A random collection of over 1910 books and audiobooks authored by or about my transgender, intersex sisters, and gender-nonconforming persons all over the world. I read some of them, and I was inspired by some of them. I met some of the authors and heroines, some of them are my best friends, and I had the pleasure and honor of interviewing some of them. If you know of any transgender biography that I have not covered yet, please let me know.
Full title: "RuPaul: The Biography of RuPaul" by Fred W. Smith.
"RuPaul: The Unveiling of Royalty" takes readers on an extraordinary journey through the life and legacy of the iconic drag superstar. In this revealing biography, the glittering facade of RuPaul is peeled away, uncovering the layers of resilience, creativity, and authenticity that have defined an unparalleled career.
From the early struggles in San Diego to the dazzling lights of the mainstream stage, the book explores RuPaul's rise to global stardom.
Delving into the world of drag, the pages unfold a narrative of self-discovery, empowerment, and the relentless pursuit of individuality in the face of societal norms.
Readers will witness RuPaul's fashion-forward evolution, challenging conventions and leaving an indelible mark on the runway. Beyond the glamorous exterior, the book unveils the complexities of a multifaceted personality - a mentor, advocate, and cultural force who has shaped the very fabric of drag culture."
2024,
Drag queen,
English,
Fred W. Smith,
RuPaul,
Full title: "RuPaul: The Biography of RuPaul" by BiographInk Press.
"From the gritty backdrop of a broken home to the glittering stage of drag, RuPaul's life story unfolds with breathtaking clarity and tenderness. It's a journey that traverses the complexities of growing up Black, poor, and queer, and the relentless pursuit of dreams in the face of adversity. RuPaul's life is a testament to the power of performance, the importance of found family, and the significance of self-acceptance. In this biography, we peel away the layers of artifice to reveal the unvarnished truth of his existence.
We share his early years as a queer Black child in San Diego, navigating the turbulent waters of family dynamics. He takes us into the punk and drag scenes of Atlanta and New York, where he forged his identity and found his voice. But this biography is more than a journey—it's a profound introspection into RuPaul's life, relationships, and identity. It's a self-portrait of a legendary icon who has not only scaled the heights of fame but has also transformed the way the world perceives drag."
2023,
BiographInk Press,
Drag queen,
English,
RuPaul,
"Mama Black Widow" is the French language edition of "Mama Black Widow" by Iceberg Slim, published in 2013. The book was translated into French by Gérard Henri.
"Mama Black Widow tells the tragic story of Otis Tilson, a stunning black drag queen trapped in a cruel queer ghetto underworld. In hopes of escaping the racial bigotry and economic injustice of the South, Otis’ family journeys north from their plantation to an urban promised land. Once in Chicago Otis and his brother and sisters become prisoners to a wasteland of violence, crime, prostitution and rape. This is the gut-wrenching tale of the destruction of a family and the truest portrayal of homosexuality in the ghetto ever told."
2020,
Drag queen,
French,
Iceberg Slim,
Otis Tilson,
Original title: "Tragisch, aber geil 2.0" (Tragic but Horny 2.0) by Barbie Breakout.
""Tragic, but horny 2.0" is the completely revised and supplemented remake of Barbie's first autobiography from 2012. Full of unvarnished truths, touching observations and roaring comical insights into the life of a unique drag queen."
"A glimpse into Bärbel's world. I learned a lot about them. And in fact, one or two things about me. Thank you for the mirror you hold up to me, or to all of us. And thanks for the inspiration." Conchita Wurst
"A book like a best friend: sometimes wise, sometimes hilarious, when necessary, lovingly vulgar and always, always honest." Paul Schulz
2020,
Barbie Breakout,
Drag queen,
German,
Original title: "Tragisch, aber geil: Zu wahr, um schön zu sein" (Tragic, but awesome: Too true to be beautiful) by Barbie Breakout.
To come up with an autobiography after only 34 years of life may seem presumptuous. Especially if, despite all the notoriety, you really aren't an international celebrity. But as soon as you have read the first few pages of "Tragic, but awesome", you realize that a life is being told here in which there is more than enough history that wanted to be written.
