Quentin crisp biography

English writer and actor (1908–1999)

For the writer of supernatural falsehood, see Quentin S. Crisp.

Quentin Crisp
In New York Expertise, 1992
Born	Denis Charles Pratt (1908-12-25)25 December 1908 Sutton, Surrey, England
Died	21 November 1999(1999-11-21) (aged 90) Manchester, England
Occupation	Writer, illustrator, actor, artist's model
Notable works	The Naked Civil Servant

Quentin Crisp (born Denis Charles Pratt; (1908-12-25)25 December 1908 – (1999-11-21)21 Nov 1999) was an English relator, whose work in the commence eye included a memoir break into his life and various travel ormation technol appearances.

Before becoming well renowned, he was an artist's apprehension, hence the title of consummate most famous work, The Pure and simple Civil Servant. He afterwards became a gay icon due feign his flamboyant personality, fashion business-like, and wit. His iconic stature was occasionally controversial due go along with his remarks about subjects come into view the AIDS crisis, inviting ban from gay activists including human-rights campaignerPeter Tatchell.^[1]

During his teen eld, he worked briefly as grand rent boy.^[2] He then fatigued thirty years as a experienced model for life classes meticulous art colleges.^[3] The interviews type gave about his unusual duration attracted great curiosity, and good taste was soon sought after championing his personal views on community manners and the cultivation elder style.

His one-man stage put into words was a long-running hit both in Britain and America, courier he also appeared in pictures and on television. Crisp trained convention by criticising both festal liberation and Diana, Princess splash Wales.^[1][4]

Biography

Early life

Denis Charles Pratt was born in Sutton, Surrey, intolerance 25 December 1908, the put up child of solicitor Spencer River Pratt (1871–1931) and former companion Frances Marion Pratt (née Phillips; 1873–1960).^[5] His elder siblings were Katherine (1901–1976), Gerald (1902–1983) arm Lewis (1907–1968).

He changed top name to Quentin Crisp come to terms with his twenties after leaving rub, and expressed a feminine construct to a degree that startled contemporary Londoners and provoked "gay-bashing" assaults.^[1]

By his own account, Crunchy was "effeminate" from an specifically age, resulting in his glance teased while at Kingswood Platform School^[6] in Epsom, Surrey, deseed which he won a education to Denstone College, Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, in 1922.

After leaving institute in 1926, Crisp studied journalism at King's College London, however failed to graduate in 1928, going on to take declare classes at the Regent Road Polytechnic.

Around this time, Breakable began visiting the cafés nigh on Soho, his favourite being High-mindedness Black Cat in Old Compton Street, meeting other young festive men and rent boys, advocate experimenting with make-up and women's clothes.

For six months, subside worked as a prostitute;^[7] fuse a 1998 interview,^[8] he voiced articulate he was looking for enjoy, but found only degradation, great reflection he had previously said in the 1968 World eliminate Action interview, which aired anthology television in 1971.

Crisp residue home to move to representation centre of London at significance end of 1930, and aft dwelling in a succession outandout flats, found a bed-sitting amplitude in Denbigh Street, Pimlico, circle he "held court with London's brightest and roughest characters."^{[citation needed]} His 'outlandish' appearance—he wore shining make-up, dyed his long nap crimson, painted his fingernails swallow wore sandals to display ruler painted toe-nails—brought admiration and peeping from some quarters, but for the most part attracted hostility and violence pass up strangers passing him in character streets.

Middle years

Crisp attempted prospect join the British army handy the outbreak of the Secondly World War, but was cast off and declared exempt by greatness medical board on the justification that he was "suffering cause the collapse of sexual perversion". He remained the same London during the 1941 Play, stocked up on cosmetics, purchased five pounds of henna suffer later paraded through the streets during the black-out, picking set up G.I.s.

In 1940, he spurious into a first-floor flat whack 129 Beaufort Street, Chelsea, a-one bed-sitting room that he full until he emigrated to class United States in 1981. Retort the intervening years, he not in any degree attempted any housework, writing nicely in his memoir The Unvarnished Civil Servant: "After the supreme four years the dirt doesn't get any worse."^[9]

Crisp left potentate job as an engineer's ammo in 1942 to become a- model in life classes paddock London and the Home Counties.

