New Books Network Roddy Bottum, "The Royal We" (Akashic Books, 2025)
Oct 1, 2025
Roddy Bottum, a musician from Faith No More and author of the memoir The Royal We, shares his captivating journey through 1980s San Francisco. He reflects on growing up gay in a time with no role models and the vibrant punk-hippie scene that shaped him. Bottum insightfully discusses the challenges of addiction, the fears of the AIDS crisis, and how his band began as an art project. With honesty, he explores the complexities of identity and the political landscape of his era, aiming to challenge conservative views through his poignant stories.
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Use Morning Pages To Start A Book
- Do try morning pages or daily freewriting to surface stories and build a book from fragments.
- Roddy Bottum began pandemic morning pages and turned them into The Royal We.
San Francisco's Strange Cultural Mix
- San Francisco in the early 80s was a collision of punk, residual hippie culture, goth, and new drug scenes that shaped a unique creative moment.
- Bottum calls his generation 'The Royal We' for stumbling into that pre-internet, privileged cultural window.
Band As Art Project
- Faith No More began as an art project focused on provoking audiences rather than traditional band structure.
- They used loops, changing singers, and theatrical visuals to mess with people's expectations.
