Matthew Leifheit: To Die Alive

To Die Alive conjures a hedonistic fever dream of Fire IslandÆs historic gay communities. The book contains 77 photographs by New York artist Matthew Leifheit takenby night over the past five years. The pictures show a world of desire layered in history, including the Ice Palace barÆs infamous underwear party, the men-only BelvedereGuesthouse, clandestine encounters in the Meat Rack, and landscapes in all seasons of the islandÆs delicate maritime forest. The wide-ranging subjects of LeifheitÆs portraits arethe intergenerational community who come to the island for refuge or employment, ranging from sugar daddies to bartenders and sex workers. The series takes the form of atragedy, combining many nights and many histories to form an endless night of sex, death, and evolution towards new definitions of queerness. As homosexuality gains mainstreamacceptance, many queer Americans no longer need to go to geographic extremes like Fire Island, Provincetown, Palm Springs or Key West to express themselves. But