The Big Reveal

“Drag embodies the queer possibility that exists within each of us—the infinite ways in which gender, good taste, and art can be lived.” –Sasha Velour This book is a quilt, piecing together memoir, LGBTQ+ history, and queer theory into a living portrait of an artist and an art. Within these pages, illustrated throughout with photos and original artwork, Sasha Velour illuminates drag as a unique form of expression with a rich history and a revolutionary spirit. Each chapter strips off a new layer, removing one tantalizing glove and then another, to reveal all the twists and turns in the life of a queen. In this compelling drag queen memoir, Sasha recalls her own journey, from the women who raised her, to learning the craft of an artist, to success, disaster, and more, as she also uncovers the history of queer life around the world that made it all possible. From shamans to “fairies balls,” empresses to RuPaul’s Drag Race (and beyond), The Big Reveal chronicles and celebrates our shared queer pasts. “If we want to be seen as legendary,” writes Sasha, “we have to weave ourselves into history.” From an iconoclastic drag queen comes an equally singular, thought-provoking manifesto and powerful work of social commentary that brings necessary and sparkling substance to our understanding of drag, queerness, beauty, and liberation! This groundbreaking work uncovers the art, history, and revolution of drag:- Drag History Revealed: Journey from ancient shamans and Victorian “fairies balls” to the queens of RuPaul’s Drag Race and beyond.- Art and Performance: Explore how drag illuminates queer possibility, piecing together memoir, history, and theory with stunning photos and original artwork.- Gender Expression: A singular, thought-provoking manifesto that challenges our understanding of queerness, beauty, and what it means to live authentically.- A Revolutionary Spirit: Follow Sasha Velour's own journey of self-discovery, from the women who raised her to finding her voice and community in a revolutionary art form.

Sasha Velour is a gender-fluid drag queen, artist and speaker. She is the creator and editor of the critically-acclaimed drag magazine “Velour” and the host of the influential New York City-based drag show NightGowns, which was adapted into a docu-series. Her first one-queen theater show, “Smoke & Mirrors” toured to sold-out audiences around the world. In 2017, she was crowned the winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 9 on VH1, with an emotional and reveal-filled finale performance that made history. Velour also holds a degree in Literature from Vassar College, an MFA in Cartooning from The Center for Cartoon Studies, and was a former Fulbright Scholar in Moscow. The Big Reveal is her first book.