Secrets of a superstar, or How Clay Spent His Summer Vacations
Written: Nov 18 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Details of the life of Clay Aiken, from childhood to music professional; good, quick read.
Cons: Pricey for a first book, and a little too short. I want more!
The Bottom Line: I highly recommend this book to anyone who has lived a tough life. No matter how bad you had it, Clay had it just as bad, if not worse.
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| pitfaltina's Full Review: CLAY AIKEN et al - Learning to Sing: Hearing the M... |
Let me start this review by stating that I am an unabashed Clay Aiken fanatic, so keep that in mind as you read!
This book is referred to by Clay as an "inspirational memoir", but I'm not quite sure that is how the book comes off. Without spoiling any of the revelations of the book, I will attempt to give you my perspective on this work.
Learning To Sing: Hearing The Music In Your Life is Clay's first attempt at writing, and he wisely utilizes freelance writer Allison Glock's dynamic prose to beautify what are sometimes extremely difficult-to-read words of awful scenes from Aiken's past. Clay and Allison cover Clay's formative years as a target for every bully in school, progress to his years of teen angst, and go on into young adulthood, both before and after his experiences on American Idol. It might seem, to some, to be a callous and egotistical project, to write ones memoirs at age 25, but this is more a collection of essays than true memoirs.
Clay and Allison do not tell Clay's story in a timeline progression; rather, each chapter explores an individual theme with scenes from Clay's life tossed in out of sequence. It's more effective than a standard memoir, because it gives the reader more of a perspective into the workings of Clay's mind, I think.
Each chapter begins with a homespun quote or anecdote from one of Clay's family members, friends, or entourage, and this initial quote sets the tone for the chapter. For example, Nick Leisey, a childhood friend of Clay's and a current member of Clay's professional team, starts one chapter with the following: "It's ironic to me how women go berserk over Clay now. They never even noticed him before." The chapter goes on to cover some material devoted to Clay's past loves and the lessons those loves taught him.
Inspirational? Not necessarily. While some of the stories Clay relates are inspirational, it's hard for the average person to relate to the style of life Clay leads now. You mean, we don't all buy stuff without looking at price tags? : ) The best parts of this book are those that deal with Clay's life before American Idol, because those are the parts that show us just how ordinary Clay's life was prior to his instant fame.
It is revealed, in a piecemeal fashion throughout the book, that Clay was, at various times, picked on, depressed, had family issues, loved and lost, was dead broke, had amazing triumphs, had devastating failures, had secret dreams, had secret fears. These are the themes everyone can relate to, and it is here that the most interesting facts are discovered.
While this book is certainly of interest to the slavishly devoted members of Clay's fanbase, of which I am one, there is something here for everyone. The intense fan will delight in all those intimate details, related in Clay's own voice (with some lyrical assistance from the very talented Allison Glock). The casual fan will learn some of the motivations and fears that drive Clay's current life in the spotlight. The non-fan will discover that life wasn't quite so easy for Clay as television made it appear, and they will see that life still isn't very easy for him. Additionally, everyone can see a bit of themselves in the mundane details of Clay's life before fame.
The tone of the book is very conversational, which makes it a quick read for a rainy afternoon. It is almost as if Clay is sitting across the coffee table from you, telling stories about his life. Thus, the disjointed manner in which the facts of Clay's prior life are revealed comes off as very natural, in that nobody tells anyone about their life in strict order. Can you imagine having a conversation with someone, and they tell you "When I was five, such and so happened. And then, for my sixth birthday, I did such and so." That would be terribly boring and stilted. The folksy narrative comes off like a long conversation with an old friend over the course of a whole day, in which you learn many things about your friend that you never guessed at, and it's very effective here.
To further the folksy quality of the work, Clay even includes a handful of family recipes and a resume of his professional theatrical work prior to his discovery on Idol. These are included as appendices at the end of the book, along with a letter from Faye Parker (Clay's mother) to Clay. Additionally, there are two sections of color photographic plates that prove that Clay was, indeed, a geek in his childhood. It's fun to look at those pictures, that range from infancy to the present, and see how much he has changed. I would go so far as to state that it's like the friend you are having the conversation with brought along the family photo album to aid in remembering some of the anecdotes.
Clay touches briefly upon his experiences on American Idol. He can't go into too much detail, as anyone behind the scenes of the show can be sued for the astronomical sum of five million dollars if they reveal the true nature of the show, so don't expect too much dirt. Rather, Clay describes his tenure on the show to give insight into how the show helped to mold him into his present image and how it changed his mindset toward a career in show business. Clay takes this theme further when he relates how the show changed his life, both professionally and personally.
Clay states, in the first chapter, that he "wanted to share stories about [his] life in the hope that it might enable a handful of other people to feel better about themselves", and I do think that his goal was accomplished. While my life to date hasn't been perfect, it has certainly been easier than Clay's was. I guess it is somewhat inspirational, if you look at the work in a spiritual sense, that no good deed goes unrewarded. Clay has certainly performed (and continues to perform) his share of good deeds, so the rags-to-riches feel of the book could theoretically inspire a person to make more of their life and to seize opportunity when it comes a' knockin'.
The fantastic imagery and prose of Allison Glock is evident throughout the book. I've read past works of Allison's, most notably her book Beauty Before Comfort and her prior article on Clay in Elle magazine last year, so I am able to recognize where she has contributed to this work. "What I learned from Nanny and Pop, and their children, and all the folks who came to our aid in those difficult times, if that family is what you make it. Family is about love," writes Clay, but the ideas expressed scream out Allison's contribution, as does the attention to detail throughout the work. It is also easy to tell when Clay was writing, when one reads a sentence like, "She knew everyone in Raleigh-and Raleigh ain't too small." I have never read, in any of Allison's work, the non-word "ain't"!
Clay devotes some material to his spiritual life, and while he tries very hard to be neutral, some people of different faiths or no faith could be mildly angered. There is nothing in this book, though, that smacks of controversy, in much the same way that there is nothing in Clay's life that is terribly controversial. This is a book, in essence, that relates the everyday existence of an ordinary man who just happens to possess an extraordinary voice. He has now extended that voice into the written word, and it is no less extraordinary. I, for one, can't wait to read more of his voice, in the same way I can't wait to hear more of it.
What I like about this book
-It comes off not as a promotional tool (as most self-serving memoirs do), but instead like an intimate conversation.
-You get photos of Clay from apple-cheeked infancy to gangly youth to awkward teen to current heartthrob status. It's very interesting to note the progression of his appearance in conjunction with his life.
-It's a good, quick, revelatory read. Bring your sense of humor, your pathos, and a box of tissues.
What I hate about this book
-It's a bit pricey. I bought it for 20% off and I had a frequent reader's discount, but the average curious person will have to shell out $21.95 for the privilege of reading. It's a bit much for a first work, superstar or not, especially when you consider that the written portions of the book are only 258 pages.
My overall impression, taking into account that it is a first book: A-
Recommended:
Yes
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pitfaltina
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Reviews written: 41
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I'm a mommy first, a working woman second, and a craft fiend all the time!
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