Roddy Bottum wrote a gorgeous book called The Royal We that I fell hard for at first blush. It is about so many things at once that I dare not reduce it to a summary, but it’s partly gay Foxes (the brilliant 1980 film from Adrian Lyne starring Jodie Foster and Cherie Currie), a little Stand By Me, and a lot Please Kill Me in the way it captures a vital scene in formation and its myriad intersections. It is Roddy’s beautiful and brave memoir of his early days in California and specifically coming up and through in San Francisco.

Roddy and I bonded over our shared encyclopedic knowledge of after school specials and cautionary tales of the late 70s and 80s. At the time that I read his memoir he was still looking for a publisher, and to the surprise of no one, his book found a home at Akashic and will be launching in the fall of 2025. I am so excited and honored to celebrate this book in advance of its publication.

In addition to adoring Roddy’s book, I am also a BIG FAN of his infectious energy. If you know him then you know precisely what I mean and if you don’t, this is just another reason why you must join us on February 16th. I cannot wait to hear Roddy read his work and then to have the opportunity to discuss it with him after. Much to get into!

To celebrate the occasion we will have a special excerpt from The Royal Weavailable as a broadside at the event.