Dylan Mulvaney’s Paper Doll memoir allowed her to take an “empathetic step towards disarming transphobia” but also gave her the opportunity to spill some tea.
“I feel rather comfortable divulging details of my life publicly after years of oversharing online but the permanence of a book is definitely more daunting,” Mulvaney, 28, told Luxury Handbag Shopping exclusively, while promoting the memoir. “There’s less instant gratification with a book but it’s also an opportunity for more nuance, and it will be more lasting (hopefully) than the videos I make for our tiny screens.”
Mulvaney admitted that she felt some “pressure to spill a bit more than usual,” and readers will definitely get the details they so desire. “I was absolutely heavy-handed in my pour,” she quipped.
Paper Doll — which hit shelves on Tuesday, March 11 — allowed Mulvaney to take “a step toward healing my own personal trauma and dysphoria,” she told Us.
“Reading the entries and essays back has been far more emotional than writing them,” she explained. “While I’m writing, I rely heavily on fact and wit and when reading, I can better let my heart take over from my head.”
And for those wondering, yes, Mulvaney did not hold back when it came to discussing Beergate. And she tells Us that she feels no “shame” about the situation which has become an “integral” part of her story. (Mulvaney received an onslaught of transphobic hate on social media after posting an ad for Bud Light on Instagram.)
“The only part of me that would hit rewind is the part that wants to protect the greater community,” Mulvaney said. “When I say greater community, I mean the innocent folks from all walks of life whom this affected.”
When it came to writing her book, Mulvaney looked to successful memoir writers who came before her, including Glennon Doyle (“which gave me the courage to share the darker sides of my story”), Lena Dunham and Chelsea Handler, who helped her lean heavily on humor.
“Joy may be the first weapon in my arsenal against transphobia, but humor is a close second,” she said. “It’s hard to feel laughed at when you have so many laughing with you.”
With reporting by April Bernard
For more from Mulvaney, pick up the new issue of Luxury Handbag Shopping, on stands now.
