Working Girls

July 11, 2022
In this hysterical sequel to Trixie and Katya’s Guide to Modern Womanhood, the drag queens pontificate on finding success in the professional world. Aiming to “extend a petite and perfectly manicured helping hand” to readers with big career ambitions, the RuPaul’s Drag Race stars share their unique perspectives on everything from careers in the service industry to climbing the corporate ladder and, perhaps most significantly, the necessity of “dressing for success,” which they illustrate in impeccably styled workplace ensembles (as well as others that are decidedly NSFW)—“Call me broken, call me dark-sided,” Mattel opines, “but I love nothing more than walking into an establishment and being greeted by a lacquered-up hourly employee.” Elsewhere, Katya offers advice on taking a gap year (“the first and easiest way to avoid entering the workplace”), sexy thesis topic suggestions (“The Male Gaze and Erotic Pleasure of Riverdale”), and raucous reflections on retirement (“You Better Not Work!”). While the humor is lewd and the expletives are aplenty, the authors also dive into serious business, like exposing the less glamorous aspects of fame (“Drag, like show business, was never meant to be a get-rich-quick scheme and should be viewed as more parallel to hard drug use”). This bawdy manual slays. Agent: Thomas Flannery Jr., Vigliano Assoc.

Starred review from June 10, 2024

Trixie and Katya follow their popular Guide to Modern Womanhood by taking on the workplace. Not just for women, this book by two drag queens gives hilarious advice that may be better than hiring a job coach. Many of their observations about work and careers are spot-on. Their tips cover a range of topics, from job interviews to retirement. Witty and charming, these authors are natural performers who pump up the energy and fill their listeners with joy. Katya's love letter to tipped laborers rings with self-esteem-boosting respect for anyone in that zone. The examination of management styles and types of coworkers is full of practical information that will give anyone a leg up in the workplace. A timely chapter on working remotely provides suggestions on how to be the employee of the month without setting foot in the office. Modern institutions adored by Katya? USPS, phone booths, and public libraries (emphasis added), which clearly demonstrates she is someone to trust. VERDICT The layout and photos in the print version are truly fabulous, but the audiobook is still a key purchase. This charismatic duo slays both on the page and in the recording booth.--Christa Van Herreweghe

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