Drag Superstar Sasha Velour celebrated her new book, “The Big Reveal: An Illustrated Manifesto of Drag,” at the New York Public Library on Monday night, April 17, with a chat session with noted Drag historian and educator Joe E. Jeffreys.
Jeffreys kept up a lively conversation with Velour, discussing topics that ranged from the origin of Velour’s stage name, her upbringing (with Velour proudly noting that her dad was in the audience) to the LGBTQ community.
Velour, the winner of season nine of “RuPaul’s Drag Race”, also discussed the creation of the book, which , according to her website, “illuminates drag as a unique form of expression with a rich history and a revolutionary spirit” and gives “sparkling substance to our understanding of drag, queerness, beauty, and liberation!”
The tome uses her original artwork alongside photos while discussing her personal history as well as that of the Drag community. One section is devoted to the preparation that was necessary for the stunning performance on “Drag Race” that won her the prize.
The evening ended with the full house giving her a standing ovation, after which she sat down to sign books and judging by the length of the line, just about everyone that attended went home with one.
More about Sasha Velour on her website at sashavelour.com and you can follow her on Instagram at @sashavelour.
Upcoming events at the library are listed at nypl.org/events/live-nypl.
