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The Voice Of Queer Fiction Robert A. Karl's
Published on 08 February 2025, by Marine Beaumont | Italy, Europe.
Robert A. Karl, M.Ed., is a native son of Philadelphia, PA, a Queer author, an independent publisher, an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, and a gay entrepreneur. He worked for the School District of Philadelphia as a teacher and technology specialist for 30 years. During that time, he also taught undergraduate and graduate courses in educational technology at Temple University. Robert often used stories as a teaching method, while also encouraging his students to tell their own stories. At the School District of Philadelphia, he was a pioneer in the field of podcasting, teaching his students to record their stories and posting them on a district podcast server. He enthusiastically taught other educators about technology, encouraging them to have their students use modern methods to share stories they wanted to tell.
Robert wrote his first novel, CLUBBED: A Story of Gay Love: Trials, Tribulations, and Triumphs, while in quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic. His inspiration was the desire to keep Queer stories alive, so he fictionalized the experiences of himself and his friends, beginning with coming out in the 1970s. That first novel was dedicated to the victims of a different pandemic: HIV/AIDS, which devastated the gay community starting in the 1980s. The loss of many friends during that time inspired Robert to share the stories of those who could no longer tell their own. Finding a degree of success with his first book in 2021, Robert continued the story with CLUBBED TWO: Anxiety, Anger, Activism, published in 2022. Both books combined fictional and historical characters and events, creating entertaining, informative, and emotional stories. The characters are described as funny, fabulous, and flawed, as they live through the turbulent years of the AIDS pandemic in the section of Philadelphia known as the Gayborhood.
CLUBBED THREE: Darkness and Light, published in 2023, completes the story as Joey and Henry, the main characters, must confront changes both in their community and in their relationship. In September of 2001, acts of violence change everything as their story reaches its emotional climax.
All three books in the trilogy were recognized as Distinguished Favorites in LGBTQ fiction by the Independent Press Awards and received positive reviews from Kirkus Reviews.
Throughout the entire series, the author confronts issues such as racism, internal and external homophobia, violence, relationship problems, ageism, loneliness, despair, and many other obstacles faced by the LGBTQ community. However, those problems are countered with stories of love, success, acceptance, and courage as the characters struggle for equality and the ability to live normal lives despite sometimes daunting circumstances. It was of prime importance to the author for the main characters, Joey and Henry, to have a positive, successful, interracial relationship as they built a business with Club Sanctuary and provided resources (and a place for fabulous parties) for the community to which they belonged. In June of 2023, Robert was dismayed as anti-LGBTQ+ elements of American society were emboldened to attack symbols of PRIDE at various retail outlets. He was even more appalled at the lack of courage shown by certain corporate giants, who made the unfortunate decision to remove PRIDE merchandise from their shelves. That prompted Robert to decide to start a new business, called CLUB PRIDE, an online store featuring LGBTQ+ and PRIDE merchandise. This new venture just started in 2023, provides a safe shopping experience, and is attracting customers from throughout the United States. After completing the CLUBBED trilogy, Robert challenged himself to write two complete novels and publish both of them on the same day, setting a goal date of June 2024. The result is that two new books were published on June 28, 2024. One of them, The GOLDIES: 50th High School Reunion, focuses on a group of older LGBTQ persons, each facing their own sets of challenges. The other novel, DRAG WARS: Fangula vs Pridezilla, is a celebration of drag culture. With these new novels, Robert moved his focus from historical fiction to Queer Contemporary Fiction. He wants to focus on writing about groups who are often marginalized in current literary works. By creating stories that feature under-represented groups, in these cases, Drag Queens and Gay Elders, Robert hopes to bring more attention to them.
Robert is extremely proud of both works and is looking forward to setting and reaching more goals in the future.
Robert is now retired and living in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he enjoys the natural beauty and culture of the tropical island. He is proud of his new career as an independent author and publisher of LGBTQ+ fiction, and he is actively promoting his new line of PRIDE merchandise.
BOOKS INTRODUCTION
The CLUBBED series by Robert A Karl is a trilogy, telling stories of gay life from the 1970s to the early 2000s, as seen through the eyes of protagonists Joey and Henry. As the owners of Club Sanctuary, located in the Gayborhood of Center City Philadelphia, they have a unique opportunity to encounter all sorts of people in the community. They experience the joys and obstacles of gay life at the time. Coming out, first love, found families, internal and external homophobia, institutional racism, self-hate, drug use and addiction, and of course, the horrors of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Secondary characters and historical references surround the love story that develops as Joey and Henry grow from a young teenager to a mature adult.
Moments of joy and triumph are experienced, as well as sorrow and tragedy. Can the love between these two characters survive, despite the overwhelming odds against them? Read the CLUBBED series to find out.
CLUBBED: A Story of Gay Love: Trials, Tribulations and Triumphs
Kirkus Reviews said: "An entertaining, poignant panorama of America’s gay scene in its heedless youth."
CLUBBED TWO: Anxiety, Anger, Activism
Kirkus Reviews said: "Philadelphia’s gay community confronts AIDS while trying to hold onto joy in this bittersweet novel." And " A moving take on the AIDS tragedy, with the pathos cut by jaunty sex scenes."
CLUBBED THREE: Darkness and Light
Kirkus Reviews said: "Though romance forms the heart of the novel, the book has the weight and scope of socially minded literary fiction. An ambitious, satisfying conclusion to a trilogy of novels set in Philadelphia’s gay club scene."
DRAG WARS: Fangula vs Pridezilla
The Philly drag scene heats up as the DRAG WARS competition begins. Only the most fierce, ferocious, and fabulous Queens will survive the elimination rounds. Janus, the Transmasc Drag King, emcees all the action onstage, while the Queens battle it out both backstage and under the watchful eyes of the judges as they perform. Who will capture the bragging rights, and the cash and take home the Pink Tiara?
THE GOLDIES: 50th High School Reunion
Is the St. John the Baptist High School Class of 1974 ready for the Goldies (Gay Oldies) to show up at their 50th Class Reunion? Are the Goldies prepared to show their PRIDE as they join their former classmates? Will there be drama? Resistance? Romance? And what have the Goldies been doing all these years since high school? As they prepare to attend their reunion, the Goldies are facing many of the same challenges as the aging Boomer generation. Social isolation, physical and mental health, home and food insecurity, relationship problems, sexual performance, anxiety, and ostracism from the LGBTQ+ community that once embraced them are among the issues they face. Each character has to decide how to best meet their challenges while managing the stress of preparing to meet former classmates, some for the first time in 50 years. The Goldies: 50th High School Reunion is the story of a generation striving to maintain relevance and visibility in a world that seems to view them as increasingly insignificant and disposable. Whether you're a Goldie or not, you will admire the courage, perseverance, and search for joy in the lives of these characters.
IN CONVERSATION WITH AUTHOR ROBERT A. KARL
Robert, how did your experiences as a teacher and technology specialist influence your decision to write fiction?
As a teacher, I knew that the best lessons were taught by incorporating stories into the lesson. With my books, my goals are to entertain and inform the readers. My books focus on LGBTQ+ characters because that reflects my life.
What inspired you to start writing the CLUBBED series, and how did your own experiences shape the stories?
To continue reading the full interview, click here to download our 2024 latest issue.
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