A Book A Week

Throughout all of the tragedy that has come with the COVID-19 pandemic, there have also been small glimmers of hope and joy. One of those bright spots has to be the sudden Instagram stardom of Leslie Jordan. After several weeks of quarantine at home, the entire world put on hold, I would often find myself mindlessly scrolling through the various social media apps on my phone, not really looking for anything in particular. Amongst the doom and gloom that surrounded the pandemic in those early days, I vividly remember stopping on the smiling face of Jordan as he proclaimed, "What are y'all doing?" That silly little video instantly made me laugh and was shared with my friends and family through our various group messages. His infectiously humorous musings in a time that was so dark was just what the doctor ordered.  In his new book How Y'all Doing?: Misadventures and Mischief from a Life Well Lived, Leslie Jordan brings that same zeal and wit to life in the pages. 

There's a dichotomy to Jordan that makes him quite fascinating. He's an openly gay man with a career in Hollywood who also has deep ties to traditional southern values. Behind the humor lies a man who has learned to love and accept himself. Jordan doesn't shy away from writing about coming to terms with his sexuality or battling addiction. In fact, one of the most moving stories in the book is about how Jordan got his Southern Baptist mother to finally accept the fact that he is gay. I don't want to spoil it, but it involves a friendship with Carrie Fisher and a phone call from Debbie Reynolds. 

This book reads less like a memoir and more like a conversation between friends. Jordan pivots from topic to topic bringing his trademark humor and southern charm to each story. I was familiar with his work on both Will & Grace and American Horror Story, but I didn't realize the depth and longevity that his career has had. Through his decades-long career, he has been able to be unabashedly himself. I think that this is the key to his popularity. Whether he is hamming it up with Megan Mullally on a sitcom or documenting his time in quarantine from the camera on his phone, there is a sense of "what you see is what you get." In the era of reality television and influencers, the frankness of Leslie Jordan is a breath of fresh air. 

For more information visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads. 

(2021, 22)