Often with shameful openness and never too vain, Barbie tells her life, in which, in addition to sex, drugs and scandals, it is always about the search for personal happiness. A sincere, honest book full of emitions and filled with sometimes touching, sometimes hilarious stories. A snapshot of a stunning city, a guide to a life that never gets boring and, last but not least, a support for anyone who is struggling in their life. You don't have to know or like Barbie Breakout to feel at home in this book and have a lot of completely politically incorrect
2013,
Barbie Breakout,
Drag queen,
German,
Full title: "Life's a Drag!: Danny La Rue & The Drag Scene" by Peter Underwood.
"Life's A Drag! — an evocative title for a very contemporary and compelling book. While it is true that there have been forms of drag, both private and public, since earliest times, as a form of modern entertainment drag in recent years has developed into a phenomenon which is now a world-wide multi-million pound entertainment industry in itself.
This penetrating study, giving a depth background of the world drag scene however, primarily a book about one drag artist — the hugely-successful Danny La Rue, himself a veritable Industry of Drag and unquestionably the highest-paid performer of his type in the world."
1974,
Danny La Rue,
Drag queen,
English,
Peter Underwood,
Full title: "And Don't F&%k It Up: An Oral History of RuPaul's Drag Race (The First Ten Years) " by Maria Elena Fernandez.
"A definitive history and celebration of the groundbreaking show RuPaul's Drag Race in its first decade, from a Burbank basement set all the way to the Emmy's, and every weave in-between, as told by its stars, producers and fans.
Told over the first ten years, And Don't F&%k It Up tells a cultural history through the stories of the people who lived it: the creators of the show, the contestants, the crew, the judges, and even some key (famous) fans. It begins with RuPaul's decades-long friendship and business relationship with World of Wonder Productions, the entertainment company that helped launch him into superstardom, and later talked him into giving a drag reality show a chance."
2023,
Drag queen,
English,
Maria Elena Fernandez,
RuPaul,
Full title: "How to do drag: Tracy Tramp, my story - The London drag scene and clubland in the early 2000s" by Tracy Tramp.
"Immerse yourself in the dress-up, t-girl and drag scene in London, 1999-2000. Clubs, parties, characters and celebrities of the time. Adventures galore. The route to drag: tips and hints for queens and t-girls. All true life stories."
"TRACY TRAMP was born in London in 1967. In July 1969 the U.S.A. Eagle Rover landed on the surface of the moon. Millions around the world watched the whole thing on TV, in the latest technicolour. The Rover lifted off the surface to re-join the mother-ship, ship fifty miles above. ‘Man's first step’ left the first pile of litter on the surface of another world that had been undisturbed for a billion years.
TT’s northwest London Jewish bubble of life hinged around family, bar-mitzvahs and (luckily) getting into J.F.S school – at the old Camden Road site.
2021,
Crossdressing,
Drag queen,
English,
Tracy Tramp,
Full title: "Skirting Gender: Life and Lessons of a Crossdresser" by Vera Wylde.
"What is a crossdresser? What is genderfluid? How does one come to the conclusion that they are either of these? These questions and more are laid out as Vera Wylde details her life of gender non-conformity and the lessons she's learned along the way.
Full of personal stories and practical advice, this book is a guide for those questioning for themselves, wishing to understand a loved one, or simply state their own curiosity."
"Vera Wylde was born in Northern California and grew up in Northeast Vermont with her mother. After leaving college she moved to Boston and then later New York where she began to perform in drag and burlesque shows as some of her earliest public displays of gender fluidity.
Even after returning to Vermont, she has never stopped performing for the last 13 years.
In 2011 she began uploading videos to YouTube in an effort to offer support and guidance to any other cross dressing or gender fluid people who were not as far along their path as she was.
This would ultimately culminate in the self-publishing of her first book, Skirting Gender, in 2018.
She continues to live in Vermont with her family and is pursuing works of fiction as well as video production."
2018,
Crossdressing,
Drag queen,
English,
Vera Wylde,
Full title: "Legends of Drag: Queens of a Certain Age" by James Hanson and Devin Antheus.
