Baggage: Tales from a Fully Packed Life

Written by Alan Cumming

Narrated by Alan Cumming

*Read by Alan Cumming himself*

""An intimate look at the making of a man, an actor, an advocate—and most importantly—a happy human being. A wonderful book that is funny, honest, fearless, and generous in its vulnerability."" —Douglas Stuart, Booker Prize-winning author of Shuggie Bain

There is absolutely no logical reason why I am here. The life trajectory my nationality and class and circumstances portended for me was not even remotely close to the one I now navigate. But logic is a science and living is an art.

The release I felt in writing my first memoir, Not My Father’s Son, was matched only by how my speaking out empowered so many to engage with their own trauma. I was reminded of the power of my words and the absolute duty of authenticity.

But…

No one ever fully recovers from their past. There is no cure for it. You just learn to manage and prioritize it. I believe the second you feel you have triumphed or overcome something – an abuse, an injury to the body or the mind, an addiction, a character flaw, a habit, a person – you have merely decided to stop being vigilant and embraced denial as your modus operandi. And that is what this book is about, and for: to remind you not to buy in to the Hollywood ending.

Ironically maybe, much of Baggage chronicles my life in Hollywood and how, since I recovered from a nervous breakdown at 28, work has repeatedly whisked me away from personal calamities to sets and stages around the world. It is also about marriage(s): starting with the break-up of my first (to a woman) and ending with the ascension to my second (to a man) with many kissed toads in between! But in everything, each failed relationship or encounter with a legend (Liza! X Men! Gore Vidal! Kubrick! Spice Girls!), in every bad decision or moment of sensual joy I have endeavored to show what I have learned and how I’ve become who I am today: a happy, flawed, vulnerable, fearless middle-aged man, with a lot of baggage.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Oct 26, 2021
• ISBN: 9780063138681

Alan Cumming

Alan Cumming’s many awards for his stage and screen work include the Tony, Olivier, BAFTA, and Emmy. He is the author of two children’s books, a book of photographs and stories, a novel and the #1 New York Times bestselling memoir Not My Father's Son. He is a podcaster (Alan Cumming’s Shelves) and an amateur barman (NYC’s Club Cumming). Find out more at alancumming.com, @alancumming on Twitter, and @alancummingsnaps on Instagram. 

Reviews for Baggage

[Irma Elena Arriaga Cuesta · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved it! And the fact he reads and acts his own writing makes this listening perfect.

[Karen · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wonderful adventure, bravely told. Nothing is held back. And some laugh out loud moments. It is abundantly clear that Alan Cumming has made a conscious decision to embrace and share all the joy life has to offer. He has faced and dealt with the darkness as well, putting it away, but acknowledging while it will always be a part of him, it does not have power over him. What a fabulous man.

[katiekrug · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I love Alan Cumming - his movies, his cabaret shows, his audiobook narrations, his social media presence... So I was very pre-disposed to like this memoir, and I did. It's an interesting follow-up to his first memoir about his abusive father. That experience colors some of his stories in this one, but this is a much more show biz-y, gossip-y book, but one that also provides for some real introspection. That said, I probably liked all the "back stage" stories the best because I can be shallow like that. And, of course, I have to recommend the audio of this one because Cumming reads it himself.

3.75 stars

[flip_martian · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I came to this book without reading anything else by him, so had no idea about the memoir talking about his relationship with his father - that gets touched on here and sounds grim to say the least. Thankfully dealt with in later life, as he explains here also (guessing that was in the previous book in more detail). The rest of the book is entertaining in a light and fluffy way on the whole - a mix of excerpts from his whirlwind lifestyle and some gossipy stories which are entertainingly told (the scene described on the set of X2 where actors dressed as super heroes confront the director was hysterical).

But dear God, those showbizzy and glitzy parties sound incredibly boring and shallow. I guess you either embrace that life or you don't, and he obviously did. As a life, it would drive me nuts but as a book it was entertaining, funny, and well written on the whole.

[beth3511 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A really interesting, almost compulsive read for me. It was heavier on some of his iconic movie roles, rather than his theater roles (except for his role as emcee in Cabaret). He shares some great stories, about a wild dinner party with Gore Vidal, friendship with Liza Minelli, and experience on the film Xmen 2. I liked that he is no shrinking violet, and talks about clubbing, recreational drug use, and so on, but doesn't dwell on it, nor is he ashamed of it. He admits when he goes overboard, but seems to be able to keep it in a healthy balance. His reflections on how his father's abuse has affected his life, and how he's continually coming to terms with it, was very interesting. I hope he writes about his US tv roles at some point.