The Slave Journals and Other Tales of the Old Guard

Thom Magister’s memoir of being trained as a leather Master in the 1950s, “One Among Many,” was published in Mark Thompson’s groundbreaking 1991 "Leatherfolk" anthology. Ever since then it has been widely cited as one of the few firsthand accounts we have about the fabled “Old Guard,” though the men at the time never thought of themselves in those terms.

Now, based on his decades of experience, Magister offers a novella, “The Slave Journals,” that depicts an ideal community of Masters and slaves, and 17 erotic stories written from the perspectives of different Old Guard Masters from the 1950s to 1980. He has fictionalized his adventures and those of his friends and partners, but the genuine Old Guard values of responsibility, humility, respect, and gratitude are evident throughout.

Few other writers can handle this material with Magister’s authority, and the results are not only historically illuminating but erotically powerful. His unforgettable Masters and slaves will make you think as well as get you off. If your idea of Old Guard practices is largely gleaned from the Internet, these stories will surprise you.

“Many have written essays about the Old Guard, but this book conveys its essence in a new way, by showing rather than telling. Thom Magister brings Old Guard concepts to life through characters whose boots you can imagine yourself wearing.” — Rick Storer, executive director of the Leather Archives & Museum

“Like a pride of lions, the Centurions roam New York and other cities through the decades. Thom Magister follows his imagined leather club and its members as the times change, but not their integrity. With these stories, and the kernels of history they hold, Magister proves that sometimes the old lions roar loudest.” — Tim Brough, author of "First Hand" and "Skin Tight"