Susan Morabito and Justin Blake

Susan (S) talks about the first time she went to Fire Island in 1982.

S speaks about The Saint, a famous gay nightclub in New York City and its connection to Fire Island.

S talks about when she started going to Fire Island more regularly.

S recalls being at a club in Cleveland and learning about AIDS. S says one way the impact of AIDS was apparent was in how The Saint’s attendance numbers started to diminish. S also says she noticed physical changes in people she danced with.

S talks about her two friends Rick and Weston who taught her more about Fire Island.

S recalls the first time she DJed on Fire Island.

S describes what the crowds were like when she was DJing on Fire Island during the 1990s. S says there were a lot of muscle boys, a lot of men on steroids. S explains how this was connected to the visual the AIDS pandemic created of men’s bodies wasting away.

S discusses when she DJed at Fire Island more regularly. She says she declined other, more lucrative gigs to play at Fire Island because she loved DJing there so much.

S shares other reasons she loves Fire Island, particularly its strong sense of community. S says Fire Island lends itself to growing close to people.

S describes what Fire Island was like during the 1990s.

S talks about the “Fire Island Sound” during the 1990s. She says it was an uplifting and happy sound. S says by 1998, 1999 there was a division in the community, where the younger generation associated the uplifting, happy sound with “AIDS music.”

S explains how this division affected her music and craft as a DJ.

S details what it was like DJing mourning parties and how different generations experienced the parties. S says she feels by 1995 the meaning of mourning parties seemed to be lost on younger generations. S says she interprets that rift as a result of fear the younger generations had.

S talks about spending 2020 on Fire Island during the COVID-19 pandemic.

S describes how her music has evolved over time.

S talks about Fire Island’s dance audience today. She says the difference between now and then is the presence of cellphones on the dance floor. S notes how much more Fire Island is today than in its past.