Hollywood is a strange and mysterious place, even for those who have operated within its orbit for decades. But author, comedian, and drag king Murray Hill’s new memoir, Showbiz!: My Life as a Middle-Aged Man (Gallery Books), sheds an alternately moving and hilarious light on “the industry,” charting Hill’s rise from a fraught New England childhood to a career starring in New York and Boston cabaret shows and appearing on television series including Somebody, Somewhere, Life & Beth, and Elsbeth.
In the latest edition of Vogue’s Required Reading series, Hill shares a selection of books that have inspired his own memoir and seen him through the ups and downs of Hollywood life.
Rebel Girl: My Life as a Feminist Punk by Kathleen Hanna
Kathleen Hanna is a punk-rock icon, feminist trailblazer, and one of my dearest friends. She’s spent her life making noise, breaking rules, and telling the establishment to beat it. What I love about this book is how she writes about the messy, painful, and hilarious realities behind being a revolutionary. She built her own stage, grabbed the microphone, and started a movement. She is my forever inspiration.
I, Tina by Tina Turner and Kurt Loder
Tina Turner didn’t just make a comeback. She kicked down the door in her red patent leather heels and reclaimed her life while inspiring millions of people all over the world. This book is about surviving abuse, and refusing to let somebody else write your ending. I was drawn to performers like Tina because they showed me that no matter how bad things got, you could get out and start where you are. If I were a religious person (I’m still a Catholic), Tina would be my God.
