"Drag Diaries"

My copy is falling to bits, I’m distraught to say. Though not from excessive use but from bad binding made badder by age. The book was published in 1995 which would, under normal circumstances make it a bit dated, but the date in question is the cusp of the New Drag and anyway there’s a lot of good words in here. If you’re after reflections on surgical intervention (almost nobody in here has travelled the distance) or legal status or what to say to your trans-inclined child look elsewhere (although, actually, that last may be found in the many ripe quotes in here from people who took the life-journey to gender-individualism) but as a summation of loosely-defined drag with performance thrown in it serves very well indeed. The trick was to ask interesting people about themselves, let them talk a lot and to edit what they say into a good story or a collection of good stories. And the people are all a bit special. Here’s the roll-call with a few sample quotes,- Jem Jender (Ballet Trocadero) Lavinia (Bloolips) Joey Arias – “In a way, being gay is one of the last taboos and drag is a way to embrace it and have fun with it.” Mathu and Zaldy – “I don’t think being a woman, being a female, is necessarily it. Rather, it’s centred in the power of the icon, and people’s need for images, strong images. Because drag is like sitting in a Sherman tank. It has power, and you’re driving that motherfucker. That’s where drag is going; that’s where the best of drag has always been.” (Mathu) Lypsinka – “The rest of drag is more self-conscious now. A critic got it right on the money (and no one else ever has before) saying that what I was doing was ‘a celebration of female stardom and at the same time a critique of show business iconography.’ It took me years until I figured out what it meant. Drag is now elevated to a completely abstract concept.” Quentin Crisp – “…the whole point of your appearance is that it cuts away the deadwood of human relationships. It means that you don’t have to put up with any generalizations; nobody talks to me about the weather.” Lady Bunny Dille Holly Woodlawn So many stories well-told. And the book contains a History of Drag, a Drag Calendar, a Drag Filmography, and a Drag Reading section, all of these more than a bit out of date, but good basic stuff. You can get copies on-line. Used are readable but beware of their condition – and new will set you back a lot of cash. I’d lend you mine, but………………..