
Caught in the Act: A Memoir by Courtney Act
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– Unabridged
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Caught in the Act is about our journey towards understanding gender, sexuality and identity. It's an often hilarious and at times heartbreaking memoir from a beloved drag and entertainment icon.
Boy, girl, artist, advocate. Courtney is more than the sum of her parts.
Meet Shane Jenek. Raised in the Brisbane suburbs by loving parents, Shane realises from a young age that he's not like all the other boys. He finds his tribe at a performing arts agency, where he discovers his passion for song, dance and performance. Shane makes a promise to himself - to find a bigger stage.
Meet Courtney Act. Born in Sydney around the turn of the millennium, Courtney makes her name in the gay bars of Oxford Street and then on Australian Idol. Over 10 years later, she makes star turns on RuPaul's Drag Race and Celebrity Big Brother UK, bringing her unique take on drag and gender to the world.
Behind this rise to national and global fame is a story of searching for and finding one's self.
- Listening Length10 hours and 14 minutes
- Audible release date2 November 2021
- LanguageEnglish
- ASINB09D8N2K4S
- VersionUnabridged
- Program TypeAudiobook
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Product details
Listening Length | 10 hours and 14 minutes |
---|---|
Author | Shane Jenek |
Narrator | Shane Jenek |
Whispersync for Voice | Ready |
Audible.com.au Release Date | 02 November 2021 |
Publisher | Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd |
Program Type | Audiobook |
Version | Unabridged |
Language | English |
ASIN | B09D8N2K4S |
Best Sellers Rank | 544 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals) 3 in LGBTQ+ Biographies (Audible Books & Originals) 5 in LGBTQ+ Biographies (Books) 23 in Biographies of Celebrities & Entertainment Professionals |
Customer reviews
Top reviews from Australia
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A warning to the conservative reader, this book will open your eyes!!!!
The reader is taken on a journey from suburban Brisbane through Shane’s childhood, to finding his tribe in Sydney, to the birth of one Courtney Act and beyond.
The story carefully woven throughout Shane’s life and memoir is one of self discovery. Whether exploring love and sexuality, gender identity, self-image or career goals, Shane tells the story of his life with an openness that is inspiring.
With laugh out loud moments that feature some familiar names popping up throughout, Shane’s tale never feels too heavy despite addressing some tough subjects.
It feels cliché to say that I couldn’t put it down but I genuinely spent every minute I could reading Caught in the Act. Even so far as to wait up until 1am when it was released on Kindle to download the pre-order and start reading. So it had pretty big purple and gold Louboutin sandal expectations to fill and exceeded every one.
If you love reading clever memoirs with heart, soul and spirit gum, then I highly recommend Caught in the Act.
Shane Jenek is not a name you might be too familiar with, though I suspect that is about to change with this book fast climbing to the top of the shelves.
It’s more likely that you are more familiar with his glamorous alter ego Courtney Act, who’s television appearances and on stage presence in drag has brought his beautiful persona to our attention in recent years.
Some of the words used to describe Shane/Courtney are: “Boy, girl, artist, advocate. Courtney is more than the sum of her parts.”
She also identifies as Queer or Genderfluid…words which are becoming more acceptably descriptive these days among the LGBTQIA community and generally.
I have watched him on television here and there and am really taken by how relaxed and confident he is in his own persona. He always comes across as totally genuine, which is so refreshing.
He speaks with obvious intelligence and eloquence on many subjects which he has clearly researched extensively.
From politics to promiscuity, he is very switched on to what’s going on, not only in his world, but in the world at large.
His clear focus and devotion to the work he does (in any field) is admirable and testament to his authenticity.
I really admire him for his candid honesty, his delivery is casual yet sensitive and respectful.
Before you sit down to read or listen…and I highly recommend the audio version… do try to suspend any preconceived ideas or beliefs and close your ears to any bits you might find uncomfortable…but do listen…listen to Shane’s open honesty, his integrity.
It comes through, so you can’t help but notice that he is comfortable in his own skin and does not seek approval…just acceptance.
Would that we could all feel such confidence and self respect, I feel certain the world would be a far better place.
Shane is not trying to sell himself to you, he’s just trying to prove (by example) that people who are different from the mainstream perception of “normal”…queer people…are not a threat to anyone else’s existence, they just want to be.
I am reminded of an old quote: “All my life I wanted to be somebody, only to discover that I am.”
We could learn a lot about tolerance and acceptance from Shane’s example…I’m not talking about his more personal proclivities, which I know will bother some people, but his example of being true to himself and others by honouring his true self without self limiting inhibitons.
Don’t overlook this book, Shane’s story may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it is a valuable story, worth listening to if you are interested in facts as opposed to speculation, and of promoting a more inclusive mentality.
The story is laugh out loud funny with heartrendingly honest confessions of poignant moments in his developing evolution.
It is a serious expose of a unique soul trying to find his groove in an often uncompromising world.
I loved it! Read the book and listen to the audio!
*The audio version gives you the added bonus of hearing Shane singing.
5 Glittering ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️s! 💫
Shane’s openness and vulnerability about the highs, the lows, and the many questions in their life makes for a compelling memoir. It was entertaining. It was certainly educational (be warned: some of the sexcapades veer towards TMI). And while distressing at times, I think it was important that Shane didn’t shy away from the many difficulties of their life.
The personal bonus for me was that the book was also a trip down memory lane. The venues and the Sydney of the early 2000s that Shane mentions in the book are so familiar to me. It certainly put a smile on my face to listen to the book while the bus I take for my work commute trundles down Oxford Street – especially since a good number of the places mentioned in the book are still operating.
Shane Jenek narrates the audiobook, and does so brilliantly. His personable delivery had me willingly going along for the ride: The fun moments, the sombre moments, and the outrageous moments had my own emotions yo-yoing.
Thoroughly recommended!