Welcome to Part 1 of our Beyoncé special, with my friend and the Beyoncé evangelist Shaan Sachdev! This week, we take it all the way back to Wayne Koestenbaum’s 1993 book The Queen’s Throat, the seminal text on the Diva, fandom, and Vicariousness. We discuss the border between true Divadom and generalized cuntiness, and use Shaan’s recent piece in the Wall Street Journal to discuss Beyoncé’s supreme athleticism and what it means, then, to watch her age.

Shaan Sachdev is a cultural critic and essayist based in New York. He writes about ontology, city life, and his two favorite Divas: Hannah Arendt and Beyoncé. He co-hosts Diva Discourse, a Beyoncé-centered podcast.

Discussed:

Tinx’s podcast episode on weightlifting

Alix Earle for Sports Illustrated Swim

Kim Kardashian and Chloe Sevigny for Variety

The Queen’s Throat: Homosexuality, Opera, and the Mystery of Desire, Wayne Koestenbaum (1993)

“Beyoncé the Athlete Is Adjusting to Midlife” Shaan in WSJ

“The Key to Beyoncé’s Lasting Success” Shaan in Slate

“Beyoncé Is Finally Embracing Her Role as Fairy Godmother to the Gays” Shaan in The Daily Beast“Taylor Swift’s Invisible Merchandise” Shaan in Salon