The Queens' English -- Chloe Davis in Conversation with All She Wrote Books

All She Wrote Books welcomes Chloe Davis in conversation with owner Christina Pascucci-Ciampa for a celebration of The Queens' English: The LGBTQIA+ Dictionary of Lingo and Colloquial Phrases. Do you know where "yaaaas queen!" comes from? Do you know the difference between a bear and a wolf? Do you know what all the letters in LGBTQIA+ stand for? Queen's English is a  landmark reference guide to the LGBTQIA+ community's contributions to the English language--an intersectional, inclusive, playfully illustrated glossary featuring more than 800 terms and fabulous phrases created by and for queer culture.

The Queens' English is a comprehensive guide to modern gay slang, queer theory terms, and playful colloquialisms that define and celebrate LGBTQIA+ culture. This modern dictionary provides an in-depth look at queer language, from terms influenced by celebrated lesbian poet Sappho and from New York's underground queer ball culture in the 1980s to today's celebration of RuPaul's Drag Race.

The glossary of terms is supported by full-color illustrations and photography throughout, as well as real-life usage examples for those who don't quite know how to use "kiki," "polysexual," or "transmasculine" in a sentence. A series of educational lessons highlight key people and events that shaped queer language; readers will learn the linguistic importance of pronouns, gender identity, Stonewall, the Harlem Renaissance, and more.

For every queen in your life--the men, women, gender non-conforming femmes, butches, daddies, and zaddies--The Queens' English is at once an education and a celebration of queer history, identity, and the limitless imagination of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Chloe O. Davis is a proud Black bisexual woman and debut author who works in the entertainment industry in New York. A graduate of Hampton University and Temple  University, she has centered her creative platform on amplifying the narratives of Black culture and heightening the awareness of the LGBTQIA+ community. Davis’s work as a  dancer, actor, and creative has allowed her to travel to all fifty states and internationally.  In addition to performing at premier theaters across the country, such as New York City  Center, the Apollo Theater, the Kennedy Center, the Muny, and the Berkeley Repertory  Theatre, she has appeared on PBS Great Performances with Porgy and Bess at the  Metropolitan Opera, Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert on NBC, and Southern  Landscape performed by the Philadelphia Dance Company (PHILADANCO!).

In tandem with performing, Chloe O. Davis has spent fifteen years researching, writing and creating The Queens’ English, The Dictionary for LGBTQIA+ Lingo and Colloquial Phrases. She believes this dictionary is a starting point for important conversations around inclusivity, sexuality, gender expression, and identity.