Growing up in west Baltimore, R. Eric Thomas often felt like an outsider. He was a Black student at a mostly white private school; he was gay in a Baptist family. 

Thomas’ memoir, Here For It, or How to Save Your Soul in America, follows humorous and heartfelt detours in his journey of self-acceptance.

"And when I threw off the shackles of trying to be enough of who I implicitly am, it became much easier for me to build a bridge of community.” 

We hear how code-switching helped him hone his writing … and why his family’s lexicon included an opera from Mister Rogers neighborhood.

Growing up in west Baltimore, R. Eric Thomas often felt like an outsider. He was a Black student at a mostly white private school; he was gay in a Baptist family.&nbsp;
Thomas&rsquo; memoir, Here For It, or How to Save Your Soul in America, follows humorous and heartfelt detours in his journey of self-acceptance.
"And when I threw off the shackles of trying to be enough of who I implicitly am, it became much easier for me to build a bridge of community.&rdquo;&nbsp;
We hear how code-switching helped him hone his writing &hellip; and why his family&rsquo;s lexicon included an opera from Mister Rogers neighborhood.

Catch On the Record, hosted by Sheilah Kast, weekdays from 9:30 to 10:00 am, following NPR's Morning Edition. We'll discuss the issues that affect your life and bring you thoughtful and lively conversations with the people who shape those issues -- business people, public officials, scholars, artists, authors, WYPR reporters and other journalists who can take us inside the story. If you want to share a comment, question, or an idea for an interview you?d like to hear, email us at ontherecord@wypr.org

Catch On the Record, hosted by Sheilah Kast, weekdays from 9:30 to 10:00 am, following NPR's Morning Edition. We'll discuss the issues that affect your life and bring you thoughtful and lively conversations with the people who shape those issues -- business people, public officials, scholars, artists, authors, WYPR reporters and other journalists who can take us inside the story. If you want to share a comment, question, or an idea for an interview you?d like to hear, email us at <a href="mailto:ontherecord@wypr.org" target="_blank">ontherecord@wypr.org</a>

On The Record

Catch On the Record, hosted by Sheilah Kast, weekdays from 9:30 to 10:00 am, following NPR's Morning Edition. We'll discuss the issues that affect your life and bring you thoughtful and lively conversations with the people who shape those issues -- business people, public officials, scholars, artists, authors, WYPR reporters and other journalists who can take us inside the story. If you want to share a comment, question, or an idea for an interview you'd like to hear, email us at ontherecord@wypr.org

Catch On the Record, hosted by Sheilah Kast, weekdays from 9:30 to 10:00 am, following NPR's Morning Edition. We'll discuss the issues that affect your life and bring you thoughtful and lively conversations with the people who shape those issues -- business people, public officials, scholars, artists, authors, WYPR reporters and other journalists who can take us inside the story. If you want to share a comment, question, or an idea for an interview you'd like to hear, email us at <a href="mailto:ontherecord@wypr.org">ontherecord@wypr.org</a>

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