Born to Be Public

by Greg Mania

In this unique and hilarious debut memoir, writer and comedian Greg Mania chronicles life as a "pariah prodigy." From inadvertently coming out to his Polish immigrant parents, to immersing himself in the world of New York City nightlife, and finding himself and his voice in comedy. "Born to Be Public" is a vulnerable and poignant exploration of identity (and the rediscovery of it), mental health, sex and relationships, all while pursuing a passion with victories and tragicomic blunders. At once raw and relatable, Mania's one-of-a-kind voice will make you shed tears from laughter and find its way into your heart.

Genres: Memoir, Humor, Nonfiction, LGBT, Queer, Biography, Biography Memoir

208 pages, Hardcover

First published August 25, 2020

About the author

Greg Mania is a writer whose words have been published in The New York Times, The New Yorker, McSweeney’s, Vanity Fair, HuffPost, and elsewhere. He is the author of the celebrated debut memoir, Born to Be Public, which was named a Best Book of 2020 by NPR, O, The Oprah Magazine, Electric Literature, among others. He lives in Los Angeles, where he co-hosts Empty Trash, a bi-monthly reading series. He is currently working on his debut novel.

Reviews

[Greg Mania]

Five stars, because of course.

[Katherine D. Morgan]

Very charming and very funny. I actually laughed out loud multiple times and I don’t normally do that because I’m tired and bitter. Mania made me want to move to NYC, which I’m shocked about (we have all seen the “Why I’m moving away from NYC” essays). It’s short, sweet, and to the point. I would DEFINITELY recommend it if you like Samantha Irby.

[Erik]

A punk recollection of a time spent in nightlife, school, and comedy, Greg Mania's [Mahn-ya or Mania] "Born to Be Public" is reflection on the last decade of greatness in New York City.

A son of polish immigrants born outside Trenton, NJ, Mania embraced his unique take on the world from a young age and burst onto the New York scene playing the role of hair stencil artist, Bjork-esque go-go boy, and studious student. "Born to Be Public" tells the story of a New York on the brink of change, a New York I was familiar with myself, that was slowly sacrificing the last few dives at the mercy of encroaching IHOPs (there is definitely more than one in Manhattan these days.)

"Born to Be Public" is a quick, zany take on a life that is equal parts grounded in self-assuredness and still trying to find out who you are. Grab a copy and give it a read.

[Jenny Lawson]

Funny and vulnerable all at once.

[Katie Smith-Siegel]

Greg Mania is, in many ways, a paradox. An effortlessly gifted student by day and a club kid by night; a connoisseur of highbrow art and culture who is also fluent in reality TV and Applebees menus; a towering, intimidating physical presence (even without the 11-inch mohawk) who makes you feel anything but small while talking to him. Above all else, he's always wearing his heart on his sleeve...even if he's only wearing a sleeveless fishnet crop top.

Greg has managed to neatly package these beautiful contradictions in his hilarious and honest debut memoir, "Born to be Public." It's equal parks raw, revealing, vulnerable, heartwarming, inspiring, and one-of-a-kind, just like Greg himself. The experience of reading Greg's work during this dumpster fire of a year is like how I imagine the "Great British Baking Show" judges feel when one baker finally nails the technical challenge after the other ten produce health code violation-caliber bakes: it's a sweet relief.

Greg, thank you for sharing the first 20-something years of your life with us in this book! I can't wait to see and read what comes next.

[Kristen Anderson]

I read this book over the course of one day...it was un-put-downable. Full of heart, vulnerability, raunch and New York City references that make you feel like you’re sweating in Penn station and somehow loving it, Born to Be Public is hilarious and captivating. Greg Mania lives up to the title as someone whose name we’re going to be hearing for a long time.

[Mike]

I started reading this book and couldn’t put it down, although, I had to because I want to milk every page as long as I could. I laughed out loud, and got choked up multiple times (in a good way!) I related to this book on some levels, it made me reminiscent of my time spent in NYC nightlife, and the ackward dating experiences I’ve had. So thank you Greg for writing this book. For being vulnerable, and showing humor in those ackward situations we all experienced at least once in our life. Please BUY this book, it will bring you more joy than a bouquet of mozzarella sticks...well I don’t know about that actually but you get the point.

