We spent Saturday, June 22 at Lewisboro’s fourth annual Pride in the Park, and we met so many incredible people. Here are the few who were brave enough to answer our drag queen story time question “on the record.”
Jess Livornese, Lewisboro & Bronxville
Connect To: What would your name be if you were a drag queen?
Jess: Queen Dahdehdah
Connect To: Why that name?
Jess: When my cousin was little, he couldn’t say my real name, so that’s what he called me. My brother still calls me that today; he’s 28.
Connect To: What story would you read for story time?
Jess: I would read “What Do You Do With A Problem,” by Kobi Yamada. It’s a book that made me openly weep in a Barnes & Noble as a 23-year-old.
Connect To: The book made you weep? Is it that terrible?
Jess: No! It made me weep because I grew up with a severe anxiety disorder, which I continue to fight today. This book illustrates and explains what a problem feels like for a child in a way that you really can’t describe in words. It would’ve meant so much to me to have some of that language to use as a child.
Even reading it as an adult, I thought, “Wow, this author crawled into my head and figured me out.”
People of any age could benefit from this book. It’s a beautiful story, and it’s beautifully illustrated.
Susan (Possibly), Possibly somewhere nearby
Connect To: What would your name be if you were a drag queen?
Susan: Fleur dis Pemberton
Connect To: Why that name?
Susan: All the good names are already taken, so I might as well go the completely opposite direction.
Connect To: What story would you read for story time?
Susan: “The Hallo-Wiener” by Dav Pilkey. It was my favorite book growing up.
Connect To: Interesting choice. Why this book?
Susan: I don’t think too many people know about wiener dogs that celebrate Halloween, and I just want to help spread the word about the cause.
Connect To: That’s fair.
Susan: And the other book I’d like to read is “Go The &*@! To Sleep,” by Adam Mansbach.
Connect To: Oh yes, we know that book! It’s the one we read to our kids every night. We know it by heart.
Julia Laskaris, Bedford Hills
Connect To: What would your name be if you were a drag queen?
Julia: Borsch Diva
Connect To: Borsch?
Julia: Yes, borsch, like the soup, because I’m Ukrainian.
Connect To: And what would Borsch Diva look like?
Julia: I’d wear a lot of red makeup and a lot of red clothing.
Connect To: What story would you read for story time?
Julia: Baba Yaga.
Connect To: Um, sure? We all know that one…what’s Baba Yaga about?
Julia: It’s a Brother’s Grimm story about a witch in the woods who traps children. There is one kid who saves all the other kids.
Connect To: It sounds like Hansel & Gretel.
Julia: Kind of. But it’s a Russian fairy tale, so it’s much more grim.
Gia Miller is an award-winning journalist and the editor-in-chief/co-publisher of Connect to Northern Westchester. She has a magazine journalism degree (yes, that's a real thing) from the University of Georgia and has written for countless national publications, ranging from SELF to The Washington Post. Gia desperately wishes schools still taught grammar. Also, she wants everyone to know they can delete the word "that" from about 90% of their sentences, and there's no such thing as "first annual." When she's not running her media empire, Gia enjoys spending quality time with friends and family, laughing at her crazy dog and listening to a good podcast. She thanks multiple alarms, fermented grapes and her amazing husband for helping her get through each day. Her love languages are food and humor.
