Cutting the Umbilical Cord: The Absence of Reconciliation in Last Night at the Telegraph Club

Yuting Zhang (she/they

Malindo Lo’s phenomenal novel Last Night at the Telegraph Club brings readers back to 1950s San Francisco where the hub of queer night life, North Beach, lived adjacent to Chinatown. While they diverged significantly in culture, Chinatown centering traditions featuring heteronormative familial dynamics and obedience towards senior members, and North Beach highlighting male impersonation shows in lesbian bars (including the Telegraph Club), they were ironically both heavily fetishized by tourists. ​

The main character of the novel, Lily Hu, lived an intersectional identity in a time when Chinese people were called “Orientals” and lesbians were called “sex deviates.” Before her gay awakening, Lily was a “good Chinese girl” just like her childhood best friend Shirley Lum, letting her mother decide her outfits and daily routines. Everything changed after Lily glimpsed a newspaper ad of Tommy Andrews’ performance at the Telegraph Club, who worked there as a male impersonator. After her visits to the club, her race, sexual orientation and aspirations in STEM (which were uncommon for women at that time) altogether started making her a frequent guest of feeling misplaced, alienated, threatened or offended. The conflicts between her sexual orientation and her identity rooted in Chinatown are core themes of the book.

Lily’s first fight against Chinatown’s norms was her fight with Shirley. Lily and Shirley’s relationship had been characterized by nuanced intimacy, understanding and competition. Although Shirley tended to be domineering and sometimes disrespectful, Lily felt strangely familiar and at home around her. However, Lily’s growing assertiveness after her gay awakening drove their conflicts, and their friendship came to an end when Shirley offered to cover for Lily as long as she admitted her presence at Telegraph Club was a mistake. Lily’s refusal and Shirley’s disgust made clear that they were not making up again. For the first time, Lily cut a since-childhood, home-like bond with her own hands. 

Soon after, Lily came out to her mother, Grace, even though she anticipated Grace might “never look at her this gently again.” Grace clung to the first stage of grief, denial, making an attempt to convince Lily that she was only confused. The entire family then gathered to persuade Lily to “get back to normal” in the name of care and family good. Lily held her ground and was sent to Pasadena to finish her high school. 

Interestingly, Lily’s most emotionally intense conflicts and confrontations all involved the maternal figures in her life. Shirley, for instance, had been a “half-mother” to Lily by teaching her to use the menstrual pads, setting her up with boys and offering to lie for her to the Chinatown neighbors. Grace, on the other hand, had been a strict, traditional Chinese mother who exerted fierce protection and control over Lily’s life. Coming out to them was also Lily claiming her independence and autonomy over her own life. Despite the process being miserable, Lily was able to start a new, freer life in Pasadena. 

At the end of the story, it was apparent that Lily’s distancing from Shirley and Grace was permanent with no reconciliation offered. Even when back in San Francisco, Lily lied to her family and met her girlfriend in secret; Lily and Shirley had no further interactions. After cutting the umbilical cord, Lily built a life of her own that granted freedom, safety and authenticity.​