First published 2008
Leslie Jordan opens his life story with memories of growing up in a conservative Tennessee household that shaped his early years. The Emmy-winning performer traces his path from those formative days through his first attempts at commercial acting work. Jordan reveals how he built his career performing solo shows in off-Broadway theaters, developing the voice that would make him a beloved figure. He confronts his battles with addiction to drugs and compulsive sexual behavior with unflinching honesty. The actor and playwright examines how these struggles intersected with his rise as a gay cultural figure. Jordan shows how his small-town origins both hindered and fueled his artistic ambitions. His story moves between the comedy stages of New York and the personal reckonings that defined his adult life. The memoir captures Jordan's evolution from a conflicted young man in the South to an established entertainer who became an icon for many in the LGBTQ community.
Genres: autobiography, memoir, non-fiction, biography-memoir, lgbt, gay
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: coming-of-age, found-family
Setting: Tennessee
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
272 pages · Hardcover · Gallery Books
Content warnings: addiction, drug-use, sexual-content