What book or “listen” has been most important or influential to your own path?

Trixie: Honestly, when I read Watchmen, it was like an exploration of morality … you know, beauty is subjective? Morality is also subjective—the human race is nothing if not a bunch of people who in their mind believe they're doing the right thing.

Katya: A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again by David Foster Wallace.

What is it in storytelling that you like most?

Trixie: I like creative ways to get us to look harder at ourselves than we would otherwise feel like doing.

Katya: I appreciate an iconic female main character.

What is it that you most dislike in storytelling?

Trixie: I hate being told what I love. Things that are slightly open ended or characters that are very gray, I like. Something where people get a completely different experience out of what they read.

Katya: I can’t stand predictability, especially when a story hinges on an overdone trope.

If you had to pick just one, would it be plot, character, or setting?

Trixie: I have to say character, because when you really fall for a character and the character feels real, you will read a book about them staring at the wall.

Katya: Character. When a character is good, you’d watch/read/listen to them do anything anywhere.

Who would you want to narrate your life, your life story, or your memoir?

Trixie: I think to narrate my memoir I would love Leslie Jordan. [Editors note: RIP. Among his many talents, Leslie Jordan was an incredible narrator.]

Katya: Jean Smart.

Do you like the sound of your voice?

Trixie: I'm so used to it now. I used to have a lot of issues with my voice sounding really feminine or sounding just like my mom—but then, I pretend to be a woman for a living ... so whatever!

Katya: Of course not.

Who do you create/write for?

Trixie: I create for my own enjoyment. I would say that in the beginning I was a creator who pretended that I created for myself, but really, I wanted people to like me. Now I can say I confidently make things for my own enjoyment.

Katya: I write/create for this woman I met once at the mall. She was folding sweaters at Ann Taylor Loft. I think her name was Laurie.

Whose praise of your work is most important?

Trixie: I would say that anybody I'm inspired by—them liking it is a big deal to me. Like, if it's an artist that I love and I find out they like something I did, it means a lot.

Katya: Finding out that Bjork was a fan of mine was a pretty big moment.

How do you define success?

Trixie: I would say that success is finding balance. But if you make enough money to live, you're inspired by what you do, and you have enough time to have a rich personal life, you've won. You've conquered everything.

Katya: I define success as being able to create work that is resonant with my fans without sacrificing my creative vision.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Trixie: I played Radio City Music Hall yesterday for a sold-out audience, and I would say that that is one of those moments. Even if someone knows nothing about me, that's now a defining experience in my life.

Katya: I am very proud of our show, Trixie and Katya Live, specifically the show in Wellington where we kept it so cold that I didn’t sweat a drop.

What is your perfect day?

Trixie: My perfect day is late summer or early winter, otherwise known as fall.

Katya: My perfect day is one where I wake up at my house, drink a glass of water with fresh lemon, eat a hearty breakfast, have a fierce workout, and then head to my studio, blast the music, and sew a dress that I inevitably hate and tear apart.

Do you have a guilty pleasure?

Trixie: I don't have guilty pleasure because they don't feel bad about loving things.

Katya: I don’t believe in the concept of guilty pleasures, but I own an absurd amount of scented candles. I like to line them up on my staircase and light them all.

What would people be surprised to know about you?

Trixie: People would be surprised to know that I'm obsessed with birds. I think people know that I like birds, but I have an earnest interest in reading nonfiction about birds.

Katya: Between Trixie’s and my podcast, YouTube shows, books, and my social media presence, it feels like everything there is to know about me is truly out there. I don’t think a ton of people know that I actually have a gorgeous mezzo-soprano singing voice that has been compared to Ella Fitzgerald and Barbra Streisand.