Kareem Khubchandani's "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.

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