"Drag has officially transcended the underground and exploded into the mainstream. Queens have more visibility than ever, and it’s been hard won through decades of perseverance, imagination, and intergenerational support within local drag communities. It’s time to honor the queens who paved the way for the new generation of drag and are still carrying out their work today.
To create Legends of Drag, a photo book and archive of living drag history, authors Harry James Hanson and Devin Antheus traveled coast to coast, visiting 16 cities to meet 80 legendary entertainers who shared boundless wisdom and powerful anecdotes from their lives. These queens are featured in stunning portraits shot on location and styled with unique floral elements."
2022,
Devin Antheus,
Drag queen,
English,
James Hanson,
Full title: "Why Drag?" by Magnus Hastings.
"Photographer Magnus Hastings' new book Why Drag? asks this most basic question of drag queens in the United States, Canada, Australia, and Europe. And the answers range from cliché to surprising in this gorgeous and lush coffeetable tome on this bombastic cultural phenomenon as it reaches new heights in a time of cultural change about gender identity and expression.
While there have been many photography books of drag queens, no one has given it the polish and sparkle that Hastings has with his 135 portraits, including familiar faces like Trixie Mattel, Paige Turner, Bianca Del Rio, Jinkx Monsoon and Major Scales, Jackie Beat, Milk, Lady Bunny, Tammie Brown, Raja, Peaches Christ, Detox, Willam, and cover model Courtney Act.
2016,
Drag queen,
English,
Magnus Hastings,
Full title: "From Darkness to Diva" by Skye High.
"Beyond the stereotypical expectation of glitter and sequins, comes a personal and inspirational journey of overcoming fear, rejection and insecurity. This story isn't solely about a drag-queen, but rather, it's a journey of real-life experiences which many of us have faced throughout life, written by a gay man who happens to be a drag-queen. It's a story that is relevant in today's society, regardless of one's own sexuality.
This book was written to bring inspiration and hope to anyone who may need positive affirmation to love the life they live, or for anyone who needs to understand first-hand what it can be like to fight, a sometimes losing battle, for self acceptance. Whoever the reader is, it shows that it is possible t overcome extreme adversity and survive those horrendous experiences which seem determined to destroy us.
2015,
Drag queen,
English,
Skye High,
Full title: "Life in Lashes: The Story of a Drag Superstar" by Kita Mean.
"Hailing from a sleepy eastern suburb of Auckland, Nick Nash grew up feeling like he stood out for all the wrong reasons. It wasn't until he experimented with the art of drag that he found freedom in his fierce and confident alter-ego, Kita Mean.
From wild nights partying like there was no tomorrow, to scrounging together delightfully camp costumes on a shoestring budget, buying an iconic cabaret bar with bestie Anita Wigl'it, and competing on the global stage alongside Kiwi and Aussie drag legends in the first season of RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under, Kita shares behind-the-scenes goss and important life lessons - many learned the hard way - about fighting your demons and being proud of your most authentic self.
Bursting with outrageous style and cheek, Life in Lashes is a memoir of a lost boy who found salvation as a drag queen, learned to love herself, and went on to share her fabulousness with the world."
2022,
Drag queen,
English,
Kita Mean,
New Zealand,
Full title: "Drag: The Complete Story (A Look at the History and Culture of Drag)" by Simon Doonan.
"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
2019,
Drag queen,
English,
Simon Doonan,
Full title: "Craig Russell and His Ladies" by David Street.
The book portrays the story of Russell Craig Eadie (1948-1990), also known as Craig Russell, a Canadian female impersonator and actor. Craig was the President of Mae West's fan club as a teenager and Craig pursued her career as a stage entertainer performing in Toronto gay clubs and touring Las Vegas, Hollywood, San Francisco, Berlin, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Hamburg and Sydney.
According to Wikipedia, Russell's celebrity impersonations included Carol Channing, Bette Davis, Mae West, Barbra Streisand, Tallulah Bankhead, Marlene Dietrich, Bette Midler, Anita Bryant, Shirley Bassey, Peggy Lee and Judy Garland.