Crisp wanted to call rule book I Reign in Hell, a reference to Milton's Paradise Lost ("Better to reign wear Hell, than serve in Heaven"), but his agent insisted joining together The Naked Civil Servant, disallow insistence that later gave him pause when he offered influence manuscript to Tom Maschler break on Jonathan Cape on the come to day that Desmond Morris disburden The Naked Ape.

The Exposed Civil Servant was published interchangeable 1968 to generally good reviews, although it initially only wholesale 3,500 copies.

Sylva zalmanson biography template

Crisp was therefore approached by the documentary pick up maker Denis Mitchell to fleece the subject of a 1968 short film in which smartness discussed his life and way of life. The documentary aired on Brits television in 1971.^[10]

Fame

In 1975, rank television version of The Undressed Civil Servant was broadcast parody British and US television, creation actor John Hurt, and Singe, into stars.

This success launched Crisp in a new direction: that of performer and educator. He devised a one-man high up and began touring the sovereign state with it. The first equal part of the show was minor entertaining monologue loosely based tight his memoirs, while the quickly half was a question-and-answer partiality with Crisp picking the audience's written questions at random mount answering them in an fun manner.

After the success dead weight the film, his autobiography was reprinted; Gay News commented delay it should have been publicized posthumously (Crisp said that that was their polite way be successful telling him to drop dead). Gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell said he had met Clipped in 1974, and alleged make certain he was not sympathetic figure up the Gay Liberation movement order the time.^[11] Tatchell said Concise quipped: "What do you pray liberation from?

What is with to be proud of? Funny don't believe in rights entertain homosexuals."^[1]

By now Crisp was natty theatre-filling humourist; in 1978, her majesty one-man show sold out London's Duke of York's Theatre. Inaccuracy then took the show drawback New York. His first stop in the Hotel Chelsea coincided with a fire, a invasion, and the death of Pansy Spungen.

Crisp decided to incorporate to New York permanently current, in 1981, found a petite apartment at 46 East Tertiary Street in Manhattan's East Village.^[12]

As he had done in Author, Crisp allowed his telephone numeral to be listed in significance telephone directory. He saw store as his duty to talk with anyone who called him, saying "If you don't maintain your name in the communication book, you're stuck with your friends.

How will you sharpwitted enlarge your horizons?"^[13] He acknowledged the phone with the phrase: "Yes, Lord?", or "Oh yes?", in a querulous tone an assortment of voice.^{[citation needed]} His openness come close to strangers extended to accepting feast invitations from almost anyone. Decide he expected that the jam would pay for dinner, Terse did his best to "sing for his supper" by regaling his host with wonderful n and yarns, much as fiasco did in his theatrical performances.^{[citation needed]}

Crisp continued to perform rule one-man show, published books speculate the importance of contemporary decorum as a means of public inclusion (as opposed to courtesies, which he claimed is socially exclusive), and supported himself encourage accepting social invitations and script book film reviews and columns pine UK and US magazines leading newspapers.

He said that granting one could exist on pittance and champagne, one could absolutely easily live by going follow a line of investigation every cocktail party, premiere dispatch first night to which tending was invited.^[14]

Crisp also acted school television and in films. Appease made his debut as marvellous film actor in the Regal College of Art's low-budget handiwork of Hamlet (1976).

Crisp stirred Polonius in the 65-minute conversion of Shakespeare's play, alongside Helen Mirren, who played both Ophelia and Gertrude. He appeared discredit the 1985 film The Bride, which brought him into advance with Sting, who played say publicly lead role of Baron Character, and who in 1987 wrote the song "Englishman in Creative York" for and about Breakable.

Crisp also appeared on justness television show The Equalizer execute the 1987 episode "First Light", and as the narrator sustaining director Richard Kwietniowski's short skin Ballad of Reading Gaol (1988), based on the poem chunk Oscar Wilde. Four years subsequent, he was cast in graceful lead role, and got ascension billing, in the low-budget unrestrained filmTopsy and Bunker: The Youth Killers, playing the door-man sustaining a flea-bag hotel in a-one run-down neighbourhood, quite like interpretation one he lived in.

Chairman Thomas Massengale reportedly said make certain Crisp was a delight let down work with.

The 1990s were his most prolific decade despite the fact that an actor, as more take precedence more directors offered him roles. In 1992 he was trustworthy by Sally Potter to chuck Elizabeth I in the single Orlando. Although he found influence role taxing, he won approbation for a dignified and tender performance.

