Rapid Review: The Art of Drag By Jake Hall

The Art of Drag

By Jake Hall, Sofie Birkin, Helen Li & Jasjyot Singh Hans.

Finished reading: 06/02/21

My rating: 5/5 stars.

Drag as a concept has always fascinated me. However, my knowledge of drag comes almost exclusively from watching RuPaul’s Drag Race. This book did such a phenomenal job at exploring the history of drag throughout several cultures as well as its intersections with politics, theatre, music and fashion.

The whole design of this book is absolutely stunning! I am obsessed with its vibrant, gorgeous illustrations. I loved the fluorescent pink borders and sprayed pages, the iridescent details on the cover and even the exposed binding of the pages is so so cool. I think the illustrations and cover design make it the perfect coffee-table-book to flick through in awe.

Jake Hall ambitiously whisks us through such a vast range of topics at such a quick pace. It is a great introduction to drag’s many forms and influences, but definitely goes for breadth over depth. For me, this was exactly what I wanted, but I can see that anyone looking for a more in-depth discussion would be left hungry for more. I absolutely plan to make my way through the lengthy bibliography of documentaries and films to delve further into the sections that captured my interest most. I think that is probably the best way to use this book, like map rather than a completed journey.

I think what I loved about this book most is its emphasis that “drag is for everyone”. It was such a brilliant celebration of all genres of drag, not just the commercially successful ones. As a RuPaul fan, it opened my eyes to what even RuPaul’s Drag Race is lacking and emphasised that there is more to drag than Drag Race, which I really liked. Like myself, there are many people who are ignorant about drag despite enjoying it. I think that understanding its roots has made me appreciate it even more as an art form. I particularly celebrated it’s focus on how women and BAME have been just as crucial in pushing drag forwards as white men have.

Although gender is obviously discussed, this book goes beyond even that. It is about being human and celebrating self-expression, in whatever form that might take. I think for this reason, this book, and drag itself, really is for everyone. It carries such a powerful and positive message that we can all learn from. We can all apply drag to our own lives, no matter how ordinary or extraordinary you strive to be.