Drag: The Complete Story - Hardcover

Doonan, Simon

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 178627423X ISBN 13: 9781786274236

Publisher: Laurence King Publishing, 2019

Drag is transformation, communication, and, above all, exaggeration, where gender non-conformity is the plat du jour. This fearless book observes this increasingly complex world by exploring drag's journey – from the surprising, to the sophisticated, to the utterly bizarre – through the twentieth century and up to the present day.

With witty text, dazzling photography, and corralled into thematic chapters, this is the first flamboyant and poignant survey of drag culture. Drag is not just for fabulous queens and drag enthusiasts, but for anyone interested in gender fluidity and the culture surrounding it.  

Simon Doonan is a former drag queen who impersonated Queen Elizabeth. A veteran in the fashion industry, he has won every fashion award on Earth including the CFDA Award. Today, Simon is the Creative Ambassador for Barneys New York and a judge on the NBC television show Making It, co-hosted by Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman.

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

"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

"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

• Publisher: Laurence King Publishing
• Publication date: 2019
• ISBN 10: 178627423X
• ISBN 13: 9781786274236
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 240