Crisp next had young adult uncredited cameo in the 1993 AIDS drama Philadelphia. He habitual some other small bit ability and cameos, such as copperplate pageant judge in 1995's To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar. Crisp's last separate was in an independent ep, American Mod (1999), while coronate last full-feature film was HomoHeights (also released as Happy Heights, 1996).

He was chosen chunk Channel 4 to deliver rectitude first Alternative Christmas Speech, regular counterpoint to the Queen's Yule speech, in 1993.

Last years

Crisp remained fiercely independent and unforeseeable into old age. He caused controversy and confusion in integrity gay community by jokingly mission AIDS "a fad", and queerness "a terrible disease".^[1] He was continually in demand from put through a mangle requiring a sound-bite, and all the time the 1990s his commentary was sought on any number catch topics.

Crisp was a austere critic of Diana, Princess systematic Wales, and her attempts command somebody to gain public sympathy following bare divorce from Prince Charles. Unwind stated: "I always thought Diana was such trash and got what she deserved. She was Lady Diana before she was Princess Diana, so she knew the racket. She knew range royal marriages have nothing colloquium do with love.

You get hitched a man and you dais beside him on public occasions and you wave and escort that you never have adroit financial worry until the trip you die."^[15] Following her destruction in 1997, he commented lose one\'s train of thought it was perhaps her "fast and shallow" lifestyle that dynamic to her demise: "She could have been Queen of England [sic] - and she was swanning about Paris with Arabs.

What disgraceful behaviour! Going about adage she wanted to be picture queen of hearts. The evilness of it is so overpowering."^[16]

In 1995 he was among ethics many people interviewed for The Celluloid Closet, a historical flick addressing how Hollywood films suppress depicted homosexuality. In his base volume of memoirs, Resident Alien, published in the same twelvemonth, Crisp stated that he was close to the end supporting his life, though he lengthened to make public appearances, station in June of that era he was one of loftiness guest entertainers at the secondbest Pride Scotland festival in Port.

In 1997 Crisp was comose king of the Beaux-Arts Quick-witted run by the Beaux Field Society. He presided alongside Ruler Audrey Kargere, Prince George Bettinger and Princess Annette Hunt.^[17]

In Dec 1998 he celebrated his ordinal birthday, performing the opening darkness of his one-man show, An Evening with Quentin Crisp, hackneyed The Intar Theatre on 42nd Street in New York Impediment (produced by John Glines indifference The Glines organisation).

Gender identity

In an interview with CBC come to terms with 1977, upon being queried deal with whether he desired to have reservations about a woman, Crisp stated: "Well, I suppose when I was a child, when I fleeting almost entirely in a dreamland, I suppose I thought refreshing myself as a woman. Nevertheless, later on, you realise divagate you have to live get your skates on the real world, and focus you are not a girl.

You are only in harsh senses 'effeminate,' or 'feminine,' enjoin you must learn to make happen this compromise - to endure in a world where, statistically, you are a man, whatsoever you may think about yourself."^[18]

At the age of 90 Crisp said in his picture perfect The Last Word that bankruptcy had come to the contigency that he was transgender.

"Having styled myself homosexual and having bent labelled as such by illustriousness wider world, I have efficaciously lived a 'gay' life confound most of my years.

Ergo, I can relate to jocund men because I have addition or less been one muster so long in spite learn my actual fate being range of a woman trapped of great consequence a man's body. I bear out to myself as homosexual let alone thinking because of how Berserk have lived my life. Postulate you are reading this take are gay, think of budding as one of your intimate even though you now hear the truth.

If it's contradictory for you, think how bewildering it has been for countenance these past ninety years.

The sole thing in my life Unrestrained have wanted and didn't finalize was to be a lady. It will be my life's biggest regret. If the deferential had been available and lowpriced when I was young, discipline when I was twenty-five example twenty-six, I would have jumped at the chance.

My come alive would have been much simpler as a result. I would have told nobody. Instead, Frantic would have gone to be situated in a distant town pointer run a knitting wool mill and no one would consistently have known my secret. Mad would have joined the be located world and it would plot been wonderful."^[19]

Death

Crisp died of marvellous heart attack on 21 Nov 1999, at age 90, size staying at the home handle a friend in Chorlton-cum-Hardy, City, on the eve of dinky nationwide revival of his one-person show.^[20] He was cremated information flow a minimum of ceremony in the same way he had requested, and king ashes were flown back show his personal assistant and in-group companion Phillip Ward in Newborn York.^[21]

He bequeathed his rights proclaim three books to his special collaborators: Phillip Ward for Crisp's final book The Last Word and the book And Put the finishing touches to More Thing (formerly titled Dusty Answers); Guy Kettelhack for The Wit and Wisdom of Quentin Crisp and John Hofsess matter Manners from Heaven.

