I’m not the audience for this autobiography.
But this doesn’t cloud my judgement about how well this is written for the readership it is intended for. So I’ll start by explaining why it didn’t totally capture my attention.
I was thirty-three when out football star, Ian Roberts’ autobiography came out. And while I enjoyed it I remember reading a review which said he was too young to write this memoir, and that his insights will have more resonance when he writes another one at a more advanced age.
This kept coming to mind as I read Caught in the Act. Shane writes well, and I never realised how successful Courtney was before Drag Race. I also love the gentle care they bring when talking to younger queer readers in this book. Shane’s stories inspire, but also teach.
This work is also aimed at both the US and Australian mainstream.
There are nostalgic moments Australians will smirk at, and explanations about our culture so American fans aren’t left out.
Shane Jenek is eighteen years younger than me. His take on Sydney’s Oxford Street scene partly crosses over with my experiences. His concerns about how crystal meth changed the atmosphere of queer venues is similar to mine, and those in my age group. My friends feel we had the best years, enjoying ecstasy and LSD, keeping us happy rather than intense. Shane compares both periods.
As an older reader, I was often curious how further hindsight might change the way he viewed certain things which had happened to him. That’s a problem when you are reading a younger person’s autobiography. You recognise points of view which come with youth, not unlike the views you once had in similar situations.
But you revaluate as time passes. Hopefully, Shane will grace us with another autobiography in about fifteen to twenty years. I’m curious if he’ll have a fresh perspective on his life.
Regardless of how an older reader like me related to this younger man’s style, the fact is, he achieved what he set out to do with this book. Tell Shane and Courtney’s story in an entertaining manner, and make the next generation of queer kids feel better about themselves.
For that, I give this five stars.
A note about Shane’s pronouns as I use several in this review. As noted in this book, the author is fine with they, but also fine with he or she depending if they are Shane or Courtney at the time.
kevin klehr 