Greg Scarnici has managed to release material that is consistently inventive and original. Whether a hilariously self-deprecating autobiography (I Hope My Mother Doesn’t Read This) or a wildly hilarious package of stories (Dungeons And Drag Queens), he manages to craft stories that somehow every one of us can relate to, but only this Queens, New York born author is able to weave them into raucously hysterical stories. His latest collection is not just timely, but inspired by one of the ongoing themes in Scarnici’s collections; the legendary Fire Island. Hot Rods is, as the author himself puts it, is “a parody of a vintage 70s gay porn magazine shot entirely on Fire Island. The book features feathered hair, mustaches, beards, speedos, un-manscaped torsos – and of course, terribly written erotic stories”
While Scarnici’s previous books were about life and love (with a large dose of Scarnici’s trademark acerbic and pop culture centric wit), putting together a package about his beloved Fire Island was a different project entirely. “I decided to recreate a vintage gay porn magazine here on Fire Island because I came across a few 70’s porn magazines at a thrift store a few years ago and they inspired me on so many levels.” Scarnici told me. “The men all had lean, natural, un-manscaped torsos, the books were so over-designed and the stories were terribly written. Since I live on Fire Island all summer long, I thought it would be fun to recreate one of these magazines using vintage clothes and toupees with some performer friends of mine. The book came together over the course of last summer, and includes five different scenes set in classic Fire Island settings like the Meat Rack and the Belvedere Hotel.”
Scarnici deciding to release Hot Rods right now is shining a kitschy and positive light on Fire Island, which has received its fair share of controversial attention this summer. Scarnici though, chose to showcase the brighter side of this summer destination during a truly unique summer. “As you know, Fire Island has been a bit different this year due to the pandemic, and I’ve found a few things I truly love about living here right now. Since we can only get together with a few people at a time, my husband and I have been making dates with friends to have socially distant cocktails on our deck.” He went on to say “spending a concentrated hour or two with just 3-4 people is so amazing. You get to really catch up and feel connected, instead of just sharing a sentence or two on a crowded tea deck with 300 other people. We all know this is a difficult summer, but connecting with people on a deeper level has made summer 2020 a lot better for me”
Grab a copy of “Hot Rods” at Greg Scarnici’s website