RuPaul Memoir 'House of Hidden Meanings' Coming in 2024

RuPaul's memoir, due out next spring, will spill all the tea about his early life, his career, and how he became Mama Ru – basically, drag mother to a generation.

The memoir is expected to be "bracingly candid," according to Vogue, tracing the legend's trajectory "from his tumultuous home life as a child, through to coming to terms with his sexuality as a teenager, his wayward years in the punk and drag scenes of Atlanta and New York, and all the way up to finding sobriety and true love with his now-husband Georges LeBar."

A description of the title at publisher Dey Street Books (an imprint of HarperCollins) says that the memoir will be Ru's "most revealing and personal work to date – a brutally honest, surprisingly poignant, and deeply intimate memoir of growing up Black, poor, and queer in a broken home to discovering the power of performance, found family, and self-acceptance."

The publisher notes that a crucial element to RuPaul's many accomplishments "has been his chameleonic adaptability. From drag icon to powerhouse producer of one of the world's largest television franchises, RuPaul's ever-shifting nature has always been part of his brand as both supermodel and supermogul."

"Yet that adaptability has made him enigmatic to the public," the site adds. "In this memoir, his most intimate and detailed book yet, RuPaul makes himself truly known."

The synopsis goes on to add: "If we're all born naked and the rest is drag, then this is RuPaul totally out of drag. This is RuPaul stripped bare."

Ru echoed that assessment in a tweet announcing the forthcoming memoir.

"Writing this book left me gooped, gagged and stripped raw," the entertainment powerhouse disclosed. "I've learned that vulnerability is strength, but so far, all I feel is nervous as hell, yet super excited to share it with y'all."

"When all is said and done," the tweet summed up, "it's just me, Ru."

In a waaay early assessment of the book, Vogue teased, "What may initially surprise readers is the fact that the book focuses entirely on the first 40 years of his life, ending well before the worldwide phenomenon of 'RuPaul's Drag Race' began."

"But equally surprising is its raw, introspective tone," Vogue went on to add. "A chapter covering his late teens dabbling in hard drugs and losing his virginity is striking not for the candor with which he describes what happened, but simply for his remarkable way with words – as a writer, his sparse, elegant prose (with the occasional dash of his signature sparkling wit) makes it all the more powerful."

That simplicity extends to the book's cover, which was also shared by the publisher and included in the Vogue article: A black and white portrait of RuPaul in a black turtleneck and black hat, sans chunky eyeglasses or jewelry.

Speaking with the magazine, Ru revealed the reason for the title, saying he chose it "because underneath every story is another story that really tells you what's going on, and I wanted it to look back on the past and uncover the hidden meaning behind each event."

Mama Ru also aims for universality in the memoir. ""I think it's a very American story," he told Vogue. "I wanted to show how you can not only navigate a life on this planet, but also create something that isn't just for you – something that's exploratory and adventurous and selfless."

"The House of Hidden Meanings" drops March 5, 2024, in hardcover and will sell for $29.99. The book can also be pre-ordered.