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From misunderstood queer biracial kid in small-town Georgia to Eurovision Song Contest pundit, this memoir combines race, glitz, glamour, geopolitics, and the power of pop music.
As a boy, William Lee Adams spent his days taking care of his quadriplegic brother, wary of his undiagnosed bipolar Vietnamese mother, and steering clear from his openly racist, war veteran father. Too shy and anxious to even speak until he's six years old, it seems unlikely William will ever leave small-town Georgia. Dreaming of getting away, he devotes his time alone in his room to studying maps and reading encyclopedias.
Decades later, as a journalist in London, William discovers the Eurovision Song Contest-an annual singing competition known for its extravagant performers and cutthroat politics. William is instantly hooked. Initially just a fan, he starts blogging about the contest, ultimately becoming the most sought-after expert. From Albania to Finland, Israel to Sweden and beyond, William is soon jetting across the continent to meet divas, drag queens, and aspiring singers who perspire ambition, and who welcome him with open arms in their beautiful and accepting fun found-family.
An uplifting memoir about finding your people, no matter how far you have to travel, Wild Dances showcases the importance of music, community, love, healing, and forgiveness in living boldly and authentically. William Lee Adams is an award-winning journalist and broadcaster. A former staff writer at TIME, he's written about Eurovision for Billboard, the Financial Times, Newsweek, and the New York Times, among others. He lives in south London with his husband and two cats.
As a boy, William Lee Adams spent his days taking care of his quadriplegic brother, wary of his undiagnosed bipolar Vietnamese mother, and steering clear from his openly racist, war veteran father. Too shy and anxious to even speak until he's six years old, it seems unlikely William will ever leave small-town Georgia. Dreaming of getting away, he devotes his time alone in his room to studying maps and reading encyclopedias.
Decades later, as a journalist in London, William discovers the Eurovision Song Contest-an annual singing competition known for its extravagant performers and cutthroat politics. William is instantly hooked. Initially just a fan, he starts blogging about the contest, ultimately becoming the most sought-after expert. From Albania to Finland, Israel to Sweden and beyond, William is soon jetting across the continent to meet divas, drag queens, and aspiring singers who perspire ambition, and who welcome him with open arms in their beautiful and accepting fun found-family.
An uplifting memoir about finding your people, no matter how far you have to travel, Wild Dances showcases the importance of music, community, love, healing, and forgiveness in living boldly and authentically. William Lee Adams is an award-winning journalist and broadcaster. A former staff writer at TIME, he's written about Eurovision for Billboard, the Financial Times, Newsweek, and the New York Times, among others. He lives in south London with his husband and two cats.