My Leather Life – Early Years

Not all legends reside in books about ancient history. Peter Fiske, Leatherman extraordinaire, is one such legend. Traveling through time from the world of Stonewall to the magic of San Francisco, Peter lived and experienced events that LGBT folk whisper to each other about in tones of wonder and occasional disbelief. Peter fought the battles, marched the streets, cracked the whips. A journey with Peter along the trails, alleyways and his Leather Life. It’s history in the first person and one hell of a ride.

I had the pleasure to meet Peter during IML 2022 in Chicago and was fascinated by this man and his captivating stories right away. When Peter told me that he published a book about his Leather Life I immediately bought his book and started reading it. It is a rich treasure of our fetish and BDSM history, told my a man who experienced all from the beginning and who was brave enough throughout all of his life stages to experiment and give things a try without being afraid of all its consequences. Not every path of his way ended too well, but Peter never gave up but found the strength to fight even harder. Some paragraphs tug at your heartstrings, others make you lough out loud. Using Race Bannon’s words, “capturing his life between the covers of a book is a gift to the leather world and a vital documentation of our history.” Following Peter’s way from his youth, military and as a young leatherman in New York and San Francisco, it is brilliant to see how this man has evolved step by step to the mature leatherman that he is nowadays. I personally like how open-minded Peter is and how welcoming he is to all newcomers with fresh ideas and visions.

“Leather and BDSM have been more than a scene for me. They are my life and have given my whole life focus and direction. I care about the future and the men and women coming into the scene, and what they will find and create. I have many wonderful memories of all the people who have been with me, and I will go on playing and loving and teaching with gusto and joy for as long as I can. My advice to all who read my memoirs: Live large. Play hard. Love with all your might. Be the friend you want to have.” My Leather Life – Early Years is not only a must-read for every beginner in the leather scene, but also for the well-experienced members of our community who are interested in how it evolved.

My Leather Life – Early Years | Peter S. Fiske | narrated by Thomas V. Peterson | ISBN 978 0 9989 098 4 4 | Fair Page Media 2019