Written by Tana Fye
The Club King: My Rise, Reign, and Fall in New York Nightlife by Peter Gatien
I first heard about Peter Gatien in the Disgraceland podcast. This book is a memoir of Gatien’s start in running nightclubs in Canada, and experiences running nightclubs around the world, as well as his ultimate downfall after the murder of a ‘club kid’. Gatien also shares the story of his investigation and trial in federal court for drug distribution. This part is particularly interesting to me, having previously practiced in federal court. He also shares his thoughts and feelings about it, and that was also interesting to read about, as this is something that many of my clients experience, and it can help me better relate to their felt experience. My only complaint about the book is that Gatien has a conspiracy theory about Rudy Giuliani being behind the charges against him, but doesn’t support that contention with any facts or evidence. That portion of the book struck me as a grudge, but the book was otherwise covered such an interesting topic that I could overlook it.