[Pete Medrano]

It should go without saying that 2020 has been a literal landfill, however, if you're looking to lift your spirits and LOL IRL then look no further than Greg Mania's stunning and heartfelt debut memoir, Born to Be Public. It is rare to find an author who is able to have their written text come alive as if they were in the room with you— But in Greg Mania's case, HE'S RIGHT IN YOUR FACE AND HE SHOWS NO SIGNS OF HOLDING BACK! Do yourself the favor and purchase my favorite book and join the beloved army of Maniacs.

[naviya]

-i hate comedy and biography so, i wasnt expecting to like it and i was right
- just blah, i read it for a bookclub
- hate to be humorless but the book reads like one giant clout tweet // it's not witty or observational it's just formulaic in the way it tries to be funny // predictable
- there are no other people in the book, he talks alot abt himself and it's not even introspective

[Lindsay Hunter]

I had so much fun reading this, and the chapter on Roy spoke to me deeply. There are tons of moments like that: insights so real, so moving, that laughing through tears became the norm.

[Juno]

This is literally the funniest book I've ever read.

[Kelly Vignola]

This is a book that everyone should read. It's honest, hilarious and heartwarming. There's not many books I read multiple times, but this one has already been read twice. The author takes you on his journey of growing up, coming out, learning to live with anxiety and all the other rights of passage we all battle with while finding out who we truly are.

[CJ]

You need this book in your life ! I love it so.

[Hunter]

Born To Be Public is a super funny coming-of-age memoir, but also a ‘cementing of stardom’ memoir, if there is such a thing. The best way I can describe this book is that it feels like when your really funny, slightly depressed and low key smartest friend recounts the events of their life while y’all share a bottle of wine, and at the end you realize that this friend is pretty much Bette Midler. Greg Mania is so funny, especially when getting real about experiences that can be tricky to talk about. There’s a lot of talk about mental health in here, and as someone who constantly jokes about my tears to an uncomfortable, wincing crowd, I was all here for it. Mania and I have lived very different lives in a lot of ways, but seeing the places where we diverged was my favorite. It’s altogether a really enjoyable book, and I’m sure you’ll finish it in one sitting.

[Wendy Cornwall]

This is the book to grab when it's been a rough week, and you need total immersion in funny, authentic gay humor. Greg's descriptions are hysterical making you feel like a live action voyeur.
I bought six copies for friends who need to laugh and ones that need an honest attitude adjustment for their overly judgy pompous brains.
I'm still waiting to see how my religious zealots take to the book. I sent them to Mr. Mania and he signed and forwarded them. This is one time I would love to be there for the book reveal ... a fly on the wall if you will, with a video camera.
Eventually, I will ask to see the book when I visit the zealots.
Maybe, I can get Mr. Mania to show up with cameras.
Comedy gold could be in the making!!!!
Good read. Fabulous fun! This could be my own son's story. Buy it, read it, you will love it!!!!

[Andrew Adam]

This guy is like David Sedaris meets Samantha Irby: extremely funny, poignant, and heartfelt, the latter of which I was pleasantly surprised by. I was not expecting this level of vulnerability; he is open about his struggles with mental health, toxic relationships, and sexual blunders, all while being extremely relatable and hilarious. I'm a middle-aged straight guy, and I picked this up because a friend recommended it. Just judging by the dude on the cover, I thought we couldn't be any different. Turns out, we're more alike than I thought. I'm thankful I came across this book. It truly is for everyone, even if you're just looking for a laugh.

[Dest]

I usually like comedian memoirs, but I could not get into this. Maybe because I hadn't ever heard of Greg Mania? I think I picked this up because it was on an NPR best of 2020 list. But the voice sounded kind of generic to me, like so many social media accounts making the same kind of jokes over and over. Maybe I'm not giving Mania credit for creating this voice that has now been copied to death? Maybe I'm just not the audience for this.

Mania jokes that his book is a 200,000-character tweet and that about sums it up for me.

[Charlene Elsby]

Greg Mania explains, in this book, how he came to be able to express himself in the correct rhythm and with the exact number of syllables required to elicit laughter from his audience, and dagnabbit it works! He’s hilarious, no matter what he’s talking about. There’s also an element of “getting some insight into the behind the scenes of the cool kid group” throughout this book, but Greg’s prom picture is enough to convince me that one day I could be cool too.

