Staff Pick
Reading Marshall's memoir reminded me of why I love this genre in the first place. You go into the book expecting one thing (a coming-of-age story alongside Marshall's coming-out story) and then you finish the book examining what it meant for him to have to come out twice: the second time as a gay man with cerebral palsy, which is something that his parents decided not to tell him about, instead telling him that his limp and other various conditions were due to his "tight tendons." By the end of the book, you'll love Greg and his kooky family like your own because there's really something so special and loving about them. This one is perfect for fans of David Sedaris! Recommended By Katherine M., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
* A MOST-ANTICIPATED SUMMER READ SELECTED BY * Washington Post * Buzzfeed * Bustle * The Advocate * LitHub * Bookriot * Electric Literature * and more *
A hilarious and poignant memoir grappling with family, disability, and coming of age in two closets--as a gay man and as a man living with cerebral palsy
"One hell of an entertaining book." — BUZZFEED, Most Anticipated LGBTQ+ Books of 2023
"Laugh-out-loud funny. Greg Marshall is one helluva storyteller." — ISAAC FITZGERALD
"A strange, smutty, hilarious, beautiful, compassionate, provoking, big-hearted, sharp-tongued, original, brilliant memoir. I hated to see it end." ― ELIZABETH McCRACKEN
Greg Marshall's early years were pretty bizarre. Rewind the VHS tapes (this is the nineties) and you'll see a lopsided teenager limping across a high school stage, or in a wheelchair after leg surgeries, pondering why he's crushing on half of the Utah Jazz. Add to this home video footage a mom clacking away at her newspaper column between chemos, a dad with ALS, and a cast of foulmouthed siblings. Fast forward the tape and you'll find Marshall happily settled into his life as a gay man only to discover he's been living in another closet his whole life: He has cerebral palsy, a diagnosis that has been kept from him since birth. (His parents always told him he just had "tight tendons" and left it at that.) Here, in the hot mess of it all, lies Greg Marshall's wellspring of wit and wisdom.
Leg is an extraordinarily funny and insightful memoir from a daring new voice. Packed with outrageous stories of a singular childhood, it is also a startlingly original examination of what it means to transform when there are parts of yourself you can't change, a moving portrait of a family in crisis, and a tale of resilience of spirit. In Marshall's deft hands, we see a story both personal and universal — of being young and wanting the world, even when the world doesn't feel like yours to want.
Review
"Smart and heartfelt...His honesty and clarity in writing about disability makes this debut one to watch." — LitHub, Most Anticipated Books of 2023
Review
"In this big-hearted, (literally) laugh-out-loud memoir, Marshall explores how it touched every other aspect of his life, from dealing with grief, to dating as a gay man, to making sense of it all through writing." — Bustle
Review
"Marshall traces his experience coming out of two closets--first as gay, and much later, as having cerebral palsy — in this comedic memoir." — Publishers Weekly
About the Author
Greg Marshall was raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. A National Endowment for the Arts Fellow in Prose, Marshall is a graduate of the Michener Center for Writers. His work has appeared in The Best American Essays and been supported by MacDowell and the Corporation of Yaddo. Leg is his first book.