Quatrefoil: A Modern Novel
Quatrefoil: A Modern Novel, sometimes called Quatrefoil, is a novel about gay men written in 1950 by James W. Fugaté under the pen name James Barr. It is known for being the first modern book to portray homosexuality in a positive way. The main character, Phillip, is based on a college fraternity brother that the author had an affair with while in college. Quatrefoil has been translated into French and German. Its initial release was accompanied by a marketing campaign which included distribution of free copies to more than seventy-five gay bars in the United States and Canada. It was rumoured to have outsold Gore Vidal's The City and the Pillar and Truman Capote's Other Voices, Other Rooms, two other prominent gay-themed novels of the time. Plot Quatrefoil tells the story of a naval officer and banker named Phillip Froelich who is engaged to be married to a woman named Sybel Jo. While under investigation by court-martial by the Navy in 1946, he meets and is assisted by Tim Danelaw, a superior officer. While Phillip is increasing drawn to Tim, Phillip acts out his confusion by having a one-time affair with Tim's wife Pam. However, after sitting for a portrait