Alan Cumming Talks About ‘Luggage’


Actor and author Alan Cumming was amazed that his best-selling debut memoir “Not My Father’s Son” inspired many readers who were going through their own childhood traumas. But in this week’s podcast, he says he’s disappointed when people describe him as “victory” or “overcoming” their adversity. “I didn’t, I didn’t, I definitely didn’t,” he says. And it emphasizes the point new memoir “Luggage”.

“We all have baggage, we all have trauma, we all have something,” she says. “But the worst thing to do is pretend it didn’t happen. deny it or think it’s over. And I felt that the reaction to my first book was in danger of being realized. That’s why I try to say: you can never get over it, it’s always with you.” He adds: “You have to be very careful with your trauma. If you deny it, it will come back and bite you in the ass.”

Allen C. Guelzo visited the podcast to discuss “Robert E. Lee: A Life” New biography of the Confederate leader.

“Since another serious biography of Lee was published in at least 25 years – this one was written by Emory Thomas in 1995 – it’s time for me to start reevaluating Lee and ask specifically. Someone like me has questions about Lee, a frankly Northerner. It comes from a perspective,” says Guelzo. “After all, all the books I’ve written up to this point have been about Abraham Lincoln and the Union’s cause in the war, and I thought it might be fruitful to look at Robert E. Lee through the other end of the telescope.”

Also in this week’s episode, Alexandra Alter has news from the publishing world; and Alexandra Jacobs and Molly Young talk about books they recently reviewed. The host is Pamela Paul.

Here are the books Times reviewers are discussing this week:

We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode and the Book Review podcast in general. you can send them books@nytimes.com.



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