Drag Diaries

Drag Diaries
by Catherine Chermayeff, Jonathan David and Nan Richardson


From the Cover

Drag Diaries pulls back the curtain on a campy, vivacious, underground society of high heels and attitude, complete with extravagant cross-dressing, glittering exposure, and fabulous costumes. Evoking a wholesome decadence that resembles Barnum and Bailey more than Sodom and Gomorrah, drag is everywhere today, creating a splash on the international fashion scene and exerting a major influence on designers, models, stylists, and photographers.

Guys have been dressing up as dolls virtually since the beginning of time. From Greek classical theater to the transvestite balls of the French Belle epoch, from Some Like It Hot and Tootsie to Paris Is Burning and The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, men posing as women have been part of our culture - both gay and straight - for centuries.

A veritable who's who of hoo-ha, Drag Diaries offers the inside scoop on drag history and culture - including a chronology of drag-related films, an annual drag calendar, a drag-inspired reading list, an essential drag shopping guide, and interviews with famous drag entertainers, from Joey Arias to Lypsinka - in a witty, irreverent guide to a world that has made a celebration of difference and an art form of it exuberance.


Table of Contents

Introduction
Drag History
Interviews
Jem Jender
Lavina
Joey Arias
Mathu and Zaldy
Lypsinka
Quentin Crisp
Lady Bunny
Dille
Holly Woodlawn
Drag Shopping Guide
Drag Calendar
Drag Filmography
Drag Reading List