The Boy Who Sat By the Window: The Story of the Queen of Soho

(Hardback)

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'Enjoy this story. I already jumped to the parts about me.' Boy George

The extraordinary life story of David Hodge the 'Very Miss Dusty O'.

'My story is one of laughter and hedonism, dressing up and showing off. I played Queen in a parallel universe of glamour, rhinestones and couture outfits. It's also one of alienation and loneliness and of always being the odd one out. I lived through AIDS, Princess Diana and Thatcher but came out singing and dancing my way through Soho and the West End. I survived a murder attempt and bankruptcy. I am still here. Now I paint my feelings and not my face and once again feel as if my journey is beginning. This is my truth. Grubby at times but mine to tell. Here it is. Uncensored.' David Hodge

From a skinny, ginger-haired kid from Walsall who was bullied at school, to the 'Queen of Soho', who would rule London's drag scene in its most dazzling era. This gripping true story follows an unassuming boy, separated from other children and made to sit by the window, on to a remarkable career, with celeb buddies including Kylie Minogue, The Pet Shop Boys, Grace Jones, Cyndi Lauper and, of course, Boy George.

But behind the glitter, there was a far darker reality. David worked simultaneously at London Lighthouse, the pioneering centre for the care of people living with HIV and AIDS. Here, the young David grew up fast and opened his eyes to the true impact of this terrifying pandemic. The contrast was stark between the life of David Hodge during the day and the life of Miss Dusty O after dark.

After two decades in clubland, as drink and drugs started to take their toll and he feared he was developing his father's alcoholic patterns, David changed his life yet again...

Reviews

Enjoy this story. I already jumped to the parts about me.

-- Boy George

'You don't have to be a drag queen to know that we all have a looking glass self. David's search for his true self is insightful, lonely, laugh out loud funny. A journey of re-invention where personal stories ask bigger questions about gender, society, identity, creativity, and of course, clothes and makeup.'

* Jeanette Winterson CBE, author *

'Had me gripped from that killer opening line. Step aboard the Dusty train, all manner of life and love is here. For years David gave good drag. Now he gives good memoir, and Im here for it.'

* Jonathan Harvey, writer *

'From bullied gay boy to Queen of Soho, from drag to riches and back again, this is a tale of survival, reinvention and self discovery. Dusty may have been a fabrication but David Hodge is a natural born storyteller. His book is witty, wise and one of the best memoirs Ive read in years.'

* Paul Burston, author, founder of the Polari Prize *

'David has written his story of the glittering drag world, famous friends and lavish fun against an undercurrent of sadness coming out to disapproving parents and the loss of friends to AIDS. A journey towards knowing himself.'

* Dame Joan Bakewell *

A deeply satisfying memoir about escape from the bullies, from suburbia and ultimately from the gilded cage of his own creation.

* Julian Clary, actor, author, presenter *

'Behind every extraordinary life lies an even more remarkable story. This memoir is one of those rare thingsa telling of loss, loneliness, and the ultimate transformation that will inspire queer souls for generations to come. May David sing on'

* Anna Richardson, TV presenter, producer, writer *

'Heart wrenching and honest. This memoir is unique in its perspective, straddling the worlds of wealth and celebrity with that of the common man, which makes it a truly fascinating read.

Hodgeproves that you can have anything you want in life if you dress for it, and in a life full of achievements, this book has to be the top of them all.'

* The Recs *

'The Boy Who Sat By The Windowis as much a cautionary tale as it is a chronicle of a wondrous time in Londons gay nightlife. Mistakes were made and Hodge owns them, and that self-awareness makes for a great read.'

* The Queer Review *

'This book is amazing.'

* James Whale, TalkRadio *

Author Bio

David Hodgeis now an acclaimed artist. He has had five international exhibitions of his unique brand of pop-art, including one in the Houses of Parliament. Happily married to Marc, these days David leads a quieter if no less creative life. The Queen of Soho is dead. The boy who sat by the window lives on.