The book is a collection of personal essays with a strong focus on the author’s identity and experiences. While Burroughs’ sexuality and outsider status are central themes, the writing revolves around real, often flawed people rather than shoehorning characters for ideology. Still, identity is sometimes foregrounded over broader themes, which may feel a bit trendy by today’s standards.

Traditional family structures are portrayed as dysfunctional or absurd, with plenty of irreverence for religion and conventional morality. Masculinity is often in the background or played for laughs instead of being respected. While mostly comedic, the book won’t win any awards for upholding classic values, but it also stops short of full-blown cultural revisionism.

While the book is primarily an exploration of Burroughs’ own life, it’s pretty clear where the sympathies lie, traditional perspectives are often mocked, and alternative worldviews get most of the spotlight. There’s little room for more non-woke, dissenting opinions here, though the humor softens the ideological edge a bit.