Autopsy (of an Ex-Teen Heartthrob) by Avan Jogia

Vulnerable reflections on growing up in the harsh spotlight of being a teen idol

Image | BOOK COVER: Autopsy (of an Ex-Teen Heartthrob) by Avan Jogia

(Simon & Schuster)

Avan Jogia grew up as a teen idol. He stumbled into the spotlight during the birth of the internet, the early days of Instagram and Twitter, before everyone online was a star. He spent his time in that spotlight writing, observing the cult of celebrity, the hilarity, the absurdity, and sometimes sinister side of being idolized before you've even had the chance to decide for yourself who you are.

Now, in his most revealing and honest work to date, he has assembled a book of poems as an act of self-dissection. Part boozy lovesick rage and part personal reflection on the nature of fame, Autopsy (of an Ex-Teen Heartthrob) is a sharp, tantalizing collection of poems examining Avan's relationship with ego, idolatry, love as an act of worship, rage as an act of prayer, and sadness as confession.

Through vivid imagery (and sometimes startling honesty) Avan cuts himself open and observes the false gods he has worshipped, the ways he has sinned, and exhumes a version of himself that looks like someone we all know: a person searching for the means to cure pain, mend the wounds of insecurity, and satiate cravings for love.
(From Simon & Schuster)
Avan Jogia is a Canadian actor, writer and musician. He is also the author of Mixed Feelings, where he takes a look at what it means to be a mixed race person through a series of poems, drawings, short stories and interviews.