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1.05k reviews for:
Hola Papi: How to Come Out in a Walmart Parking Lot and Other Life Lessons
John Paul Brammer
4.06 AVERAGE
1.05k reviews for:
Hola Papi: How to Come Out in a Walmart Parking Lot and Other Life Lessons
John Paul Brammer
4.06 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Homophobia
Moderate: Sexual assault
I’ve been following JP Brammer on the internet, where he lives, for awhile now. His voice is just so warm, funny, cutting when needed.
His journey navigating his racialized identity resonated in particular- being at first oblivious, then all too aware, latching on too hard, misguidedly looking for a shallow kind of Authenticity. And he so vividly captures the terror of homophobic, racist small town America.
Beautiful, tender, heavy; a lovely little balm for the soul still trying to find themselves.
His journey navigating his racialized identity resonated in particular- being at first oblivious, then all too aware, latching on too hard, misguidedly looking for a shallow kind of Authenticity. And he so vividly captures the terror of homophobic, racist small town America.
Beautiful, tender, heavy; a lovely little balm for the soul still trying to find themselves.
This was an enjoyable memoir to listen to on audiobook. Growing up gay in the midwest also, I found myself relating to a lot of John Paul Brammer's experiences - for example, the self-hatred and protective mechanisms from growing up in a homophobic culture and unlearning that self-hatred in adult life. I saw a lot of myself in these essays, which were well-written and constructed in a clear manner.
I also liked that he touched on the complexities of advice-giving within the LGBT community. One of the frames of information literacy is the idea that authority is constructed and contextual and I believe Brammer conveyed this nicely for his audience while reflecting on his experiences of writing an advice column. We all carry with us our own experiences and those experiences may or may not help others out on their own journeys and that's okay.
I also liked that he touched on the complexities of advice-giving within the LGBT community. One of the frames of information literacy is the idea that authority is constructed and contextual and I believe Brammer conveyed this nicely for his audience while reflecting on his experiences of writing an advice column. We all carry with us our own experiences and those experiences may or may not help others out on their own journeys and that's okay.
This is an autobiography written as if the author were answering questions sent to an advice column, which is his job at Grindr. It covers his life, including him being heavily bullied in middle school, working at a tortilla factory to come to terms with his racial identity, an unhealthy relationship with a childhood friend, a long term relationship that soured from the start, and the struggle of trying to use his degree.
Overall, I liked it. At first I was amused when he asked "who am I to be writing an advice column, or writing a memoir," because given the types of questions he was getting- some of the questions from the column were potentially life or death- and he was upfront about not having answers and that it was important to not pretend. I liked his writing style, I was generally amused throughout it and didn't find myself getting bored. I connected with some stories more than I wished I did.
I don't feel like I have a lot to say about it on a deeper level, though. It was short and enjoyable to listen to, and he did a good job reading it. But there's not a plot to poke holes at when it's someone's life. There were a few things that I didn't connect with- decisions that were sort of glossed over- but no one is perfect and this wasn't a fictional book where you could argue about the plot. It was an enjoyable peek into someone's life.
Overall, I liked it. At first I was amused when he asked "who am I to be writing an advice column, or writing a memoir," because given the types of questions he was getting- some of the questions from the column were potentially life or death- and he was upfront about not having answers and that it was important to not pretend. I liked his writing style, I was generally amused throughout it and didn't find myself getting bored. I connected with some stories more than I wished I did.
I don't feel like I have a lot to say about it on a deeper level, though. It was short and enjoyable to listen to, and he did a good job reading it. But there's not a plot to poke holes at when it's someone's life. There were a few things that I didn't connect with- decisions that were sort of glossed over- but no one is perfect and this wasn't a fictional book where you could argue about the plot. It was an enjoyable peek into someone's life.
The book was good, and it provided insights on what he went through in his life from a kid growing up and finding out he was gay and trying to get everyone’s approval to becoming a man, living on his own and still looking for
approval. He was bullied as a kid because he was different, so he grew up with self-doubt and negative thoughts about himself. He thought about committing suicide various times throughout his life. He was looking for approval for the way his life was and by providing examples to others who wrote to his blog he was able to help others and himself.
The plot was good because you never knew what he was going to do next and at the end you wanted to know if he did find what he was looking for or did he succeed in committing suicide. It made you feel sorry for the things he went through in his life. It makes you wonder if other gay people are suffering just like he did in his life.
approval. He was bullied as a kid because he was different, so he grew up with self-doubt and negative thoughts about himself. He thought about committing suicide various times throughout his life. He was looking for approval for the way his life was and by providing examples to others who wrote to his blog he was able to help others and himself.
The plot was good because you never knew what he was going to do next and at the end you wanted to know if he did find what he was looking for or did he succeed in committing suicide. It made you feel sorry for the things he went through in his life. It makes you wonder if other gay people are suffering just like he did in his life.
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
reflective