My First Satyrnalia

novel by Rumaker

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July 15, 2026

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My First Satyrnalia is a 1981 novel by American author Michael Rumaker. The novel is a semiautobiographical account of Rumaker's initiation into New York City's homosexual community.1

The term "Satyrnalia" likely refers to the ancient Greek "satyr play," a genre of drama that combined elements of tragedy with a lighthearted, rural atmosphere. These plays featured mythical heroes but had a chorus of satyrs, nature spirits with both human and horse-like characteristics, known for their revelry and banter. The Satyricon, a 1st-century AD Roman novel by Gaius Petronius Arbiter, also features a similar, though more satirical, exploration of society.23

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Michael Rumaker
…at the Baths (1979) and My First Satyrnalia (1981) are semiautobiographical accounts of initiation into New York’s homosexual community. His later novels included To Kill a Cardinal (1992), which was inspired by the ACT UP protest at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City in 1989, and Pagan Days (1999),…
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…at the Baths (1979) and My First Satyrnalia (1981) are semiautobiographical accounts of initiation into New York’s homosexual community. His later novels included To Kill a Cardinal (1992), which was inspired by the ACT UP protest at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City in 1989, and Pagan Days (1999),…
Read More