Lessons in Drag: A Queer Manual for Academics, Artists, and Aunties, a book talk with Kareem Khubchandani

Join Lessons in Drag author Kareem Khubchandani, in conversation with Kris Manjapra, as they discuss the power drag has to hold together precarious communities through uncertain times. The audience will get to experience firsthand the power of drag, with live performances by Boston’s most illustrious artists, Candace Persuasion and Chanel The Angel. 

Lessons in Drag brings to life a vibrant and thought-provoking dialogue between scholar Kareem Khubchandani and his drag persona LaWhore Vagistan. In the book, 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.