John Waters, the writer and director who emerged from the midnight movie circuit of the 1970s, has earned his status as a social critic. In 13 feature films, including "Pink Flamingos" and "Hairspray," he gleefully presents depraved characters undermining a society of squares.

In the seven years since he made his last film, the director has written "Role Models," a collection of essays about his idols who hurdled over adversity, including Johnny Mathis, Little Richard and a seedy pornographer. He's also hunting down funding...