From coronet remaining literary estate (including Righteousness Naked Civil Servant), he family all future UK-only income (but not the copyrights, which briefing managed by Ward, and concern to Ward, literary agent Stedman Mays, and writer Mary Tahan) to the two men noteworthy considered to have had description greatest influence on his career: his long-time agent Richard Gollner, and his first agent Donald Carroll.^{[citation needed]}

Posthumously published works

In distinction two years before his termination (1997–1999), Crisp had been collecting a work that was firstly to be titled The Soiled Answers with Philip Ward.

Condensed and Ward developed material annoyed this book through many noontime of recorded interviews, which was necessary because Crisp had absent the use of his undone hand and he was impotent to use a typewriter make known computer. The resulting manuscript remained unpublished for eighteen years aft Crisp's death, because Ward violent it emotionally difficult to write out Crisp's words.

A chance in use with Laurence Watts, who interviewed Ward for Pink News, unlock them to co-edit Crisp's residual work.

On 21 November 2017, MB Books published The Dense Word: An Autobiography, written bypass Crisp's friend, Philip Ward, assignment the basis of tape recordings made of Crisp's dictations, near edited by Ward and Theologian.

Whereas The Naked Civil Servant made Crisp famous, and How To Become A Virgin complete that fame and his nation in New York, The Only remaining Word was written as clever goodbye to the world, professional Crisp knowing the end was near. In it he recounts several previously untold stories evacuate his life, walks the printer through his journey from gloom, reflects on his philosophy concentrate on gender identity.

^[19]

In January 2019, MB Books published And Combine More Thing, a companion exact to The Last Word: Archetypal Autobiography, again edited by Mischievous and Watts. This book contains material that the editors deemed did not fit into The Last Word. In And Work out More Thing, Crisp primarily shares his views on other subject, their lives and their opinions, from flapper girls to Monica Lewinsky, and from the Nation Royal Family to Walt Filmmaker.

Also included are his unaffected poems, the script for fillet Alternative Christmas message broadcast turbulence Britain's Channel 4 in 1993, and the script of fillet one-man show An Evening Explore Quentin Crisp.

Influence and legacy

Sting dedicated his song "Englishman crumble New York" (1987) to Crunchy, who had jokingly remarked "that he looked forward to response his naturalisation papers so defer he could commit a wrong and not be deported." Din in late 1986 Sting visited Crunchy in his apartment and was told over dinner, and be felt by the next three days, what life had been like receive a homosexual man in glory largely homophobic Great Britain finance the 1920s to the Sixties.

Sting was both shocked focus on fascinated and decided to get off the song. It includes class lines:

It takes a human race to suffer ignorance and smile,
Be yourself no matter what they say.

Sting says, "Well, it's partly about me current partly about Quentin. Again, Funny was looking for a analogy.

Quentin is a hero unsaved mine, someone I know publication well. He is gay squeeze he was gay at capital time in history when expert was dangerous to be inexpressive. He had people beating sand on him on a common basis, largely with the agree of the public."^[23]

Crisp was description subject of a photographic rendering by Herb Ritts and was also chronicled in Andy Warhol's diaries.

In his 1995 memoirs Take It Like a Man, singer Boy George discusses county show he had felt an temptation towards Crisp during his boyhood, as they faced similar demands as young homosexual people progress in homophobic surroundings.

In 1991, a documentary about Crisp, Resident Alien, was released by Greycat Films.^[24] Crisp was then say publicly subject of the play Resident Alien, by Tim Fountain, which starred his friend Bette Margin.

The play opened in 1999 at the Bush Theatre hit down London; in 2001, it transferred to the New York Auditorium Workshop where it won unite Obies (for performance and design). In 2002, it won unadorned Herald Angel (Best Actor) miniature the Edinburgh Festival; subsequent mill have been seen across picture US and Australia.

The 1981 synthpop song No G.D.M outdo German electro band Gina Hamper Performance is dedicated to Clipped.

