{"product_id":"baggage-tales-from-a-fully-packed-life-isbn-9780062435781","title":"Baggage: Tales from a Fully Packed Life","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"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.\" \u003c\/strong\u003e—\u003cstrong\u003eDouglas Stuart, Booker Prize-winning author of \u003cem\u003eShuggie Bain\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA candid and captivating exploration of identity, resilience, and reinvention, \u003cem\u003eBaggage\u003c\/em\u003e 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.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThere 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.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe release I felt in writing my first memoir, \u003cem\u003eNot My Father’s Son\u003c\/em\u003e, 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut…\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eNo 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.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIronically maybe, much of \u003cem\u003eBaggage\u003c\/em\u003e 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! \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut 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 \u003cem\u003elot\u003c\/em\u003e of baggage.\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003e“Revealing and witty…Engaging and often funny, this surprisingly deep work beguiles with its sharp observations and earnest life lessons.”  - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly (starred review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“With winning resilience and buoyancy, Cumming revisits a stretch of his young adult life book-ended by two marriages: one straight, one gay…the 56-year-old Cumming remains the irresistible ‘cheeky chappie’ who has survived horrific trauma to become a beloved show-business institution, and perhaps unlikely fount of wisdom.”  - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Alan Cumming’s \u003cem\u003eBaggage \u003c\/em\u003ehas the right perspective on life—and so will you after reading it…To wit, \u003cem\u003eBaggage \u003c\/em\u003eis the most delightful after-dinner aperitif—something worth savoring.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eUSA Today\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"It seems fundamentally unfair that Alan Cumming is, in addition to being a fine actor and a wicked performer, such a hell of a good writer. But he is. He's observant, honest, often trenchantly funny, always emotionally honest. He's an international treasure. - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNeil Gaiman\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"I could not love this man… or this book more. Alan writes with such unvarnished truth and a humor that can only come from a brilliant mind, rapier wit and resilience from emotionally painful life experiences. This book—like Alan is off the page—is full of insight, compassion, intellect and wisdom. This is the best \u003cem\u003eBaggage\u003c\/em\u003e to have.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMonica Lewinsky\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Everything that makes Alan Cumming so engaging as a person and a performer—his cleverness, kindness, charm, wildness and, above all, authenticity—shines from every page of this wonderful, witty and wise book.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNigella Lawson\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Thoughtful, candid revelations join with intimate confessions while Cumming’s witty repartee never falters. Regardless of his traumatic past, the memoir lifts the veil on a happier man who has ‘transcended and bloomed.’ With heartfelt anecdotes and an honest perspective, Cumming shares the struggles and joys of a fulfilling life while making peace with the baggage of a troubled past. Cathartic and revelatory, Cumming’s memoir will fascinate fans and those who relate to his internal struggle.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"An intimate look at the making of a man, an actor, an advocate—and most importantly—a happy human being. Cumming is a natural raconteur, and this feels like a private conversation between the author and the reader. A wonderful book that is funny, honest, fearless, and generous in its vulnerability.\"  - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eDouglas Stuart, Booker Prize-winning author of Shuggie Bain\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Dey Street Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44889616154853,"sku":"NP9780062435781","price":27.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780062435781.jpg?v=1730231609","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/baggage-tales-from-a-fully-packed-life-isbn-9780062435781","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}