Drag - by Simon Doonan (Hardcover)

Number of Pages: 256
Genre: Social Science
Sub-Genre: Gender Studies
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Laurence King
Age Range: Adult
Author: Simon Doonan
Language: English

About the Book

"DRAG is transformation, communication and, above all, exaggeration, where gender non-conformity is the plat du jour. In this arresting book, [the author] observes an increasingly complex world by exploring drag's journey through history--from the surprising, to the sophisticated, to the radical--from the heady days of Caligula right up to our gender-fluid present"--Back cover.

Book Synopsis

Drag is transformation, communication and, above all, exaggeration, where gender non-conformity is the plat du jour. Drag: The Complete Story observes this increasingly complex world by exploring drag's journey through the twentieth century.

Corralled into thematic chapters, including glamor drag, art drag, butch drag, black drag, historical drag, comedy drag and popstar drag, this book is the first flamboyant and poignant survey of drag culture.

Drag: The Complete Story is not just for fabulous queens and drag enthusiasts, but for anyone interested in gender fluidity and the culture surrounding it.

You come for the glamorous pictures and stay for the sizzling prose. Doonan writes like an angel with a sword: beautifully and provocatively.NY Journal of Books

Barneys' creative ambassador traces drag culture from ancient Egypt through the Renaissance to RuPaul, providing a fabulously comprehensive celebration of the intersection of gender fluidity and fashion. New York Times Book Review

Doonan divides the past and present landscape of drag into nine categories: glamour, art, butch, black, historical, comedy, poster, movie, and radical. Each chapter illustrates how drag queens and kings in those spaces or times periods have helped shape drag in some meaningful way - or, in the case of black drag queens, how they've shaped the LGBTQ community at large in a meaningful way. FastCompany

Whether you're already a massive fan of drag culture, or just interested in learning more about the movement's origins over the centuries - from tabloid scandal in the Victorian era to Emmy-award winning phenomenon in the 21st century - you'll find something to love in Doonan's extensive tome.Bustle

Drag: The Complete Story by Simon Doonan, writer, fashion icon and Creative Ambassador-at-large for Barneys New York, perfectly captures the delightfully drag-filled moment we're currently living in, while offering a glimpse into the long legacy of drag. Over the course of the book, Doonan is able to shine a new light on drag, offering a fresh perspective on an art form that has long gone unrecognized.Newsweek

Review Quotes

Drag: The Complete Story by Simon Doonan, writer, fashion icon and Creative Ambassador-at-large for Barneys New York, perfectly captures the delightfully drag-filled moment we're currently living in, while offering a glimpse into the long legacy of drag. Over the course of the book, Doonan is able to shine a new light on drag, offering a fresh perspective on an art form that has long gone unrecognized.-Newsweek

Barneys' creative ambassador traces drag culture from ancient Egypt through the Renaissance to RuPaul, providing a fabulously comprehensive celebration of the intersection of gender fluidity and fashion.-New York Times Book Review

Doonan divides the past and present landscape of drag into nine categories: glamour, art, butch, black, historical, comedy, poster, movie, and radical. Each chapter illustrates how drag queens and kings in those spaces or times periods have helped shape drag in some meaningful way-or, in the case of black drag queens, how they've shaped the LGBTQ community at large in a meaningful way.-FastCompany

Whether you're already a massive fan of drag culture, or just interested in learning more about the movement's origins over the centuries - from tabloid scandal in the Victorian era to Emmy-award winning phenomenon in the 21st century - you'll find something to love in Doonan's extensive tome.-Bustle

You come for the glamorous pictures and stay for the sizzling prose. Doonan writes like an angel with a sword: beautifully and provocatively.-Jonah Raskin, NY Journal of Books

About the Author

Writer, fashionista, and author Simon Doonan is the Creative Ambassador for Barneys New York. His books include Soccer Style, Eccentric Glamour, and Gay Men Don't Get Fat. Simon appears as a judge on the NBC television show Making It, co-hosted by Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman.