Customer Reviews

Girlfriend:: Men, Women, and Drag

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Masterfully done by a man (photographer Michael James O'Brien) & a woman (Holly Brubach), who share a real appreciation of the fine art of cross- dressing & its trials & triumphs, this is the best, most caring analysis of drag & its artists I've ever read & the empathy & depth of perception caught by the photos (some color, some b/w) is alone more than worth the full price of admission (which I was glad to pay in the bookstore!)

As the proprietor of a drag performance club in New York, I eagerly awaited the release of this book, which had been rumoured about for almost a decade on the scene. Well, this book was worth the wait!

Brubach does a workmanlike treatment of the material, including some outstanding documentation of Parisian icon J. Alexander, but it's O'Brien's photos that make this book a must for anyone interested in transvestism, drag or late 20th century glamour. This former student of Walker Evans certainly carries on the documentary tradition brilliantly here, with this non-cliched, deeply sensitive portraiture.

Initially I picked this book up on the strength of the wonderful photographs by Michael James O'Brien. However it was the broad scope of Holly Brubach's look at the phenomenon of drag in different cultures and the depth of her observations about gender, which ultimately delighted me.

Ms. Brubach writes with a keen eye and ear for ironic details. Her expertise in the field of fashion and the arts gives her a unique perspective from which to write about drag, but if you think this subject superficial prepare to be surprised. Her humor, necessary to exploring such a subject, often had me laughing out loud. Highly recommended!

This is the most comprehensive study of cross dressing I've seen.

The text covers the subject very well - not just here in the United States, but a large portion of it covers the scene in London and Paris as well.

The illustrations are great, and show what can be done.

This is not a "how to" book as much as a "here it is" book. Everyone who is at all interested in cross dressing will, I'm sure, find it very worthwhile. Just looking at the photos is worth the price.

There probably won't be another croosdressing book for a long time that covers the field as thoroughly, and the cover photo alone makes it a worthwhile addition to anyone's coffee rable!

Eve

Eve