Publishers Weekly
01/30/2023
In this showstopping debut, Velour, creator of the Brooklyn drag revue NightGowns and winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race season nine, interweaves her autobiography with the cultural history of drag. Placing her own achievements within the context of the gay rights movement and breakthroughs by previous drag artists, Velour recounts how the Stonewall riots and the emergence of queer theory and grassroots LGBTQ community movements in the 1980s and ’90s influenced the creation of NightGowns and her zine Velour. Elsewhere, memories of lip-syncing to Whitney Houston’s “So Emotional” on RuPaul’s Drag Race lead to a study of gender-inclusive theater in China and Japan, and profiles of 1920s drag aerialist Barbette, who “flew into the air like an ‘angel, a flower, a bird’ (as Jean Cocteau put it), draped in white ostrich with a platinum finger wave”; José Sarria, winner of San Francisco’s “first big drag pageant”; and Josephine Baker. Velour seamlessly mixes rigorous scholarship with inspirational aphorisms (“Beautiful relationships don’t need to last forever to make deep shifts in your life”) and heartfelt anecdotes about finding community and navigating the pitfalls of mainstream success, while enriching the narrative with copious photographs and illustrations. This is a rousing tribute to a revolutionary art form and its practitioners. (Apr.)
From the Publisher
Spellbinding. Sasha Velour’s intellect and imagination transcend genre and gender: blending critical theory, LGBTQ+ history, and memoir leaving readers engrossed and verklempt. This book a treatise on the gravitas of glamor, a love letter to drag and queer culture, and one manicured middle finger to the world that shows that we’ve always been and are here to stay. The Big Reveal is canonical camp.” — Alok, author of Beyond the Gender Binary and Your Wound/My Garden
"In this showstopping debut...Velour seamlessly mixes rigorous scholarship with inspirational aphorisms and heartfelt anecdotes about finding community and navigating the pitfalls of mainstream success, while enriching the narrative with copious photographs and illustrations. This is a rousing tribute to a revolutionary art form and its practitioners." — Publishers Weekly
"Colorful Sasha Velour is redefining drag for a new generation with this knowledgeable book. You go, They!” — John "Lypsinka" Epperson
“With a mind as sharp as her eyeliner, Sasha Velour vamps her way across the entire cultural landscape. The Big Reveal is sweeping and seriously entertaining.” — Simon Doonan, author of Drag: The Complete Story and Transformer: A Story of Glitter, Glam Rock & Loving Lou Reed.
“From the moment I met Sasha, I immediately I sensed her grasp of creative expression and queer history. The Big Reveal gives us a chance to learn something new about our community, about the world, about art, literature, history, and subsequently maybe even ourselves—all while being entertained. A vibrant and insightful read!” — Miss Peppermint
"Sasha Velour's memoir is a must-read for fans of drag, advocates of the LGBTQ community, and anyone looking for a path to revealing their truest self." — Booklist
“A unique blending of memoir, personal theory, and well-researched history...Break out the champagne and get ready to celebrate as it is a guaranteed showstopper!” — Book Trib.
Kirkus Reviews
2023-01-23
A renowned performance artist shares her life as a genderfluid drag queen.
“My drag represents some of the most vulnerable parts of me,” writes Velour in this candid memoir documenting her long career in media and theater arts. As creator and editor of the drag magazine Velour and host of New York City drag show Nightgowns, the author is perhaps most widely recognized as the winner of Season 9 of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Delivering a provocative, informative, and opinionated excavation of drag culture, Velour traces her own evolution on the circuit. She knowledgeably discusses the art form’s popularity surge via revolutionary uprisings like the Stonewall riots, which brought greater visibility to obscure, pioneering performance troupes. Velour recalls that her first introduction to drag was with her extravagant grandmother Dina, who encouraged her to “channel my inner diva” with costumes and living-room performances. She fondly references the legacies of drag balls and pageants (and their intrepid founders) and applauds the ability of RuPaul and her show to expand queer visibility, defy the community’s marginalization, and “shift my life and unravel preconceptions.” In chapters on drama and costuming, Velour vividly details the intricate backstage preparations for her pivotal finale performance on Drag Race and elaborates on the inspirations for her unmatched fashion flair. Throughout the text, the author includes Post-it note asides, scrapbook photographs, line drawings, and full-color storyboards (Velour has a master’s degree in cartooning). In addition to generously sharing entertaining anecdotes, maxims, and fond tributes to family and friends, the author isn’t shy about divulging the hard truths about life in the drag and queer communities. She leans easily into opinions and perspectives on hate, societal bias, and religious-inspired homophobia “in a world that doesn’t necessarily want us,” but she remains hopeful about the future acceptance of queer and trans people to make room for all “to exist in real life, not just onstage.”
An impressive textual and visual display of artistry and courage.
