Who Does That Bitch Think She Is? is a foremost a great biography on Australian drag queen Doris Fisher. It is also an informative and fascinating look into the drag culture of the 70s and 80s. This was very well researched, and I would recommend for any fan of drag.

A wonderful and powerful biography about Doris Fish and an entire community. The characters and history... the harsh reality that was the 70s and 80s LGBTQ generation's lives. Craig Seligman did a phenomenal job with the research and interviews to give the readers a gripping historical tapestry that went beyond Doris who is still spoken of in San Francisco as a legend.

This is definitely a book I want my book club to read!

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review.

Who Does That Bitch Think She Is?: Doris Fish and the Rise of Drag chronicles the life and death of '70s drag queen Doris Fish. Fish, an Australian gay man who later moved to San Francisco, became a niche celebrity in both countries before ultimately passing away from AIDS. Seligman is Fish's post-mortem biographer, but he had the unique privilege of getting to interview him in person for a magazine article before his death. This, combined with the many interviews Seligman did with Fish's surviving friends, made for a rich story filled with perspectives and life. I truly felt that I knew Fish (or at least her persona) after reading this, something which is difficult to achieve in a memoir written by someone who was not incredibly close with the subject.

It is clear throughout reading this book that Seligman greatly admires Fish, and that was the undertone of everything that was written. He did not seem to believe that Fish struggled with drugs, prostitution, poverty, or any other aspect of his life in any way. While this may be true, it did create an aura of a "larger than life" character that may have an equal amount to do with Seligman's view of Fish as with Doris Fish himself. Taking that into account, I was fascinated by Who Does That Bitch Think She Is' recounting of what the drag scene was like in the '70s. It isn't something that I knew much about beforehand, in fact, much of my queer history knowledge starts around the time that AIDs gained noteriety.

What made this book so special was the way it presented a view of the whole community at large, and not just Doris Fish. Fish was the perfect person to center upon, because he was friends with so many interesting people that were fun to read about. Tippi, Jackie Hyde, Miss. X, Miss Abood, Jasper, and so many more made up a rich cast of characters with their own struggles and successes. If you are looking for an in-depth telling of one friend group's life in the business of drag, this is most certainly it.

I struggle to write reviews of nonfiction work such as this because at the end of the day, if the book is well written, there's not that much to say. Seligman did what he set out to do by sharing Doris Fish's story with the world, preserving it forever in a medium that will not be lost to time as easily as anecdotes passed down through generations. I came to admire Fish and his friends, the way that they lived their lives so unapologetically despite what a difficult era they lived in. My knowledge of drag is minimal, limited primarily to watching drag queens at bars— I have never even watched an episode of RuPaul— but after reading this book I have a firmer grasp on how the culture of drag began.

If you have any interest in (white) queer culture or drag culture specifically, this book is most certainly worth the read.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review and rating.

I really enjoyed this read. I learned so much, not just about Doris Fish, but also about queer and drag history throughout Australia and the US. This book is filled with fun memories and details about Doris’ life, while still diving into some tough topics. At times, I had trouble keeping track of who was who throughout the book, but the Recurring Names section at the beginning helped with that.

Very entertaining book! Loved the history of this drag queen. I feel if they were around now they would be another RuPaul or even more popular.

Phillip Mills was born in Sydney Australia and that’s also where his alter ego Doris fish was born but that wouldn’t be until 1972. The life they would lead would be an extraordinary one if she were on social media I’m sure she would have millions of followers. She was an artist a performer and a male prostitute and she wasn’t embarrassed to be any of them. This book was so entertaining from her life in San Francisco where she perform comedy shows in the audience would roar with the plus to the quiet moments by her self the one thing she was with original and although she came out with the hippie movement even the hippies couldn’t prepare the world for a person so authentic she made drag look easy in pave the way for those who came after. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. I think if you’re against drag queens or transsexual people all you have to do is get to know one of them indoors fish is a great place to start. A truly great auto biography! I received this book from NetGalleyShelf and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.