[Crissy]

I laughed my way through this hilarious and poignantly honest memoir. How often can you say a book makes you laugh out loud? If you’re a fan of Greg Mania’s internet presence (how could you not be?), this book is a delightful door into a long form tweet. It has the same sharp humor we all love interspersed with thoughtful anecdotes and glimpses into Greg’s self-discovery. I loved every chapter and can’t wait to see his career in comedy take off!

[Idelle Nissila]

This book lives up to its hype. I knew it was going to be funny because I've been following the author on Twitter for some time (if you haven't yet followed him, you should), but I wasn't expecting such heart and sensitivity to shine through. It's tucked neatly into the book, preserving the author's brazen humor, yielding the perfect harmony between heart and humor. It's also a quick read, which are my favorites.

[Olivia Whitener]

Jon Stewart—watch out! You won’t be the only comedy star hanging in Lawrence High School’s Alumni Hall of Fame for much longer. In this debut book, Greg Mania has developed his authentic writing voice and it is funnier than his hair is tall. But it is also full of so much heart. I loved getting to start my year reading this memoir, and I can’t wait to see what else Mania has up his yellow-leather-sleeve!

[Jeff]

Not very insightful for a memoir and the humor is often more desperate than funny. Stick with David Sedaris of Augusten Burroughs.

[Julia]

Well. It was fine for a 1 hour read, I guess? But really there was ~nothing~ there

[Brynn]

"But that's the thing: identity is never neat. It's messy, ever-changing, grainy, unpredictable, frenetic, all over the place, and we'll never be able to reconcile ourselves because we're not supposed to. Every time we think we have ourselves figured out, we go and change again." (29)

"From the first night, Magic Monday had this familiar sense of family, like these were people I've known my whole life and that night was just a missing piece of the puzzle I was trying to find in the scheme of trying to find where I belong." (75)

"Two best friends WHO SHALL REMAIN UNNAMED went door to door in one of the friend's apartment building asking each tenant if they had any Xanax like they were neighbors asking to borrow a cup of sugar." (136)

"I wish I had responded with something deep and pensive, some hoopla about how the past is the past, and what matters is the future, BLAH SMEH UGH. Some musing about how, as a writer, my memories are malleable and never far off—all it takes is the right combination of words, peppered with a sometimes painstakingly thought out verb to conjure whatever image I want in your head. Perhaps I could have deployed an elaborate metaphor, calling upon my theater days, when saying "scene" indicates the beginning or end of a scene: it's the start and the stop, going from one end to another and back again, and arriving at the point that growth is more cyclical than linear. But I'M NOT THAT SMART. It took me no fewer than forty-five minutes to come up with that metaphor just now, as I finish writing this book. This book where I metabolize my past, present, and future, sometimes all at once, turning the memories I have made into stories I will continue to tell, promising him that the person he wishes he had known would be introduced to him—to everyone—on page one, and that all you have to do to meet him is go back to the beginning. But being a writer means never having the right words the first time." (179)

[Joseph Lezza]

What did I think? What did I NOT think? Greg Mania has crafted one of those uniquely unicornic things. That's right, unicornic. Unicornic in that this book is both a plumed and sequined invitation to our inner misfit as well as a deeply personal account of a search for (and unabashed ownership of) the self. Mania is known for his humor, and he wields it like Beatrix Kiddo wields a Hattori Hanzo sword. (A skill most within the queer community hone far earlier than those outside of it). His voice is biting, razor-sharp, authentic and never alienating; making quick friends with his reader. And, once that friendship is forged, he thusly drags you into some of the most outlandish and eccentric corners of the New York City nightlife scene - all while wearing a pair of fish tank platform shoes. It is through these vignettes that Mania documents a journey of discovery and agency, releasing the performer inside of him and using that freedom and self-expression to solidify and embrace who he is at his core. Of course, there are the consummate glitter and neon lights. But, it's in the quite moments - wherein Mania lets his hair down (literally) and wipes off the eyeliner - that the author reveals his struggles and pitfalls and connects to the deepest wounds, the wounds at the very pit of us, those craggly scabs that never fully heal because we return to pick at them from time-to-time. By performing this selfless act of literature, Mania reveals himself as a continuing work-in-progress, he reveals that, while the outer is not always a clear reflection of the inner, we are neither wholly one or the other. Rather we're both...or something in between.

