Dan Savage on blue America in the age of Trump

In 'Secret City,' James Kirchick chronicles the hidden history of the gay community in Washington, D.C., and its profound impact on American politics. The book begins with the story of Sumner Welles, Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s diplomatic advisor, and explores how cultural and political anxiety over gay people led to a decades-long witch hunt. This anxiety influenced various aspects of American history, including the rivalry between the CIA and FBI, the ascent of Joseph McCarthy, the struggle for Black civil rights, and the rise of the conservative movement. Kirchick’s work is based on thousands of pages of declassified documents, interviews with over a hundred people, and material from presidential libraries and archives, offering a detailed and intimate look at the intersection of gay history and American politics.

In this book, Pavla Šimková reinterprets the Boston Harbor Islands as an urban archipelago, arguing that they have been an integral part of Boston since colonial days. The study draws on archival sources, historic maps and photographs, and diaries from island residents to illustrate how the islands have been transformed by the city's changing values and needs over four centuries. The book explores various periods, from the islands' use as common land, to their role as a dumping ground, and finally to their current status as a national park and recreational hub. It emphasizes the central role of the harbor islands in understanding the environmental history of Boston and how the city and its environment have mutually shaped each other[1][3][4].