BOOK REVIEWS: DRAG, THE NOWHERE, MORE.
DRAG: COMBING THROUGH THE BIG WIGS OF SHOW BUSINESS
by Frank DeCaro
Through informative, witty essays, readers embark on a Priscilla-like journey that chronicles over 100 years of drag culture from TV shows like The Milton Berle Show, Bosom Buddies and RuPaul’s Drag Race, films like Some Like It Hot, To Wong Foo… and Tootsie, and Broadway shows like Hedwig And The Angry Inch, La Cage Aux Folles and Kinky Boots.
The book is not limited to America and makes stops in cities around the globe. Packed with interviews and commentaries, Drag features contributions from many of today’s most renowned artists including Bianca del Rio, Miss Coco Peru, Hedda Lettuce, Lypsinka and Varla Jean Merman, as well as notable performers such as Harvey Fierstein and Charles Busch.
Published as a large format hardcover by Rizzoli, Drag includes more than 100 photos, many from performers’ personal collections.
THE NOWHERE
by Chris Gill
Surprisingly, one of The Bookshop Darlinghurst’s most anticipated books of 2019 has proven to be a debut novel from a small, independent publisher.
The Nowhere hit the bestseller list before it had even been published. The last time we had this sort of pre-order response was for Matthew Mitcham’s autobiography back in 2012.
Told through the eyes of 17-year-old Sebastian Johns, who lives on a remote farm in Outback Western Australia in the late ’90s, The Nowhere is more than a gay comingof-age story. The narrative harbours a dark secret that’s not revealed until the climactic final chapters.
Gill’s engaging, evocative prose follows Seb as he wrestles with his identity. It’s not until Jake, a captivating boy of the same age, moves into the derelict farm next door that things start to heat up. Immediately infatuated, Seb falls for Jake’s bad-boy charm and ultimately agrees to take part in his extreme plan to escape their mundane existence; a plan that will change their lives forever.
Chris Gill (pictured above) is an openly gay 31-year-old, who lives in Sydney with his partner of nearly ten years. Together the pair run independent publishing house PRNTD, through which The Nowhere is published.
INVENTED LIVES
by Andrea Goldsmith
This new novel is immediately fascinating with its two settings – Leningrad and Melbourne during the mid-1980s.
The Gorbachev era is ushering in new freedoms for some citizens and artist Galina Kogan and her mother, as Jews, find they have an opportunity to immigrate. They seize it before the chance evaporates but, unexpectedly, Galina finds herself alone and facing this monumental journey solo.
A chance meeting with Andrew, an Australian, helps her decide her destination – Melbourne – and the novel becomes the fascinating story of a migrant adapting to her new life and the abundance and freedoms that Australia offers.
Almost 200 pages into the book, a surprising gay male storyline emerges. It’s compelling as the character is an older married man who does not identify as gay but has had sex with men for decades. Although he has a regular partner, the threat of AIDS and the paranoia of that era takes its toll on the emotions of the two men and the bond they have developed.
Invented Lives is absolutely engrossing. The detail of life in Russia – the hardships and brutality is startling – especially when contrasted later to living in Australia. Yet the comparison is also nuanced. The characters are all vividly created – in particular, the character Andrew, who suffers from a debilitating shyness.
Goldsmith’s narrative takes a surprising turn as it moves towards the climax. A minor character from early in the book suddenly reappears, up-ending everything and threatening Galina’s new life.