My book is non-fiction. I changed a couple of names to cover my ass, but everyone in it is “real life.” God, though, how I wish Donald Trump were fictional!

Leon Acord – 30 July 2023

The Back Flap

Gay actor/writer and burgeoning curmudgeon (queer-mudgeon?) Leon Acord takes on current events (MAGA, cancel culture), modern-day life (precocious parents, technology), pop culture (theatre critics, closeted actors), and more in his new collection of bitchy yet bubbly essays, all written in the same acerbic voice that made his 2020 memoir SUB-LEBRITY a five-star Amazon bestseller.

About the book

What is the book about?

Expletives Not Deleted is an eclectic collection of comic essays on topics that either thrill me or annoy the crap out of me. My followers on social media seem to enjoy it most when I spout off about things that piss me off. So I picked some of those topics – like racism and MAGA and technology – and “went deep.” Well, at least deeper than a Facebook post! But there are also light-hearted pieces, about things like diva worship and annoying parents who try to be their kids’ besties.

When did you start writing the book?

I began in the winter of 2021. But I began to think about writing it much earlier!

 How long did it take you to write it?

About 1 year, or 18 months if you count all the proofing, editing, proofing, then preparing it for publication.

 Where did you get the idea from?

Fran Lebowitz is one of my favorite writers. Now, I don’t even pretend to think I’m anywhere near her league as a writer, but she’s been an idol of mine, and a standard-bearer, since I first discovered Metropolitan Life back in high school. She is wickedly smart and funny. The essay collections of John Waters were also an inspiration, because I like how wildly varied his topics were – from his love of criminal trials to a Q&A with Pia Zadora! (Google her if you need to!) It was liberating, allowing myself to write about everything from Trump to a review of the Netflix film Blonde to more personal pieces, like my examination of my former addiction to cigarettes.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

Writing about my sister’s death was tough, because I wanted to be honest while not offending her daughters or my parents. I also worked a lot on a piece about life during the early days of COVID that I eventually abandoned. Try as I might, I just couldn’t make it funny. It’s not like my experience was unique. Like most everyone else, I was locked up at home, watching too much streaming TV, fretting about the election, fuming over the murder of George Floyd, and driving my husband bonkers. Not exactly laugh-out-loud material. At least, not yet!

What came easily?

The longest chapter, ironically, was the easiest. It catalogs 20 feature films made before 2000 that every gay man born after 2000 should see before discussing film with his gay elders. That was a lot of fun to research and write.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

My book is non-fiction. I changed a couple of names to cover my ass, but everyone in it is “real life.” God, though, how I wish Donald Trump were fictional!

Do you have a target reader for this book?

Clearly, it’s not for your average Republican! It’s for liberal and middle-of-the-road folks who feel exacerbated by much of what’s going on in our country. Certainly queer folk will enjoy it, but I’ve heard back from straight women and men who also really loved it! I truly believe that the more specific you are as a writer, the more universal your writing becomes.

How was writing this book different from what you’d experienced writing previous books?

This is only my second book. My first was a memoir, so the main “plot” was already established, I just had to figure out which stories to tell, which ones to cut, and how to pull it all together thematically. A book of essays is much easier! The tone is pretty consistent throughout my book, but there was great freedom in not telling a tale! I could literally go anywhere I wanted to. And did.

End of Interview:

For more from Leon Acord, visit his website and follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Get your copy of Expletives Not Deleted from Amazon US or Amazon UK.