REVIEW OF MY TRIP DOWN THE PINK CARPET BY LESLIE JORDAN (2008)

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I have always been a fan of Leslie Jordan. When he and Karen Walker would get into it during episodes of Will & Grace, I marveled at his comic timing, his inflection of speech, and his ability to work with co-stars in a spontaneous improvisational jam like a jazz band making music in response to interpretation of each other’s sounds.  

After a lifetime of seeking and struggling in a “purpose in life” journey of self discovery, he’s settled on using his superpower for humor as a light in this dark world, living a life of attraction, rather than promotion. I admire his absolute candor about challenges he’s faced, decisions he’s made, actions he took, and the total acceptance he has for himself and others. Some people are on earth to be storytellers, instinctively arranging narrative details, stringing them in a monologue like the lustrous pearls on their granny’s necklace, to mesmerize listeners. 

Leslie’s natural gifts, born of a southern tradition, have been honed over years of standup, acting in film, television, writing, producing, and in stage performances. Watching his Instagram videos during the recent Covid-19 lockdowns kept me laughing, as I worked to structure my life to stay safe and keep my 94 year old mother protected. Watching the brief videos was like quickly popping a laugh pill, and I cherished the time he spent sharing his pandemic experiences with his “fellow hunker downers.” 

I enjoyed this book for it’s humor and candor, detailing a slice of life often overlooked in all its dimensions. I used voiceover on a kindle, but would much preferred to have heard his voice doing the narration, but at this point, there is no such audible edition. I hope future memoirs are in the pipeline bringing us up to date over the intervening 12 years, but would be surprised if he had the time for it.

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