30 Comments
User's avatar
Ana Paula's avatar

Oh my God, I've always thougth you should write a book sharing your Memories and thoughts and inspiration and feelings and stories of your life. I Hope so much to have the chance of having one copy when this book be released. Hugs from Brasil

Expand full comment
Alexandra Auder's avatar

Really love it. I still pee in the pool and get nervous about the dye. Not kidding.

I love: I've always been a writer and never written a thing. xo

Expand full comment
Roddy Bottum's avatar

Love you, thanks for reading and peeing.

Expand full comment
Joey Holman's avatar

Amazing, amazing, amazing.

Expand full comment
Roddy Bottum's avatar

Love you

Expand full comment
Cyrus Gilbert-Rolfe's avatar

I'm just gripped with excitement now. May the Lord bless Akashic and everyone who sails in her. After hearing a chapter in Paris and reading this one, I can only say to everyone that sees this humble comment - we're all going to immerse ourselves in this book when we're allowed to greedily devour it all. Congratulations Roddy. Beyond deserved, and I can't WAIT

PS I saw Queer too. Loved it. Will make comments elsewhere. I'm just back to the surface of the water. I'm so happy about your book.

Expand full comment
Colin Self's avatar

1. I saw my friend Leila Hekmet's opera Gloriette in Berlin at the HAU1. A perverse and poetic mangum opus toot with knockout performances from my friends, gave me hope for the future.

2. Saw Wicked yesterday. Brought me back to high school. A good cry about the importance of friendship.

3. Today I go to the Christmas market here. I wouldn't say I like German culture, except they love Christmas.

Expand full comment
Roddy Bottum's avatar

I remember seeing The Fool. Absolutely life affirming to witness our friends achieving greatness. There’s no place i’d rather be than in that audience. I’m going to market today too, bustle bustle, NYC is in such a hurry, Colin. To what?! love you

Expand full comment
Colin Self's avatar

New York LOVES a hurry! sometimes when I am there I like pretending like I am in a hurry just to be a part of the madness. madness can be fun! love YOU!

Expand full comment
Roddy Bottum's avatar

Hahahahahhaha. Totally. Pretending to hurry

Expand full comment
SP's avatar

You do have great posture. Love! Can’t wait to read!

Expand full comment
Roderick's avatar

The chapter you shared isn’t dead. It opened something in me. It’s resting, waiting for you to come back to it when you’re ready. It doesn’t matter if you keep telling the same stories. Writing them down is different. It demands a different kind of honesty, the kind of honesty it’s difficult to sustain when recounting something verbally and once written down they will interrogate you, if you let them.

This weekend I’m attending Fall Sessions of New York Yearly Meeting (Quakers). Last night (this morning UK time) we had a presentation of part of a documentary in production about the life of Magnus Hirschfeld. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-forgotten-history-of-the-worlds-first-trans-clinic/. I knew his name but didn’t know anything about his work. What a man. I’m going to go to Berlin in January to the site where the clinic / queer space he founded used be (before the Nazis burned it down) to pay homage to him and celebrate his life.

Expand full comment
Can of Leaves's avatar

I am so facking here for all of it. Bring it on -- all the chapters. I will bathe in it.

I'm writing. It's for work, so.

I'm planning a camping trip in our new (to us) VW bus

I'm decorating my tree with my sister Terry and brother Patrick tonight.

Expand full comment
Roddy Bottum's avatar

Will you sleep in a tent?

Expand full comment
Can of Leaves's avatar

We could. But the van has a pop-up, which was the main driver of the purchase.

Expand full comment
Kris Waterman's avatar

Dinner tonight, finish decorating the house tomorrow, bowling in my monthly league on Sunday.

Expand full comment
Roddy Bottum's avatar

What did you make for dinner?

Expand full comment
Christina Martinson's avatar

Can't wait to read a whole book!

1. Volunteering with the Friends of the Library at an event where people dress up their dogs to see Santa

2. Double header at the arthouse movie theatre to see It's a Wonderful Life and The Shop Around the Corner

3. Taking my son to tour the high school he will attend next year (!!!!!!)

xoxo

Expand full comment
Roddy Bottum's avatar

omg, high school. Can you believe you're this old? Your son is going to high school!!!

Expand full comment
Christina Martinson's avatar

Some days yes, and some days no! ha!

Expand full comment
Susie K's avatar

I like the dead chapter! My youth was similar, substitute playing with fire for bomb threats. Better living through chemistry 70s style parenting. This weekend includes going to the library, art gallery and reading Mindhunter, and I've been listening to Buckingham Nicks again

Expand full comment
Roddy Bottum's avatar

What’s Mindhunter? Sounds like a game. I want in!

Expand full comment
Susie K's avatar

It does sound fun, but it's about the horrific but fascinating beginning of the FBI behaviour science unit.

Expand full comment
Karl Dunn's avatar

I'm a big believer in the first sentence. "Because it all begins with chemicals, I’ll start there," is a great one mate. Confessional noir. I hope this survived in your final draft somewhere. But this is the thing with writing books, you have to kill your babies.

But they always come back later in conversations, thoughts you post, first sentences of the next book.

Looking forward to the publishing date!

Expand full comment
Roddy Bottum's avatar

Totally Karl. First sentences are key. I played a game with first sentences at a writing retreat once that was mind blowing.

Expand full comment
Karl Dunn's avatar

Oh nice one mate. Teach me that tool someday, I would love to know what you learned there.

Expand full comment
fernando x fuentes's avatar

Visiting mexico city. Gonna eat as much as i can, see if i fit in my old suit, and hopefully see folks i haven’t seen in a while

Expand full comment
Roddy Bottum's avatar

Lucky! Mexico City. Oof. Especially the food. Have a gas.

Expand full comment
Meredith Webb's avatar

Sleeping. Wondering. Eating Korean BBQ.

Thank you for these words you share!

Expand full comment
Roddy Bottum's avatar

Yum, Meredith. I'm hungry.

Expand full comment