I've Been Wrong Before - by Evan James (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

From the award-winning essayist and author of the "shrewd as hell and hysterically funny" (Carmen Maria Machado, author of Her Body and Other Parties) novel Cheer Up, Mr. Widdicombe comes a moving and unforgettable essay collection about his travels around the globe as he reflects on the power and complexity of human relationships. From the award-winning essay "Lover's Theme," in which Evan James explores the life of a drag queen in San Francisco, to his poignant story of coming out in "One Hell of a Homie," set against the backdrop of the 1992 film Class Act, this essay collection brilliantly captures both the beauty and pain of relationships--friendly, familiar, and romantic. I've Been Wrong Before is an eye-opening and heartfelt illustration of how our differences are often the things that bring us closer together. Masterfully balancing tremendous insight with startling humor, this absorbing collection features Evan James's "wry intelligence and sense of the absurd" (R.O. Kwon, author of The Incendiaries) and is perfect for fans of Alexander Chee and Maggie Nelson.

Review Quotes

"I've Been Wrong Before is an intoxicating, headlong, barbaric yawp of a journey. Evan James whisks us along as he performs in a San Francisco drag show as a cell phone, visits Provincetown during "Bear Week," gets mistaken for a sex worker in Barcelona, and off-road mountain bikes in a "high-speed, enlightenment-free chase though Southeast Asia." We're having such a good time that we hardly notice his introspection, his quest for belonging, and his pursuit of the big questions, all in splendid sentences. I've Been Wrong Before gets our messy human lives so very, very right." -Beth Ann Fennelly, author of Heating & Cooling: 52 Micro-Memoirs