![]() ![]() Growing up as a member of the infamous cult The Children of God, Hough had her own self robbed from her. ![]() Air Force, a cable guy, a bouncer at a gay club. Searing and extremely personal essays, shot through with the darkest elements America can manifest, while discovering light and humor in unexpected corners.Īs an adult, Lauren Hough has had many identities: an airman in the U.S. Hough’s writing will break your heart." -Roxane Gay, author of Bad Feminist "A memoir in essays about so many things-growing up in an abusive cult, coming of age as a lesbian in the military, forced out by homophobia, living on the margins as a working class woman and what it’s like to grow into the person you are meant to be.I’m still trying to get it through to the sad 17-year-old kid I was that I’m really a writer.A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER When Blanchett came to Austin, Hough took her to the Iron Bear, where, according to its website, patrons are invited to “take your shirt off and get your groove on.” The choice made sense because, Hough said, “At least I know these guys.”įor Hough, listening to the audiobook is “one of those things that helped get it through my very thick skull that this is real. I hung up, which I think is the logical response,” Hough said. “I got this phone call: Cate Blanchett wants your contact information. The audio version of “Leaving Isn’t the Hardest Thing” is read by Cate Blanchett, who was an early fan of Hough’s work. (According to Hough’s Twitter bio, she is “extremely gay.”) She writes about surviving the doomsday cult she was raised in and a stint in the Air Force during the “don’t ask, don’t tell” era. Hough’s book makes it clear that irate, television-deprived customers were the least of her obstacles. It’s a similar connection that I think you make sometimes with people as a writer. They don’t need a response they just need to say it out loud. ![]() She explained, “People would come up and tell me deeply personal stories. Hough quit her job, but she believes her bartending and work as a bouncer prepared her for her new career. I’m on the phone with my editor or my agent and it’s like, ‘Wait, hold on, I got to get this guy’s ID.’ Or, ‘Hold on, someone’s puking on the patio.’ That’s not really how you’re supposed to conduct business.” ![]() Hough fielded calls about her book deal while at the Iron Bear: “The whole thing was bizarre. I Saw the Worst of America,” led to her essay collection, “Leaving Isn’t the Hardest Thing,” which recently spent two weeks on the paperback nonfiction list. Not long after, Hough said, “Huffington Post asked if I could write a whole story about it.” That piece, “ I Was a Cable Guy. Her harrowing reminiscences about working for a cable company for 10 years struck a chord with followers. “I was like, ‘Hey everyone, you want to hear some cable guy stories?’” she recalled in a recent phone interview. One afternoon, between classes, she started a Twitter thread that would change her life. BAR RAISER In 2018, Lauren Hough was a bartender at the Iron Bear Bar in downtown Austin, Texas, and a student at Austin Community College. ![]()
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