Robert W Fieseler – Author Reading
Author Robert Fieseler will discuss his acclaimed debut book Tinderbox, The Untold Story of the Upstairs Lounge Fire, and the Rise of Gay Liberation. An essential work of American civil rights history, Tinderbox reconstructs the 1973 fire at a gay bar that devastated New Orleans’ subterranean gay community. There is a strong Palatine connection to this relatively unknown piece of American history, and Fieseler’s talk will explore this hidden link. Chicagoland, in fact, lost one of its own at the 1973 New Orleans tragedy: a traveling businessman who grew up in Palatine named Guy Owen Andersen. A former Illinois high school drama teacher, Andersen frequently visited New Orleans and fell victim to the intentionally set blaze. Fieseler feels that Andersen’s story deserves to be properly memorialized in his hometown community. Buried for decades, the Up Stairs Lounge tragedy has only recently been recognized as a galvanizing historical event—the worst mass killing of queer citizens in 20th century America. By telling this story during June Pride Month, Fieseler hopes to raise local awareness of Andersen’s life and legacy. The discussion will last approximately one hour.
🎟️ $10.00-$15.00
Ticket Pricing
Adult • $15.00
Senior 55+ • $10.00
Student • $10.00
Child 12-• $10.00
