So since last November, I have been making the bulk of my living penning arts-related articles for various publications, mostly Time Out. Once I got pregnant, I knew I would have to cut back on my performing. I guess these days I think of myself primarily as a journalist. How do all of these coalesce and interact for you? Is one primary over the others? You wear many hats, including writer, performer, playwright, reviewer, host, model, and now soon-to-be mom. I always figured you'd be a bitter old drag queen.' How perfect was that? I wrote a bunch of theater reviews and one day I met someone who had been reading my work and he said, 'So, you're Raven Snook. My favorite name-related anecdote occurred when I was interning for The Village Voice while in college. People assume so many things about you when you have a strong name. And I love living up to it, both on stage and in real life. And combined with Snook it's an absolutely unforgettable moniker. It wasn't the most original nickname, but it fit. Then in ninth grade, I met my first boyfriend and he immediately dubbed me Raven because I wore all-black clothing. But convincing all your friends to call you by a new name is harder than it sounds. I remember trying the name Amanda at some point. I have a journal from third grade where I wrote, 'From today on, everyone will call me Cynthia.' Clearly that never took.

Even as a young child I tried numerous times to change it. What kind of Jewish mother would give her kid a name like 'Raven'? No, I was born Rebecca, and the follow up question people always ask is, 'so… your last name is Snook and you changed your first name?' The truth is, I never felt comfortable with the name Rebecca. Raven uses the words 'performer,' 'writer,' and 'diva' to describe herself on her website-all fitting, but I'd add one more: fabulous.įirstly, is Raven Snook your real name, and whether yes or no, do you feel you’ve had to 'live up to' such a bold name as 'Raven Snook?' Catch Raven while you can, in her April 30th performance with Allison Tilsen, Too Cool for Shul, because she's about to give birth in July (you can check out her ultrasound photo on her blog). Here, Raven tells all about being Lucky Cheng's first 'female female impersonator,' her Maury Povich appearance and talk show sensationalism, Jewish families and body image, having her image on the cover of a book of smut, and exploring her inner (and outer) drag queen, along with survival tips for New York artists. I first saw her read about her drag queen persona at East Side Oral, and was blown away by her glam look and honest glimpse into issues of size, gender and nonconformity on many levels.

Raven Snook is a modern Renaissance woman, appearing here, there and everywhere, doing everything from acting to hosting burlesque shows to writing for the likes of the New York Post, Time Out New York and The Village Voice, among others.

Raven drag queen