Avery Willard - Female Impersonation

1971, Avery Willard, English, Minette,

Full title: "Female Impersonation" by Avery Willard.

The book presents the stories of female impersonators, including Sonne Teal, Mario Montez, Lynne Carter, Minette, Leslie Marlowe, Chris Moore, Julian Eltinge, Adrian, D.D. Griffo, G.G. Allen, Robin Rogers, Storme De Larverie, Angie Saxon, Barbette, Ray Bourbon, Karyl Norman, Bert Savoy, Francis Renault.

This is what we read in the foreword: "An Agnewism would imply that: "When you've seen one female impersonator, you've seen them all." That is not true. I learned this a few years ago when I was introduced to a popular entertainer, Minette, who was perhaps one of the most interesting personalities I had met in my life. His knowledge of people and life was particularly extensive. He was certainly not the "shallow" person that, frankly, I had expected him to be.

Through my association with Minette and the many other impersonators whom I have since met, I have gained a special appreciation of their unusual art: for it truly is art, to those who take it seriously. I believe I know more female impersonators than most people do, therefore I speak with a certain amount of authority when I say that, as entertainers, they are a serious, sincere, hardworking group, in addition to which, they are 'nice people'.

Compiling the material for this book has been a rewarding experience for me. If it is half as interesting to the reader, it will have been time doubly well spent. I hope, too, that those of you who have entertained the idea of joining this illustrious profession of female mimicry will find some inspiration in these pages."

Available via queermusicheritage.com

Photo of Minette via queermusicheritage.com