Tom Rasmussen and his alter ego, Crystal Rasmussen, grew up in Lancashire, England. Now identified as non-binary, the preferred pronouns are they/them/their. Though from modest beginnings, they became a sensation, at least in their own mind.
Anyone who is a bit uptight, or even skittish, might find the brutal honesty a bit much. Their voice is beyond frank. When the prologue begins with a laundry list of scatological mishaps, you know whether it makes you laugh or cringe. The diaries are unrelenting. All secrets are shared.
Details are scattered throughout that provide interesting incongruities. They attended veterinary school at Cambridge but failed the second-year final. Their first trip to New York was to start an entry level job in the fashion industry. Though brought up in Northern England, in a working-class household, their parents, siblings and grandmother are their most ardent allies, defenders and champions.
Sex? Lots. Their experiences range from vanilla to extreme and are detailed in all their glorious truth. They are honest about it all. Some experiences are touching, others funny, many go awry, and some are a bit frightening. I have to give credit to anyone who is so forthcoming in telling readers exactly what motivates their desires or causes them anguish.
Some of the stories should only be hinted at in a review to avoid spoilers. The incident involving poo at a KFC is one example. (I warned you about scat. See above.)
Living on the economic edge is fairly constant throughout. I must say that I could never fully understand references to their “overdrafts.” In the U.S., one would think that would refer to a negative balance in your bank account. Here is seems to suggest something akin to a “line of credit.” Or perhaps it is part of the social safety net in the U.K.? Regardless, there are never sufficient funds to support a profligate spender.
Through performing, particularly with the group Denim, Crystal seems most engaged. The collection of East London characters inhabit a sort of flop-warehouse and carouse with abandon. There is a harrowing retelling of a brutal hate crime attack that occurred early one morning as they were going home. The attack had lasting consequences.
Crystal speaks throughout the diaries to issues of transphobia, homophobia, fat-shaming, racism, misogyny and every form of prejudice still evident in our society. Given the trajectory of their own life, they have witnessed it all.
Since it is in diary form, the narrative can be a bit whip-sawed, just like personal thoughts are day-to-day. You agree with them about the injustices that cannot be ignored or overlooked. You laugh at the outrageous behavior and subsequent outcomes. You learn about the person through disparate stories that reveal a complicated, diverse and confident creature.
This is not a typical memoir or autobiography. It would be surprising to find anything else for them to reveal and that is what makes it original.
Diary of A Drag Queen : by Crystal Rasmussen
Published by Ebury/Penguin
Available at AMAZON and all good bookshops everywhere
REVIEW: STEPHEN COYQueerguru Contributor STEPHEN COY has been an avid reader all his (very long) life ? and is finally putting his skills to good use. He lives in Provincetown full time with his husband Jim, having finally given up the bright lights of Boston and now haunts the streets mumbling to himself that no one reads anymore …
Labels: 2019, book review, memoir, Stephen Coy
