The beloved star of Friends takes us behind-the-scenes of the hit sitcom and his struggles with addiction in this candid, funny and revelatory memoir that delivers a powerful message of hope and persistence. Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing is an unforgettable memoir that shares the most intimate details of the love Perry lost, his darkest days, and his greatest friends
The star of “Juno” and the popular Netflix sci-fi series “The Umbrella Academy” came out as trans in December 2020. The before and after is the subject of his new memoir. The Oscar nominated actor’s story skips across time, from scenes of bullying in his Nova Scotia childhood to later identity struggles, which became increasingly unbearable as fame set in. Post-transition life in the public eye brought some intolerance and hate, but also kindness from family, fans and colleagues, not to mention the relief of being more comfortably embodied at last.
A Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist draws on his childhood in Los Angeles to explore racism on a deeply personal level. The first time he heard “the talk,” he was 6 and wanted a toy water gun, prompting his mother to gently explain the entrenched bias in how Black children are perceived. There’s a poignancy, too, in the cyclical nature of the story: Bell, now a father, is wrestling with the same questions his own parents faced.
“Pop culture shapes us, and we shape it right back in an invigorating feedback loop of creativity and interpretation,” writes Harris, a podcast host and cultural critic for NPR (and former New York Times journalist). She is keenly aware of the role that music, movies and TV have played in her life — right down to her own name.
