I can't believe I have been reading Tom and Lorenzo's blog for almost fifteen years, since the Project Rungay days. They are always witty and insightful, and their costume coverage of Mad Men deserves some kind of award. Their book is pretty delightful to read as well. It is argument-driven and detailed, though a bit anecdotal in some places. They are capable of serious analytical engagement, as their online writing shows, but this book is more of a romp/tour. I can't say I came across any major revelations, though there were a couple figures I was unaware of who have entered my consciousness. I found the book moving and poignant, as well as celebratory and fabulous. Holding those two emotions in tension with each other was a fine balance that was well struck. I'm not sure who I would recommend this book to, except for people who are already interested in these topics or are fans of these authors, but I certainly enjoyed it. ( )

Legendary Children is less a history of Drag Race than it is a primer on a century of queer (almost entirely American) history which uses the show as a lens to examine everything from Tom of Finland’s fetishisation of the male form to the Stonewall Riots, from the iconic lipsync of Tandi Iman Dupree (seriously, look that one up on YouTube) to the communal activism of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.

Tom Fitzgerald and Lorenzo Marquez are keen to stress that this is not an attempt to provide a definitive history of either Drag Race or queer life in the U.S. post-1880. If you approach the book with the expectation that it will be either, you will be disappointed; even with that caveat granted, there were times when I wanted a little more depth, a little more discussion of some of the people discussed. But I think younger LGBTQ readers in particular should appreciate it for its light, often witty tone paired with careful contextualisation of the figures and moments who are discussed. Fitzgerald and Marquez take pains to excavate the deep, multi-branched roots of drag and to show how much history the culture does have. ( )

This is a fun and entertaining book that uses the popular reality tv show, RuPaul's Drag Race, to give an introduction to LGBTQ history. The show is not the focus of this book, but the scaffolding for a fast-paced primer to how queer entertainers have been able to make their mark in a society where what they did and even who they were was grounds for arrest and social opprobrium. This is a hopeful book, with powerful examples of what happens when people come together to support each other and to demand that civil rights apply to every American, with a basic who's who, from Marsha P. Johnson all the way to Pete Buttigeig.

If you're looking for more than a survey-level understanding of gay culture, or just want to enjoy a book about a popular tv program, this isn't going to be for you. The authors, Tom Fitzgerald and Lorenzo Marquez, run a popular celebrity-focused website and there's more than a hint of that style being used here, with the book set up in short sections. But despite it's format and writing style, there's a fair amount of substance and the authors emphasize trans culture and the importance roles that transgender people have played in LGBTQ history. It's a lot of fun to read, and I spent a lot of time amplifying what is in this book by looking up specific performances on YouTube or learning more about the ground-breaking entertainers and activists mentioned. ( )