I’d heard for years that I should watch Paris is Burning, the groundbreaking documentary about the New York’s drag ball scene in the 1980’s, but I never quite got around to it for one reason or another. It wasn’t until a few years ago, when a friend told me just how much that movie influenced Rupaul’s Drag Race, that I finally forced myself to sit down and watch it. Needless to say, it’s brilliant and unforgettable, and shame on me for not watching it sooner. […]
Life of Brian
Having just finished a female coming-of-age novel set in the early 1930’s, it’s only appropriate that I read a male coming-of-age novel set in the early 1990’s. Hairstyles of the Dammed has a totally different soundtrack, but many of the themes—identity, rebellion, and sexuality are present—just in a slightly different mix. This novel focuses on a year in the life of Brian, who lives on the South Side of Chicago, goes to an all-boys Catholic school, and is love with his best friend, Gretchen, a […]