Trejo: My Life of Crime, Redemption and Hollywood is the memoir of actor Danny Trejo written with the help of Donal Logue. It tells the story of how the most-killed actor in Hollywood came to be, how he survived emotional abuse as a child, overcame an addiction that began when he was just twelve years old and how he chose to help others do the same. This narrative tells us the good, the bad, and the ugly of his life and let me be the first to say that there is a lot of the latter two.
Just to let you know this book has the following content warnings: drug abuse, violence, cursing, racial slurs, alcohol abuse, murder, and graphic violence. So if those things trigger you, please do not pick up this book. While I appreciate the vulnerability that Trejo shows, he puts it all out there and I want to ensure that you, dear reader, feel safe.
I had been wanting to read this book for years, when I first learned of it. But like any other avid reader, it was on my TBR and stayed there. But finally, I decided to pick it up (well, snag it from my local library). It did not disappoint. From the very first page, you are hooked and want to know more. He lays it all out there for the world to see: his infidelity, how he became jaded in the US prison system, life within some of the country’s most notorious prisons, his struggle as a parent…we get every detail. One of my favorite aspects is that this memoir feels as though it is done in community. It’s never just about Danny, it is about those around him as well. I feel like that is something that pervades most BIPOC stories, there’s always a sense of doing life in unity with someone else.
Stars: 5/5
It is rare that I give this many stars, especially when it comes to memoirs and creative nonfiction. The fact that this memoir is so real definitely helps. Trejo and Logue don’t pull any punches or any language. It feels as though you are in conversation with Danny as he just tells you about his life. There is no large amount of pondering the what ifs or editorializing to keep things spicy or interesting, Trejo’s life does that enough as is. Another aspect that I appreciate is that it isn’t leaning into that new branch of memoir that falls more in line with a self-help book. Trejo doesn’t urge us as the reader to do anything at all really, he just gives us his life on a platter and says, “Here you go, take from this whatever you can.” That alone helps you stay within the story.
As I read, I had to take breaks. Sometimes it was just life stuff but other times, it was simply because what was on the page was too real and too close to home. As a family member to felons, those who are addicted to drugs, and those in recovery, his thoughts on the collateral damage of that life hits home.
Lastly, I appreciate the fact that this book is organized not necessarily chronologically but more by theme or the impact that certain moments had on Danny’s life. Memory is weird and sometimes telling things in order doesn’t make sense. However, this layout makes perfect sense as we can get a more in-depth and holistic picture of how certain people and situations led Trejo to become who we know him to be today, a great actor.
How do you feel about memoirs? If you’re a writer, have you ever considered writing one yourself? I would love to know so be sure to leave a comment!
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