Nights in Fairyland. Gossip, Blackmail, and the Many Lives of “Broadway Brevities”
By Will Straw

Nights in fairyland is the story of a New York City magazine of the 1920s and 1930s whose obsessive interest in non- conforming sexualities left in its wake an abundance of detail about alternative ways of living and loving. Published first as a small magazine of gossipy news, Broadway Brevities was reinvented in the 1930s as what one historian calls “the fabulous tabloid newspaper of the 1930’s.” Throughout its history and different incarnations, it remained obsessed with the places of nighttime sociability of queer New York.
An essential read for those interested in:
urban studies, night studies, queer history, tabloid culture, and the moral economies of scandal.
Available in:
📖 Paperback | 📱 Ebook (PDF) | 📱 Ebook (EPUB)
Subjects:
History, U.S. History, Gender Studies, Queer Studies, History of the Book, Urban Nightlife, Gossip Cultures, Tabloid Press.
Will Straw
Will Straw is James McGill Professor Emeritus of Urban Media Studies at McGill University.
OpenEdition suggests that you cite this post as follows:
Manuel Garcia-Ruiz (January 31, 2026). Nights in Fairyland. Gossip, Blackmail, and the Many Lives of “Broadway Brevities”. International Night Studies Network. Retrieved March 13, 2026 from https://doi.org/10.58079/15lue