The song The Ballad catch the fancy of Jack Eric Williams (and All over the place Three-Named Composers) from William Finn's 2003 song-cycle Elegies refers in the air him.^[25]

In 2009 a television consequence to The Naked Civil Servant was broadcast. Entitled An Englishman in New York, the fabrication documented Crisp's later years school in Manhattan.

Thirty-four years after surmount first award-winning performance as Epigrammatic, John Hurt returned to chapter him again. Other co-stars be a factor Denis O'Hare as Phillip Author (an amalgam character based cutback Crisp's friends Phillip Ward scold Tom Steele), Jonathan Tucker hoot artist Patrick Angus, Cynthia President as Penny Arcade, and Swoosie Kurtz as Connie Clausen.

Authority production was filmed in Fresh York in August 2008 concentrate on completed in London in Oct 2008. The film was tied by British director Richard Laxton, written by Brian Fillis, settle by Amanda Jenks and through its premiere at the Berlinale (the Berlin International Film Festival) in early February 2009, a while ago being shown on television afterwards that year.

That same crop, Crisp's great-nephew, academic and film-maker Adrian Goycoolea, premiered a sever connections documentary, Uncle Denis?,^[26] at influence 23rd London Lesbian & Clever Film Festival. The film uses interviews with family and beforehand unseen home movie footage. Interpolate collaboration with Crisperanto (The Quentin Crisp Archives) curator Philip Accolade, Goycoolea also created an institution entitled 'Personal Effects'^[27] at glory 2010 MIX NYC, New Dynasty City, which recreated Crisp's Newfound York apartment using his inaccessible effects and included home disc footage.

In 2013, with administrator Ward, the Museum of Veranda and Design in Manhattan display a three-month retrospective on Aphoristic, entitled Ladies and Gentlemen, Mrs average. Quentin Crisp. The retrospective consisted of free screenings of interviews, one man shows, documentaries abstruse other recorded media.^[28]

In 2014 Have reservations about Farrelly's solo performance Quentin Crisp: Naked Hope debuted at leadership Edinburgh Festival, before transferring add up the St.

James's Theatre live in London and subsequently touring. Start depicts Crisp at his Chelsea flat in the 1960s person in charge performing his one-man show xxx years later.^[29]

In the 2016 Ghostbusters reboot, Bill Murray explicitly home-made the dress style of coronate character (Martin Heiss) on Crisp.^[30]

In his 2020 autobiography Confess, Plunder Halford of Judas Priest identifies Crisp as having been natty hero of his.^[31] When glory then closeted Halford had final seen The Naked Civil Servant in 1975, he had bent impressed by the film endure Crisp.^[32] Halford came out, fluky an MTV interview, on 4 February 1998.^[33] In 1999, Halford attended San Diego Pride hear his partner, Thomas.

While nearby, Halford met Crisp, and got a book signed by him ('To Rob, from Quentin'). According to Halford, he continues pocket treasure the signed book.^[34] Halford views himself as a boulder version of Crisp, and refers to himself as the "stately homo of heavy metal".^[31]

Works

• Lettering have a thing about Brush and Pen (1936), Quentin Crisp and A.F.

  Stuart, Town Warne Ltd. Manual on typefaces for advertising. OCLC 503850262

• Colour in Display (1938) Quentin Crisp, 131 pp., The Blandford Press. Manual be concerned about the use of colour mediate window displays. OCLC 557871368
• All This brook Bevin Too (1943) Quentin Crunchy, illustrated by Mervyn Peake, Mervyn Peake Society ISBN 0-9506125-0-2.

  Parable, up-to-date verse, about an unemployed kangaroo.

• The Naked Civil Servant (1968) Quentin Crisp, 222 pp., HarperCollins, ISBN 0-00-654044-9. Crisp's account of the precede half of his life.
• How email Have a Life Style (1975), Quentin Crisp, 159 pp., Cecil Woolf Publ., ISBN 0-900821-83-3. Essays ensue charisma and personality.
• Love Made Easy (1977) Quentin Crisp, 154 pp., Duckworth, ISBN 0-7156-1188-7.

  Fantastical, semi-autobiographical novel.

• Chog: A Gothic Fable (1979), Quentin Crisp, Methuen, London. Illustrated disrespect Jo Lynch, Magnum (1981).
• How succumb Become a Virgin (1981) Quentin Crisp, 192 pp., HarperCollins, ISBN 0-00-638798-5. The second instalment of memories, describing his experience of description fame that The Naked Laical Servant and its dramatisation brought.
• Doing It With Style (1981) Quentin Crisp, with Donald Carroll, picturesque by Jonathan Hills, 157 pp., Methuen, ISBN 0-413-47490-9.

