This Time for Me

A Memoir

By: Alexandra Billings, Joanne Gordon, Joey Soloway - introduction

Narrated by: Alexandra Billings

An emotional, funny, and fabulous memoir by trailblazing and award-winning Trans actor and activist Alexandra Billings.

Born in 1962, Alexandra Billings grew up in a decade in which being herself was illegal. When she started transitioning in 1980, the word “Transgender” was not commonly used. With no Trans role models and no path to follow, Alexandra did what her family, teachers, and even friends said was impossible: Alexandra forged ahead.

Spanning five decades, from profound lows to exhilarating highs, This Time for Me captures the events of a pioneering life. An award-winning actor and history-making LGBTQ and HIV/AIDS activist, Alexandra shares not only her own ever-evolving story but also the parallel ways in which queer identity has dramatically changed since the Stonewall riots of 1969. She weaves a true coming-of-age story of richly imaginative lies, of friends being swept away by a plague that decimated the community, of her determination to establish a career that would break boundaries, and of the recognition of her own power.

A celebration of endless possibilities, Alexandra’s bracing memoir is a fight-to-the-death revolution against all expectations.

©2022 Schmengie, Inc. (P)2022 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Award-winning trans actor and LGBTQ and HIV/AIDS activist Alexandra Billings exuberantly narrates her life story. With high energy and a commanding presence, Billings lays it all on the line, candidly sharing her painful and resilient journey through sexual assault, attempted suicide, the AIDS epidemic, and extraordinary barriers to living as her authentic self.… Billings's vocal talent is undeniable as she smoothly characterizes a wide range of vivid, funny, and sad encounters throughout her life. Each memory is performed with such gusto and raw emotion that the listener feels transported. A truly inspiring must-listen.”—AudioFile Magazine

“Straddling eras, Billings toggles between a time when AIDS meant ‘funeral after funeral’ and [T]rans people lived in the shadows, to a new world in which she made her way to the screen as a boundary-breaking actor. What unfolds alongside a narrative marked by adversity and raunchy humor is a poignant portrait of an artist in search of meaning and personal peace. This begs for an encore.”—Publishers Weekly

“This Time for Me shines light both on a remarkable personal journey and a painful time in transgender history…blunt truthfulness is a hallmark of her writing…Though she has been mistreated by society over most of her lifetime, her memoir is a model of grace and compassion, showing the world what it means to be misunderstood, and how we can do better to welcome humans of every stripe.”—Washington Post

They are now my family

This is a story so personal and told so personally with a directness and a lyricism made for the audible format. They pull you in as a bystander and convert you first to a concerned citizen and then family member and finally an activist. Just beautiful

Completely revealing and extraordinary!

Dear Humans, This book by Alexandra Scott Billings has been completely captivating from start to finish. This searingly honest look at a life that has been filled with love, joy, pain and accomplishment has brought me so close to Alex, children with dreams, to sons and daughters, mothers and fathers, to all humans of the Queer community and their allies, to Sisters, to those in recovery, to actors, students of any age and all the dreams that they all dare to dream and those of us who cheer them on. Listen to Alex read this story and feel her there beside you. Give this book to friends’! And be sure it does not become a banned book! Enjoy the tears and the triumph! I can’t wait to read Alexandra Scott Billings’ next book and hear about the wonderful achievements she does next!

An extraordinary memoir

Utterly captivating, and performed brilliantly by its author, This Time For Me was moving, hilarious, and a fascinating look at existing in and out of show business, and life.

A True Angel

As an avid reader of Memoirs Alex nailed IT!! She had me at “Once Upon a Time” it was beautiful and brave and funny and sad and glorious and triumphant!! As a Non Binary person I completely understood when she said her spirit matched her outside. It’s a struggle so many of us face yet we are so scared to talk about it or explain it. Her relationship with her wife is so BEAUTIFUL!! Her relationship with alcoholism and drug addiction is explained so well. ALL OF IT WAS GLORIOUS!! Having Alex read it was like have her across the table with her tea and 25sugars and me just smiling and nodding and laughing! Thank you for an amazing “Human Experience”

So deeply human

Want to know what it takes to keep going? What it takes to make mistakes and learn from them? What it takes to live your truth? Let the life of Alex wash over you. Alex has lived what feels like 400 lives and we are luck to hear, celebrate, and learn from all of them.