At AvidBards, we continue to be honoured when authors ask us to review their books. Though we’ve admittedly been much slower to take on new books and respond to requests in the last little while (especially throughout the pandemic), one request that really piqued our interest was actor Leon Acord’s memoir entitled Sub-Lebrity*: *The Queer Life of a Show-Biz Footnote.
Acord himself calls the book a “cheeky telling of my journey from nervous gay farm boy in rural 1970s Indiana, to out-and-proud twenty-year veteran of numerous gay stage and film projects in San Francisco and Los Angeles, to creator/writer/star of the LGBT comedy TV series Old Dogs & New Tricks (Amazon Prime).” Since AvidBards is all about exploring different types of storytelling mediums, we felt it was incredibly fitting to take on this book, as it includes aspects from the film, TV, and writing fields. And while I’m not always compelled to read memoirs and autobiographies, I am always compelled to works that are written by and/or tell stories about people in marginalized communities. So, knowing right off the bat that Acord was a queer actor made me want to read his story even more.
Read our full blog post below to hear our thoughts about the book!
Our Review
Acord immediately hooks readers with his personable, approachable, and candid tone. Humour and comedy play a big part in his book, often in the forms of witty, sarcastic, and sometimes dark humour—all of which are completely up my alley. I’m also a big fan of how unfiltered and uncensored Acord is, as this helps to relay a strong sense of authenticity. Readers are taken through Acord’s entire life so far, starting from childhood and ending in present day. The memoir is full of defining moments as Acord candidly writes about his personal and professional life. While doing so, he treats the reader like a friend, and injects tidbits of wisdom, advice, and self-reflexivity throughout.
Acord’s writing is casual, conversational, and easy to read. I personally think that the book’s strengths lie more in its content than its writing style, but that isn’t necessarily a criticism. To me, the book’s purpose is to offer the world a unique perspective, which is precisely what it does. Through Acord’s honest and authentic retelling of his life as an artist and actor—and most importantly, as a person—we are given a one-of-a-kind experience. I also appreciate the photos that Acord frequently peppers throughout the book, which serve as fun visual aids and contribute even further to its uniqueness. While the book itself is quite long at 368 pages, this shouldn’t deter you: each chapter is practically a story in itself, which allows you to take your time to enjoy it.
For me, as someone who doesn’t act but does participate in many other artistic fields, it was exciting to read about Acord’s acting career, especially that of his experiences in L.A. and San Francisco. His combination of experiences on the stage and in TV and film are extremely insightful, and I think actors, playwrights, and screenwriters would find this particular aspect of the book really resourceful. Not only that, but the book also explores the more general feeling of what it’s like to fall in love with the arts, so I know my fellow creatives would enjoy this.
Writers like Acord should be applauded for sharing their life stories, as this is a courageous and difficult task for anyone to take on. He ultimately spares no details and doesn’t just speak about his career, but also about topics like the exploration of his sexuality, his relationships with family, friends, and partners, his traumas and personal struggles, his experiences dealing with bullying and homophobia, and much, much more. Acord’s stories are never one-dimensional, as he is always able to convey the complexities of life onto the page in an accessible and relatable way.
On top of that, most people wouldn’t bother to be this honest and publicly open about themselves. I personally think that one of the biggest obstacles authors face when writing memoirs is the ability to step back and apply an overarching sense of self-awareness to their stories. However, Acord really nails this self-awareness, as he is consistently unafraid to reflect on his own mistakes and shortcomings. He writes through the wise lens of someone who is lucidly and comprehensively reflecting on the events of their past. What really helps to ground him, as well, is the way he effortlessly pokes fun at himself and employs self-deprecating humour. (The title itself, “sub-lebrity”, is a self-proclaimed reference to being a “minor celebrity”.) However, I love that he balances this out by celebrating his many life accomplishments, as well.
Another successful aspect of the book is the way Acord curates his life events to create a cohesive narrative. He strikes a good balance of including lighthearted, humourous, and inspirational moments alongside the inevitable heartbreaks and tragedies of life, and clearly has a strong understanding of how to craft successful narrative structures. (This is not surprising, considering his extensive background in acting and screenwriting!) Moreover, he uses his own life learnings to offer value to the reader.
For me, one of the biggest highlights were the footnotes. There are a total of 133 footnotes in the book, and these are where some of the best comedic moments are, often including witty quips or informative tidbits and fun facts.
I would also be remiss not to mention the series of important historical moments that Acord takes us through, such as the HIV/AIDS epidemic, 9/11, the Pulse nightclub shooting, Trump’s election, and much more—predominantly focusing on how these events have impacted queer and other marginalized communities. Acord effortlessly intertwines an element of activism into his book, using his voice to address many important sociopolitical issues that continue to be extremely relevant to this day.
In the same vein, another important element in the book is the commentary on heteronormative structures in society. Acord frankly speaks about his experience as an openly gay actor, and having to deal with the systemic homophobia that has accompanied it. For example, he frequently had to deal with feedback of either being “too gay” or “not gay enough” for roles, which is a wholly unfair and frustrating stereotype that many queer actors have faced. Moments like this serve as a harsh reminder that heterosexual actors almost never have to worry that their sexual orientation will affect their ability to get work. Yet, any person who doesn’t abide by heteronormative structures does have to worry that these backwards biases may affect their livelihood. Though society has come a long way in terms of depicting diverse representation in media, Acord’s book reminds us that we still have a lot of work to do when it comes to dismantling systemic queerphobia.
In many ways, the first half of the book is reminiscent of a bildungsroman, as Acord takes us through his journey as a youth who is navigating his sexuality and discovering his love for acting. The second half then progresses into more of a künstlerroman, a narrative that reflects on and outlines the artist’s personal and professional growth. At the end of the day, Acord offers us a detailed yet structured recounting of his life in a way that offers guidance and perspective to his readers. Acord has accrued a lifetime of wisdom and experiences that anyone of any age, gender, creed, or sexual orientation can ultimately relate to or find value in.
(By the way, the latter portion of his book delves into Acord’s creation of his own web series, which he wrote and starred in, called Old Dogs & New Tricks. While I’ve only watched the first few episodes, it’s just the kind of honest, raw, and uncensored television that I thoroughly enjoy and want to see more of!)
Ultimately, Acord’s book took me on an exciting and heartfelt adventure. Through reading about his experiences and works, this memoir reminded me of how important it is to recognize artists like Acord for the work they did (and still do), especially in paving the way for queer representation in media. Lastly, what’s so refreshing about this book is Acord’s insistence that there is never just “one” definition of success in life. Rather, success is whatever we want it to be – whatever we personally define for ourselves.
I’d like to end off this review with one of my favourite lines from the book, one that really resonated with me and that I think will resonate with all of you too.
“Life in the arts can still be richly rewarding, even if it doesn’t reward one with riches.”
Leon Acord, p. 367, Sub-Lebrity*: *The Queer Life of a Show-Biz Footnote
Order Leon Acord’s book Sub-Lebrity*: *The Queer Life of a Show-Biz Footnote on Amazon today!
You can also visit Leon Acord’s official website here.
Episodes of Old Dogs & New Tricks are available on the show’s YouTube channel, or you can check Amazon Prime Video to see if the episodes are available in your region.
~ Z ~
