If we’re all born naked and the rest is drag, then this is RuPaul totally out of drag. This is RuPaul stripped bare.
Synopsis -
From international drag superstar and pop culture icon RuPaul, comes his most revealing and personal work to date--a deeply intimate memoir of discovery, found family, and self-acceptance. The House of Hidden Meanings is a self-portrait of the legendary icon on the road to global fame and changing the way the world thinks about drag.
Central to RuPaul’s success has been his chameleonic adaptability. From drag icon to powerhouse producer of one of the world’s largest television franchises, RuPaul’s ever-shifting nature has always been part of his brand as both supermodel and supermogul. Yet that adaptability has made him enigmatic to the public. In this memoir, his most intimate and detailed book yet, RuPaul makes himself truly known.
In The House of Hidden Meanings, RuPaul strips away all artifice and recounts the story of his life with breathtaking clarity and tenderness, bringing his signature wisdom and wit to his own biography. From his early years growing up as a queer Black kid in San Diego navigating complex relationships with his absent father and temperamental mother, to forging an identity in the punk and drag scenes of Atlanta and New York, to finding enduring love with his husband Georges LeBar and self-acceptance in sobriety, RuPaul excavates his own biography life-story, uncovering new truths and insights in his personal history.
Here in RuPaul’s singular and extraordinary story is a manual for living—a personal philosophy that testifies to the value of chosen family, the importance of harnessing what makes you different, and the transformational power of facing yourself fearlessly.
A profound introspection of his life, relationships, and identity, The House of Hidden Meanings is a self-portrait of the legendary icon on the road to global fame and changing the way the world thinks about drag. “I've always loved to view the world with analytical eyes, examining what lies beneath the surface. Here, the focus is on my own life—as RuPaul Andre Charles,” says RuPaul.
Review -
I began my writing career by interviewing people and giving their stories wings. To this day I still love hearing others stories, especially if wildly different from my own. What was their life like as they were grew up, and how do they now live, and love? What they are passionate about? I remember hearing about RuPaul when he was welcomed into the fashion world. Then I seemed to lose track until he launched his very successful Drag Race brand which made him a household name. As I read I was struck again by this simple truth - no matter how different we are, there is still a thread that binds us.
So many things I love about the story he shared. First, he instinctively knew he was different from childhood and it took a long time to find where he fit in. I struggled with that as well, but for different reasons. It wasn't until my kids were grown I began to find my place in the world. Second, he lays bare the sheer amount of time, effort and constant change of directions it took to reach where he is today. It did not happen overnight, nor was it easy. Despite his deep knowing, there was a time even he found himself questioning. Third, his discovery that drugs were holding him back - that he wasn't just a partier, he was an addict. To reach his goals he had to walk away. And last, his emphasis on the importance of kindness. Amen.
This is a wonderful, honest, open memoir sharing the highs, the lows, the steps forward, the steps backward, love found and lost, and the focus on what is ultimately important in life. A great read.
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