Unprotected by Billy Porter

I read a lot of memoirs, so my standards are high. I like a deep dive inside the mind of a person. Whether it is uplifting and inspirational, or tragic and heartbreaking, I want a story I cannot put down. I want it to be so memorable that if I ever saw the author, I would quickly identify myself as a forever fan! I realize this is one tall order to fill, but "Unprotected" by singer, actor, playwright and director, Billy Porter checks all of my required boxes in bold. Growing up in Pittsburgh, Porter had big dreams from the beginning, but those aspirations were never championed. In an attempt to "fix" Porter, he was bullied, sexually abused by his step-father and put down by his family and Pentecostal church. In the middle of this trauma, he saw singing and performing as his way out of the darkness. There is a moment in the book when he realizes that he has finally survived his childhood, and he can now get on with the rest of his life. He packs his bags for Carnegie Mellon University, ready to become a student of his craft. But that road into adulthood was not easy either. Even after he took his last Greyhound bus to New York City, rejection seemed to plague him, but never deter him. After small parts in a slew of Broadway musicals, he was waiting patiently for his lead role when he got the phone call. It was choreographer/director Jerry Mitchell with breaking news. Porter went to Jerry's apartment, where the door opened with two glasses of champagne. "It was always you," said Mitchell. Porter had won the part of Lola in "Kinky Boots," a role that would earn him the Tony award. Despite abuse, racism and rejection, Porter would ride his shining star into an award-winning career across all entertainment genres. "Unprotected" is a riveting read, and if I ever run into Porter, I will tell him how much I loved and admired his memoir.  To buy this book on Amazon click here.