"There are stories that shimmer because they are polished. Then there are stories that shine because they were once broken. Jacob Anthony Rose's new memoir belongs to the latter-an offering carved from silence, glitter, and the long echo of a voice learning to trust itself again. That's why I believe he is a true embodiment of Practice Makes Love Easy (PMLE), and I am proud to celebrate Rose as the 12th individual spotlighted in this column."
"His discovery of drag became the first great act of PMLE in his life. Drag is not just performance; it is reclamation. It is the practice of stepping into a version of yourself that feels too bold, too bright, too honest for the world that raised you. Onstage, Rose found a language for the parts of himself that had been waiting for permission to breathe. For twenty years, he practiced joy, practiced presence, practiced being seen."
"Then the world went quiet. The pandemic stripped away the applause, the lights, the community. And in that stillness, the old wounds returned-not as ghosts, but as invitations. Rose writes about this period with a vulnerability that feels like a hand extended to anyone who has ever felt undone by their own reflection. Healing, he shows us, is not a single moment. It is a practice, a daily choice, and a kind of love."
Jacob Anthony Rose grew up believing silence was safer than truth, shrinking to survive while hiding loud dreams behind a quiet voice. Discovering drag became an act of reclamation, offering a language and stage to practice joy, presence, and visibility for twenty years. The pandemic removed performance and community, reopening old wounds and prompting vulnerability and reflection. Healing became a daily practice of choosing compassion over self-judgment, connection over isolation, and honesty over performance. The journey toward self-trust and love is non-linear, marked by repeated practice, reclaimed joy, and courage to be seen despite past survival habits.
Read at San Francisco Bay Times
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