P.S. Burn This Letter Please: The Fabulous and Fraught Birth of Modern Drag, in the Queens’ Own Words

Film producer Olsen debuts with a delightful collection of newly discovered letters between a fabulous coterie of drag queens who resided in New York City during the 1950s and ’60s. Following the death of Hollywood agent Edward Limato, Olsen was bequeathed several boxes of handwritten letters, which he presents here alongside historical commentary and dazzling photographs of the letter writers. The correspondence highlights the queens’ heartbreaking backstories, chosen families, glamorous drag numbers, risqué sex lives, voguish vernacular, and resilience under the threat of persecution. To keep their activities secret, the queens only signed the letters with their drag names and used coded language, such as “mopping,” which meant to steal or have sex. (It was crucial that only the queens understood this furtive code word when, for example, two of them wrote about mopping 35 wigs from the Met Opera.) When Olsen tracked down the remaining queens, the first he contacted, Daphne, was hesitant to share what she thought were shameful stories from the past, but Olsen won her over, and she encouraged others to come forward. This charming account combines the poignancy of a coming-of-age narrative, the mordant humor of a gossip column, and the rigor of an archival investigation. It’s an essential window into a long-hidden history. (Aug.)