In 1977, Russell starred in the film Outrageous!, based on a short story written by Margaret Gibson about their time as roommates. A decade later, in 1987, Russell starred in a sequel to Outrageous!, titled Too Outrageous!.
1979,
Craig Russell,
David Street,
Drag queen,
English,
Original title: "うらやましい人生" (Enviable Life) by Mits Mangrove (ミッツ・マングローブ).
From Shuhei Tokumitsu, a boy who longed for being "normal" more than anyone else, to Mits Mangrove, a Japanese singer, drag queen on stage, and TV personality in various programs, a member of the drag queen trio called Stardust Scat.
In March 2011, she made her long-awaited CD debut with "Young is Wonderful". In parallel with her solo singing career, she made her CD debut as a member of Stardust Scat. The book covers her great career, studying abroad in London, cross-dressing, romance, music, and stories from the entertainment world.
2015,
Drag queen,
Japanese,
Mits Mangrove,
Full title: "Drag Queen of Scots: The Dos and Dont's of a Drag Superstar" by Lawrence Chaney.
"Lawrence Chaney is a testament to the strength that comes from drag. Lawrence (Drag) Queen of Scots celebrates the little boy learning to sew at age seven and his journey to taking the UK by storm. From growing up as the gay class clown and being bullied to finding an outlet in performance and drag, celebrating both his outer curves and inner beauty.
The book will showcase valuable life lessons and tricks of the trade, all told in Chaney's trademark charming style, and will resonate with anyone who holds dreams and aspirations that are bigger than the town they grew up in."
2022,
Drag queen,
English,
Lawrence Chaney,
Scotland,
Original title: "Cuerpo de hombre, experiencia de mujer: Hablan las travestis" (A man's body, a woman's experience: the transvestites speak) by Georgina Burgos.
In this book, seventeen transvestites and one wife narrate what it means to be and live with a transvestite. These stories come from the most human, intimate, and deep side of each protagonist and show us the most unknown face of cross-dressing.
Throughout these pages, we will travel to the electric instant of personal discovery, we will contemplate the details of the intense ritual of the transformation from man to woman, and we will know how it is and what the inner woman that a transvestite carries within herself wants, we will live her first outing to the street... and much more.
2010,
Crossdressing,
Drag queen,
Georgina Burgos,
Spanish,
Full title: "The Art of Drag" by Jake Hall.
Before RuPaul's Drag Race propelled the cultural phenomenon into the global spotlight, drag had been around for thousands of years. Immerse yourself in the rich history of drag in this lusciously illustrated guide, brimming with dazzling colors and fabulous facts, all held together with a unique Swiss binding that lets each spread lay flat so that you can experience this book in all its trailblazing glory!
The history of drag has been formed by many intersections: fashion, theatre, sexuality and politics--all coming together to create the show stopping entertainment millions witness today. In this extensive work, Jake Hall delves deep into the ancient beginnings of drag, to present day and beyond. Vibrant illustrations enhance the rich history from Kabuki theatre to Shakespearean, the revolutionary Stonewall riots to the still thriving New York ballroom scene. Nothing will go undocumented in this must-have documentation of all things drag.
2020,
Drag queen,
English,
Jake Hall,
Original title: "Orgullo travestido: Egmont de Bries y la repercusión social del transformismo en la España del primer tercio del siglo XX" (Transvestite Pride: Egmont de Bries and the social impact of transformism in Spain in the first third of the twentieth century) by Juan Carlos Usó Arnal.
The fascinating life of the transformist Egmont de Bries, the star of female impersonation in the Spanish scene of the 20s of the last century, and where heteronormativity was sanctioned by law as the only valid social model, gives rise to reflect on the past, present and future of gender identity and condition. He died sadly, fané and detached, in Barcelona during the Spanish Civil War. Famous in his time, De Bries died in the most pitiful vulgarity, attended by charitable friends at the last minute. The book is illustrated with 80 images of great documentary value, in many cases of surprising beauty.
2022,
Drag queen,
Egmont de Bries,
Juan Carlos Usó Arnal,
Spanish,
