Baggage
Tales from a Fully Packed Life
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4.1 • 16개의 평가
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- US$14.99
출판사 설명
"An intimate look at the making of a man, an actor, an advocate—and most importantly—a happy human being. A wonderful book that is funny, honest, fearless, and generous in its vulnerability." —Douglas Stuart, Booker Prize-winning author of Shuggie Bain
A candid and captivating exploration of identity, resilience, and reinvention, Baggage follows Alan Cumming as he navigates the highs and lows of Hollywood, relationships, and personal growth with humor, honesty, and an unflinching commitment to authenticity.
There is absolutely no logical reason why I am here. The life trajectory my nationality and class and circumstances portended for me was not even remotely close to the one I now navigate. But logic is a science and living is an art.
The release I felt in writing my first memoir, Not My Father’s Son, was matched only by how my speaking out empowered so many to engage with their own trauma. I was reminded of the power of my words and the absolute duty of authenticity.
But…
No one ever fully recovers from their past. There is no cure for it. You just learn to manage and prioritize it. I believe the second you feel you have triumphed or overcome something – an abuse, an injury to the body or the mind, an addiction, a character flaw, a habit, a person – you have merely decided to stop being vigilant and embraced denial as your modus operandi. And that is what this book is about, and for: to remind you not to buy in to the Hollywood ending.
Ironically maybe, much of Baggage chronicles my life in Hollywood and how, since I recovered from a nervous breakdown at 28, work has repeatedly whisked me away from personal calamities to sets and stages around the world. It is also about marriage(s): starting with the break-up of my first (to a woman) and ending with the ascension to my second (to a man) with many kissed toads in between!
But in everything, each failed relationship or encounter with a legend (Liza! X Men! Gore Vidal! Kubrick! Spice Girls!), in every bad decision or moment of sensual joy I have endeavored to show what I have learned and how I’ve become who I am today: a happy, flawed, vulnerable, fearless middle-aged man, with a lot of baggage.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Actor Cumming (Not My Father's Son) returns with a series of revealing and witty reflections on coming to terms with his demons rather than conquering them. He lays out the truth as he sees it: "I believe the second you feel you have triumphed or overcome something, anything... you have merely decided to stop being vigilant and embraced denial as your modus operandi." Growing up with a sadistic father and navigating the oft-bizarre situations that came with fame were just a fraction of the ups and downs that comprised Cumming's personal and professional life. Though confronting his father about his abusiveness was transformative, Cumming resists the narrative that everything was magically solved; there were misguided decisions (including rushing into doomed romantic relationships), drug usage ("Ecstasy was my self-prescribed anti-anxiety medication"), and interventions that failed. But compassion trounces nihilism as Cumming looks back at his past with hard-earned wisdom and acceptance. "If life has taught me anything, it's that change is a given.... The sooner we embrace its possibility the sooner we can really start living." Engaging and often funny, this surprisingly deep work beguiles with its sharp observations and earnest life lessons.
사용자 리뷰
Charming Memoire
I’m a fan, so I thoroughly enjoyed this light hearted musing. Short recaps of the fabulous highs, the lows, days in the life. Looking forward to the next.