Kareem Khubchandani’s “Lessons in Drag”
Lecciones de drag de Kareem Khubchandani
Kareem Khubchandani comes to Providence to discuss lessons in drag!
Join us on February 27th at 7pm as we host Kareem Khubchandani, who will be reading from and discussing his book, Lessons In Drag: A Queer Manual for Academics, Artists, and Aunties. Signed copies of the book will be available for purchase!
About the book:
Lessons in Drag brings to life a vibrant and thought-provoking dialogue between scholar Kareem Khubchandani and his drag persona LaWhore Vagistan. Beginning with an intimate interview, the book unfolds in alternating chapters where the two exchange insights, stories, and critiques. Khubchandani delves into the lessons LaWhore’s drag practice offers about academia—shaping his approaches to research, teaching, and writing—while Vagistan reveals how Khubchandani’s scholarship influences her performances, inspiring her understanding of fashion, music, divas, and aunties. Together, their reflections and conversations weave a compelling tapestry of drag’s instructive power. Witty, bold, and deeply personal, Lessons in Drag is both an invitation to explore drag as a practice and a celebration of its transformative potential.
About the author:
Kareem Khubchandani is Associate Professor of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies at Tufts University. He is the author of two award-winning books, Decolonize Drag (OR Books, 2023) and Ishtyle: Accenting Gay Indian Nightlife (University of Michigan Press, 2020). He is also the co-editor of the Lambda Literary-nominated Queer Nightlife (University of Michigan Press, 2021). LaWhore Vagistan is your favorite aunty’s favorite aunty—always over-dressed, over-educated, and over-opinionated. Her music videos, including “Sari” and “There’s a Stranger in My House,” have been featured at film festivals in Mississauga, Hyderabad, Austin, and San Francisco. In 2009, she co-founded the queer South Asian party Jai Ho! in Chicago, and in 2023, she launched Dragistan, an annual South Asian drag showcase in New York.
About the moderator:
Joy Ellison is a life-long activist who has been asking questions about how social movements succeed since childhood. Their current research documents transgender movements in the Midwestern United States from 1945 to 2000 through oral history and archival research. In their teaching, Dr. Ellison applies transformative justice principles to creative interactive, project-based courses on transgender studies, gender and sexuality, queer and trans history, disability studies, and social movements.
When not teaching and researching, they are a creative writer, children’s picture book author, and an avid birder.
Kareem Khubchandani viene a Providence para hablar sobre lecciones en drag!
Únete a nosotros el 27 de febrero a las 7pm mientras recibimos a Kareem Khubchandani, quien leerá y discutirá su libro, Lecciones en Drag: Un Manual Queer para Académicos, Artistas y Tías. ¡Habrá copias firmadas del libro disponibles para la compra!
Acerca del libro:
Lecciones en Drag da vida a un diálogo vibrante y provocador entre el académico Kareem Khubchandani y su persona drag LaWhore Vagistan. Comenzando con una entrevista íntima, el libro se desarrolla en capítulos alternos donde ambos intercambian ideas, historias y críticas. Khubchandani profundiza en las lecciones que la práctica drag de LaWhore ofrece sobre la academia—moldeando sus enfoques hacia la investigación, la enseñanza y la escritura—mientras Vagistan revela cómo la erudición de Khubchandani influye en sus actuaciones, inspirando su comprensión de la moda, la música, las divas y las tías. Juntos, sus reflexiones y conversaciones tejen un tapiz convincente del poder instructivo del drag. Ingenioso, audaz y profundamente personal, Lecciones en Drag es tanto una invitación a explorar el drag como práctica como una celebración de su potencial transformador.
Acerca del autor:
Kareem Khubchandani es Profesor Asociado de Teatro, Danza y Estudios de Performance en la Universidad de Tufts. Es autor de dos libros galardonados, Decolonize Drag (OR Books, 2023) y Ishtyle: Accenting Gay Indian Nightlife (University of Michigan Press, 2020). También es coeditor de Queer Nightlife (University of Michigan Press, 2021), nominado al Lambda Literary. LaWhore Vagistan es la tía favorita de tu tía—siempre demasiado vestida, sobreeducada y con demasiadas opiniones. Sus videos musicales, incluyendo “Sari” y “There’s a Stranger in My House,” han sido presentados en festivales de cine en Mississauga, Hyderabad, Austin y San Francisco. En 2009, cofundó la fiesta queer del sur de Asia Jai Ho! en Chicago, y en 2023, lanzó Dragistan, una exhibición anual de drag del sur de Asia en Nueva York.
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