''The Terminal Bar'' is a 1982 novel by Larry Mitchell. It was published by Mitchell's own literary press, Calamus Books, and received mixed reception in the

gay press The following is a list of periodicals (printed magazines, journals and newspapers) aimed at the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) demographic by country. Australia The most comprehensive holdings of LGBT periodicals is fo ...

. It was among the first novels that dealt with

HIV/AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...

in the United States.

Background and publication

The novel was published in 1982 by Calamus Books in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

—his own literary press—and sold for $6. Its name comes from the Terminal Bar in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, and is written as a

semi-autobiographical An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life, providing a personal narrative that reflects on the author's experiences, memories, and insights. This genre allows individuals to share thei ...

account of Mitchell's life. He earlier wrote and published '' The Faggots & Their Friends Between Revolutions'' in 1977, and wrote ''The Terminal Bar'' shortly after moving to the

Lower East Side The Lower East Side, sometimes abbreviated as LES, is a historic neighborhood in the southeastern part of Manhattan in New York City. It is located roughly between the Bowery and the East River from Canal to Houston streets. Historically, it w ...

Plot

The novel is set around the time of the

Three Mile Island accident The Three Mile Island accident was a partial nuclear meltdown of the Unit 2 reactor (TMI-2) of the Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station, located on the Susquehanna River in Londonderry Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Londonderry T ...

. It follows Robin and his friends—a group of "faggots and dykes", according to one reviewer, most of whom grew up in the 1960s—in the East Village of New York City. Robin is a contemplative gay man, who in the opening scenes thinks about the death of Chilean president

Salvador Allende Salvador Guillermo Allende Gossens (26 June 1908 – 11 September 1973) was a Chilean socialist politician who served as the 28th president of Chile from 1970 until Death of Salvador Allende, his death in 1973 Chilean coup d'état, 1973. As a ...

and the

criminalization of homosexuality Some or all sexual acts between men, and less frequently between women, have been classified as a criminal offense in various regions. Most of the time, such laws are unenforced with regard to consensual same-sex conduct, but they neverthele ...

in Iran. He escapes to the Terminal Bar to avoid becoming depressed and talks with his friends.

Reception

The book was criticized by reviewer Rob Kaplan as lacking skill "with the technical aspects of narration and structure", though Kaplan also said the book held an important spot in society through its authentic and sensitive portrayal of gay life in New York. LGBT scholar Craig Allen Seymour II wrote that ''The Terminal Bar'', just like Mitchell's earlier book, ''The Faggots & Their Friends Between Revolutions'', was a novel deeply connected to political issues (such as

environmental degradation Environment most often refers to: __NOTOC__ * Natural environment, referring respectively to all living and non-living things occurring naturally and the physical and biological factors along with their chemical interactions that affect an organism ...

), though Mitchell left the

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical elements, often including Fictional universe, imaginary places and Legendary creature, creatures. The genre's roots lie in oral traditions, ...

genre to write a more realistic one. Reviewer David Fields praised the novel's political and satirical tone, and said that the political issues of the early 1980s were largely the same as the 1960s. During the 1984 customs raid of Gay's the Word, a gay bookstore in London, ''The Terminal Bar'' was among the books seized for being

obscene An obscenity is any utterance or act that strongly offends the prevalent morality of the time. It is derived from the Latin , , "boding ill; disgusting; indecent", of uncertain etymology. Generally, the term can be used to indicate strong moral ...

, in violation of the

Obscene Publications Act 1959 The Obscene Publications Act 1959 ( 7 & 8 Eliz. 2. c. 66) is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom Parliament, which significantly reformed the law related to obscenity in England and Wales. Before the passage of the Act, the law on publis ...

. In 1998, contributors to the '' Encyclopedia of AIDS'' recognized the novel as perhaps the first fictionalized narrative that dealt with

; Mitchell's New York-based novel preceded '' Babycakes'' by

Armistead Maupin Armistead Jones Maupin, Jr. ( ; born May 13, 1944) is an American writer notable for '' Tales of the City'', a series of novels set in San Francisco. Early life Maupin was born in Washington, D.C., to Diana Jane (Barton) and Armistead Jones Maup ...

and '' A Day in San Francisco'' by

Dorothy Bryant Dorothy Bryant (1930–2017) was an American novelist, playwright, essayist and feminist writer. Bryant was known for her mysticism, mystical, feminism, feminist and fantastic novels and plays that traverse the space between the real world and ...

, which were among the first San Francisco-based pieces of fiction that dealt with HIV/AIDS (both published in 1983).

References

Citations

Bibliography

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Terminal Bar, The 1982 American novels 1980s LGBTQ novels Novels about HIV/AIDS Calamus Books books English-language non-fiction books