Maurice Vellekoop's graphic memoir recounts his coming out to his religious family

NPR's Book of the Day

NPR

Books, Arts

4.2 • 672 Ratings

🗓️ 12 March 2024

⏱️ 10 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Maurice Vellekoop's new graphic memoir, I'm So Glad We Had This Time Together, is named after the song Carol Burnett would close out her show with in the '60s and '70s. But it's also a reflection of some of the author-illustrator's most cherished childhood memories, going shopping in downtown Toronto with his mom. In today's episode, Vellekoop tells NPR's Ayesha Rascoe how that relationship changed as he came to terms with his sexuality — something his religious mother did not accept — and how his father ended up surprising him later in life.

To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Hey, it's NPR's Book of the Day. I'm Andrew Limbaugh. Before we get into today show,
0:07.0	I want to tell you about a new offering we have here at Book of the Day. We have now launched
0:11.6	Book of the Day Plus, which is a new way to support our work here at NPR. When you sign up,
0:17.1	you get access to a special feed where you can listen to our new episodes sponsor free.
0:22.5	Nothing is changing about our regular show, but Book of the Day Plus is another way to help us keep giving you the books coverage you love.
0:30.5	So please do sign up. We really appreciate it. You can find out more at plus.npr.org slash book of the day. All right, on to today's show.
0:39.5	A question to the fellas, to the guys listening real quick. If you were lucky enough to have a mom
0:44.7	who sometimes took you out on, you know, mom's son dates, how great were they, right? I mean,
0:50.8	like my mom and I would go into the city together, hit up Filene's basement,
0:54.6	had to Barnes & Noble, get some soup in Chinatown. It was the best, until for whatever reason,
1:00.9	they just stopped happening. Maurice Vel-Coop recounts a similar memory at the beginning of his
1:06.5	graphic memoir, I'm so glad we had this time together, where his relationship with his mom gets strained
1:12.7	over him being gay. And he told NPR's Aisha Roscoe about how the really harsh stuff his mom
1:18.5	said to him over his sexuality stuck with him for years. That's ahead.
1:25.3	In the U.S., national security news can feel far away from daily life.
1:30.2	Distant wars, murky conflicts, diplomacy behind closed doors.
1:34.7	On our new show, Sources and Methods, NPR reporters on the ground bring you stories of real people
1:40.0	helping you understand why distant events matter here at home.
1:44.0	Listen to sources and methods on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts. helping you understand why distant events matter here at home.
1:48.1	Listen to sources and methods on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.
1:55.1	I'm so glad we had this time together.
2:03.8	In the 1960s and 70s at the end of every episode of her variety show, Carol Burnett would sing this goodbye.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from NPR, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of NPR and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.