1978 to 1983. It was the first lesbian BDSM group in the United States. It took its name from Samois-sur-Seine, the location of the fictional estate of An ...
Anthology Award for '' Mapplethorpe Movie'' * 2020 – National Leather Association International: Cynthia Slater Non-Fiction Article Award for "
Thom Gunn Thomson William "Thom" Gunn (29 August 1929 – 25 April 2004) was an English poet who was praised for his early verses in England, where he was associated with Movement (literature), The Movement, and his later poetry in America, where he adop ...
(1929-2004)" * 2020 – National Leather Association International: Lifetime Achievement Award * 2018 - National Leather Association International: Geoff Mains Nonfiction Book Award for ''Gay Pioneers: How Drummer Magazine Shaped Gay Popular Culture 1965-1999'' * 2016 - National Leather Association International: Cynthia Slater Non-Fiction Article Award (award shared with Jaco Lourens) for “Conversations With Leather” * 2014 - Pantheon of Leather Awards: Mr. Marcus Hernandez Lifetime Achievement Award (Man) * 2010 - Pantheon of Leather Awards: Northern California Regional Award * 2009 – National Leather Association International: Geoff Mains Non-Fiction Best Book Award for ''Gay San Francisco: Eyewitness Drummer Vol. 1'' * 2009 – National Leather Association International: Cynthia Slater Non-Fiction Feature Article Award for "Spill a Drop for Lost Brothers: An Obituary for
Larry Townsend Larry Townsend (27 October 1930 – 29 July 2008) was the American author of dozens of books including ''Run, Little Leather Boy'' (1970) and ''The Leatherman's Handbook'' (1972), published by pioneer erotic presses such as Greenleaf Classics a ...
"


See also

*
Mineshaft (gay club) The Mineshaft was a members-only BDSM leather subculture, leather bar and sex club for gay men located at 835 Washington Street (Manhattan), Washington Street, at Little West 12th Street, in Manhattan, New York City, in the Meatpacking District, ...


References


External links


JackFritscher.com
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fritscher, Jack 1939 births American gay writers BDSM writers Gay academics LGBTQ people from Florida LGBTQ people from Illinois Living people Masculists Writers from Peoria, Illinois Writers from San Francisco