[Graeme Williams]

Born to Be Public by Greg Mania is a refreshingly candid and emotionally layered memoir that balances humor with vulnerability in a way that feels both authentic and compelling.

Mania’s voice is unmistakably distinctive, sharp, self aware, and unapologetically honest. Through a series of personal experiences, he charts a coming-of-age journey that navigates identity, sexuality, mental health, and the often chaotic pursuit of creative ambition. What makes this memoir particularly engaging is its tonal dexterity: moments of comedic brilliance are seamlessly interwoven with introspection and emotional depth.

The narrative’s strength lies in its ability to embrace contradiction. Mania presents himself not as a polished success story, but as a work in progress, flawed, searching, and evolving. This honesty creates a strong connection with the reader, making his journey feel relatable even when it veers into the absurd or unconventional.

Set against the vibrant backdrop of New York City, the memoir captures both the allure and the unpredictability of a life lived in pursuit of visibility and creative expression. It is as much about finding one’s voice as it is about understanding the cost and courage required to use it.

Insightful, irreverent, and ultimately heartfelt, Born to Be Public is a standout memoir that leaves a lasting impression through its humor, honesty, and emotional resonance.

[Eytan Deray]

One goal of mine right now is to read more. I love all kinds of books. If the story grabs me and the writing is compulsive, I’m not putting it down. An especial interest of mine currently is LGBTQ+ narratives. “Born to Be Public”, a memoir by a gay comedian named Greg Mania, is one I just finished. And it’s safe to say I’m creatively obsessed!

Though the editing is spotty in parts, that can easily be forgiven. Mania (pronounced Mahn-ya) peppers his memoir with wit, empathy, heartstring tugs, hilarious gay raunch, and utterly relatable tips to guide you along your path of self-discovery, as a gay man and an artist combined. He also taps universally into the mental health struggles so many queer twenty-somethings experience and are passed over for in society. I’m grateful someone besides me is writing so passionately about the topic.

Reading this memoir, Mania and his pals he writes about are exactly the kind of friends every gay kid wishes for in their life. Yes, he’s hilarious, but he’s also bold, shameless, and soulful. “Born to Be Public” brings up that same euphoric feeling I had when reading “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”, and it’s one memoir I highly recommend!

[Linda]

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book. I only knew the author from posts popping up in my Facebook feed. I was curious and looked at his Facebook. He looked like a very fun and interesting person lol. He was having a giveaway for his new book and I entered it. When I won the book I was like, “ now I’ll get to know who he really is”. Well reading his book is definitely an eyeopener, especially since we had a lot in common. We are both Polish, from New York and liked to go clubbing in New York back in the day ( but my life is not as colorful as his lol). But there was also a serious vulnerable side to him. Thank you for being open and very honest about your life. To many people judge the outward appearance before getting to know what’s inside. I’m looking forward to reading more of your books in the future.

[Jason Yamas]

Greg Mania is one of those figures you simply must know and one who cannot be limited to words on the page, but that’s what makes what he’s done with Born To Be Public so extraordinary! The various styles and structures he uses throughout the memoir feel like the only truly honest way to convey the multiple layers that add up to one whole human. The pages flow by with ease and comfort. He takes care of his reader, providing levity at all the right moments. I was in stitches for much of this book, while gripping my thigh and digging my fingernails into my flesh during the longer narrative/character study segments. Greg’s story inspires one to get the fuck off the couch and go demand life be as colorful and passion inducing as possible. He, and his words, made me want to live bigger! Loved every moment.

[Jesse]

There are few writings so intimate as the musings of Greg Mania, in his newly-released memoir. This past week, I was afforded the opportunity to sit down with his first-born child (not once, but TWICE) and truly cannot say enough good things about this book. From his dating advice to his battles with OCD to his list of ways to validate your true New Yorker status to the INCREDIBLY heartwarming retelling of his best friend's wedding : this is worth your time. He is worth your money. Go snatch up your own copies! I laughed out loud so many times, I had to reseat myself at the restaurant so as not to disturb the other clientele. But I also cried, happy tears, throughout the final chapter & cannot wait for another opportunity to read his work.