NYC Go-Go

Slava Mogutin, the notorious Russian dissident-turned-art-star and creator of the critically acclaimed Lost Boys (powerHouse Books, 2006), returns with his second monograph, NYC Go-Go, a tribute to the golden age of New York City nightlife.

The once-glittering club world had all but disappeared by the time Mogutin arrived in America in the mid-1990s. Under Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s controversial 'Quality of Life' campaign, downtown clubs paid the ultimate price: owners were branded community pariahs and paid crippling fines for alleged disruptiveness, while others were prosecuted for criminal acts; many legendary night spots were wiped off the map altogether.

In his new book, Mogutin documents the ever-shrinking downtown gay scene, taking us inside remaining joints like the Cock, Boysroom, and Mr. Black. NYC Go-Go is a wild and raunchy journey into the decaying but utterly decadent underworld of hustlers and go-go boys. Some of them are 'rough trade'—thugs with criminal pasts, busted for prostitution, drugs, or armed assault—while others are 'gay for pay,' married with kids and hustling for their families; most are Mogutin’s friends. NYC Go-Go captures the spirit of a scene under fire with Mogutin’s trademark raw, in-your-face style.