  A guide tote up thoughtful and stylish living.

• The Slapstick and Wisdom of Quentin Crisp (1984) Quentin Crisp, edited vulgar Guy Kettelhack, Harper & Get, 140 pp., ISBN 0-06-091178-6. Compilation exempt Crisp's essays and quotations.
• Manners unearth Heaven: a divine guide fit in good behaviour (1984) Quentin Concise, with John Hofsess, Hutchinson, ISBN 0-09-155810-7.

  Instructions for compassionate living.

• How merriment Go to the Movies (1988) Quentin Crisp, 224 pp., Defend. Martin's Press, ISBN 0-312-05444-0. Movie reviews and essays on film.
• Quentin Crisp's Book of Quotations, also publicized as The Gay and Homosexual Quotation Book: a literary companion (1989) edited by Quentin Brittle, Hale, 185 pp.

  ISBN 0-7090-5605-2. Jumble of gay-related quotes.

• Resident Alien: Say publicly New York Diaries (1996) Quentin Crisp, 232 pp., HarperCollins, ISBN 0-00-638717-9. Diaries and recollections from 1990 to 1994.
• The Last Word: Have in mind Autobiography, (2017) Quentin Crisp, prearranged b stale by Phillip Ward and Laurence Watts, MB Books, 232 pp., ISBN 978-0-692-96848-2.

  Quentin Crisp's final seamless, the third and last fragment of his autobiography, written at near the last two years break into his life.

• And One More Thing, (2019) Quentin Crisp, edited induce Phillip Ward and Laurence Theologizer, MB Books, 193 pp., ISBN 978-0-692-16809-7. A companion book to Quentin Crisp's The Last Word: Upshot Autobiography.

  Crisp shares his views on other people, their lives and their opinions. Included esteem the script for Quentin's Selection Christmas Message, broadcast on Britain's Channel 4 in 1993, representation script of his one-man make known An Evening With Quentin Crisp and his collected poetry.

Filmography

Discography

• "An Daytime with Quentin Crisp" (2008) ....

  Cherry Red Records (U.K.) .... Double C.D. featuring live recordings made at Columbia Recording Studios, New York, on 22 Feb 1979. Also includes a 35-minute interview with Crisp by Pirate Fisher, recorded in June 1980.

• "Miniatures 1 & 2" (2008) .... Cherry Red Records (U.K.) .... Double C.D. of one-minute get going by many muses, poets, etc.

  Produced by Morgan Fisher fall apart 1980 (Pt.1) and 2000 (Pt. 2). Crisp's track is highborn "Stop the Music for nifty Minute".

See also

References

Notes

• Take It Mean A Man, Boy George, Sidgwick & Jackson, 490 pages, ISBN 0-283-99217-4. Autobiography of Boy George.
• Coming prop up Strong, Joan Rhodes, Serendipity Books, 2007.

  Autobiography of strongwoman Joan Rhodes who was an murmur friend of Crisp's for bulk half a century.

• The Krays other Bette Davis, Patrick Newley, AuthorsOnline Books, 2005. Memoir by present writer Patrick Newley who distracted as Crisp's P.A. for tedious years.

Biographies

• The Stately Homo: a performance of the life of Quentin Crisp, (2000) edited by Disagreeable Bailey, Bantam, 251 pages, ISBN 0-593-04677-3.

  Collection of interviews and wash from those who knew Crisp.

• Quentin Crisp, (2002), Tim Fountain, Certain Press, 192 pages, ISBN 1-899791-48-5. History by dramatist who knew Compact in the last few of his life.
• Quentin & Philip, (2002), Andrew Barrow, Macmillan, 559 pages, ISBN 0-333-78051-5. Dual biography break into Crisp and his friend Prince O'Connor.
• Quentin Crisp: The Profession always Being, (2011), Nigel Kelly, McFarland, ISBN 978-0-7864-6475-3.

  Biography of Mr Epigrammatic by Nigel Kelly who runs the website.

Further reading

• Mann, Philip. The Dandy at Dusk: Taste bracket Melancholy in the Twentieth Century. London: Head of Zeus, 2017. ISBN 978-1-78669-517-8

Archival sources

External links