I picked this book up in September last year, when I was obviously already collecting some of the excellent books about race in the UK and around the world that so many people caused to sell out (hooray!) when the BLM movement hit during lockdown. Not to be performative about it, but just to acknowledge I’ve always been interested in other people’s lives and experiences. Out of these three arrivals I’ve already read and reviewed “I will not be erased” by gal-dem and I’m sure it won’t be long until I get to “The Good Immigrant”. Meanwhile, while it might appear that the bio of the culture guy on Queer Eye might be a bit of a lighter read, it was heart-felt, moving in places, and searingly honest about the bad choices he’s made as well as the good ones.
Karamo Brown – “Karamo”
(24 September 2019)
A great autobiography, written with Jancee Dunn, who is credited as his co-writer in the acknowledgements and named on the title page. It tells it apparently completely as it is, no holds barred and totally open – even more than he is on Queer Eye. We read about his path through addiction and issues with anger and violence, how he came to have two sons and how he put his life back together.
I found reading about his experiences at a Historically Black College/University, where he found people could at last pronounce his name and he saw people of his darker skin tone in positions of power and authority, fascinating, as that’s not a milieu I really recall reading about before. He details his experiences of racism both outside his community (the name thing, playing Streetfighter and finding that the evil twins were always a few shades darker than their counterparts …) and inside it (his grandmother pleading with him to keep out of the son and other confusing episodes of colourism generated by internalised racism) and explains how that all helped him develop into the aggressive and oversexualised person he saw he was expected to be. It is very moving that he basically sorted out his life when he discovered he was a father, and the respectful and loving way in which he took over the care of his son and his brother stands out noticeably against the stereotype of absent Black fathers. He’s also very clear on the failings but also the positives of his own dad, who was not the best role model but who he strives to respect.
There’s the obligatory interaction with the original Fab Five – after Karamo had been on The Real World Philadelphia, he was given an award by GLAAD that they shared with the original QE cast and he got a word from Carson. The chapter on his QE journey is fascinating, detailing how he has fought to make “culture” less about random activities and more about life coaching – although he’s clear on not criticising the original series for being a bit lighter and only really treating the external aspects of the heroes. He’s obviously hugely proud of what he’s achieved, even when this didn’t really come across in Series 1, and he’s honest sharing where he feels he went wrong in not discussing what he wanted to do with the producers. I love the tales of the audition process and how the five bonded and supported one another while others auditioning were more competitive.
The book ends with a call to be kind, to say hello to people who might think differently to you and really listen to them, to see people properly and in the moment and to be selflessly kind in a divided age. A decent book by a decent man.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Sep 05, 2020 @ 10:30:25
I admire that call to be kind and say hello – there are so many intolerances in the world at the moment that I just wish everyone would take a pause and try not to react so hysterically to stuff…
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Liz Dexter
Sep 05, 2020 @ 16:12:08
Yes, it’s lovely and presses this idea throughout the book.
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Lorilin
Sep 05, 2020 @ 11:41:02
I have this one on my shelf. It’s the only queer eye memoir I haven’t read yet. 😆
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Liz Dexter
Sep 05, 2020 @ 16:13:14
I’ve read Tan’s already and have JVN’s, I didn’t get Antoni’s as didn’t really need a cook book. I have the new QE book (and the original series one) and would very much like Bobby to do one …
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Lorilin
Sep 06, 2020 @ 17:15:11
I completely agree. I would love to read Bobby’s backstory… Hopefully he’ll come out with a memoir, too, at some point. 😄
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Sandra
Sep 05, 2020 @ 16:30:33
I have The Good Immigrant here and have high hopes for it. I’ll watch out for your review when you get to it
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Liz Dexter
Sep 05, 2020 @ 16:58:07
Shouldn’t be too long! I think the US version is out now, might not be in paperback yet.
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wadholloway
Sep 06, 2020 @ 11:35:04
The problem we have is not that people don’t say hello to each other, though they often don’t, but that politicians In Australia (you’re very welcome to the very strange Tony Abbott), UK and USA over the past 20 years have constantly played the race card and so have normalized overt racism once again.
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Liz Dexter
Sep 06, 2020 @ 17:02:04
I just am unable to work out how we’ve suddenly developed Tony Abbott here!! And yes, indeed, although I’m clinging to the fact that quiet people like me are getting more outspoken and a lot of initiatives are happening to unite people too.
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Deb Nance at Readerbuzz
Sep 06, 2020 @ 13:06:43
All of us who feel strongly about fairness and justice tend to be quieter people, I think. Maybe we need to speak up a bit more. I certainly plan to do so. The books all look wonderful.
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Liz Dexter
Sep 06, 2020 @ 17:03:38
Yes, I have started speaking up about stuff I see in life and on social media and sharing and amplifying BIPOCs’ posts and initiatives. I’ve always read quite widely about people’s lives who are different to me, but there are so many good books coming out now and I’m enjoying drip feeding posts about them amongst the other stuff here. Even if we do a tiny bit each, it helps, I feel.
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heavenali
Sep 06, 2020 @ 19:23:28
Some excellent reading material there. I really love the look of The Good Immigrant.
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Liz Dexter
Sep 07, 2020 @ 08:24:29
Yes, that looks extremely good and as I have a slew of Persephones, Viragos and DSPs at the start of my TBR, as well as a million books all on birds or nature as a whole, I think I might grab it off there soon!
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kookyrunner
Sep 07, 2020 @ 17:17:24
I didn’t know that Karamo had a book – I’ll have to check it out. I remember him from The Real World years ago and it’s great to see him now on Queer Eye.
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Liz Dexter
Sep 07, 2020 @ 18:32:26
Oh wow – we saw a few of the Real Worlds here but not that one, I think – but it has quite a lot about his experience so you will enjoy this one!
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Jane
Sep 07, 2020 @ 19:38:47
Really listening to each other is something I have to keep reminding myself to do, it’s so important. This does sound good, thanks!
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Liz Dexter
Sep 08, 2020 @ 07:54:34
It is so important. It’s nice when a book that could just be TV tie-in fluff has real and valuable content, I have to say.
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Jane
Sep 08, 2020 @ 19:13:38
you’re right, I would have just passed this over but not now!
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Grab the Lapels
Sep 16, 2020 @ 23:30:03
I’m glad that there is an acknowledgement that he had a co-writer. Some celebs try to hide this, like it’s shameful, even when it’s obvious that not every famous person is a writer.
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Liz Dexter
Sep 17, 2020 @ 07:33:21
Yes, indeed – and as I work with ghostwriters for a lot of my projects, I feel this even more keenly (although sometimes they might not want to be associated with the project!).
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Grab the Lapels
Sep 17, 2020 @ 15:42:54
At least the writer should be given a choice, unless it was in their contract stating they would be ghostwriting. I’m thinking of all those Sweet Valley books attributed to Francine Pascal, who didn’t write a single one.
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Liz Dexter
Sep 17, 2020 @ 15:49:39
The people I work with have to go with the contracts. I have so many books I can’t even mention I’ve worked on, though I have been thanked in one which was lovely (I’m the person who transcribes the interviews that the books are made out of – so way down the line in invisibility terms!). But I do agree.
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Book review – Jonathan van Ness – “Over the Top” | Adventures in reading, running and working from home
Jun 08, 2021 @ 09:00:36