Getting Dirty, Coming Clean, and Packing the Store with Rob Trinh
Friday night, Little Sister’s did what it has done since 1983: we gave a story a room, and the room leaned in.
Rob Trinh stopped by 1238 Davie to celebrate his debut memoir, Getting Dirty and Coming Clean. It’s his story from Hollywood’s fast lane to hustler to house husband, told plainly, with humour and zero shame. Riotous and tender, which is basically our whole brand.
About the book
If you haven’t picked it up yet, here’s the short version. Rob takes you through the fast, glittering, complicated years, the ones where getting dirty felt like the only way to survive, and then into the quieter, harder work of coming clean and building a life that’s actually his. It’s a memoir about reinvention, and it never pretends the messy parts weren’t messy.
The messy parts are the point
Rob read from the book, took questions, and signed copies for everyone who wanted one. Nobody in that room needed a tidy, polished version of a life. We got the real one: the bad decisions, the reinvention, and the moment you figure out what actually makes you happy. Honestly, that’s the best kind of night.
There’s something special about hearing a memoir in the author’s own voice, in a room full of people who get it. The laughs land harder. The quiet moments land softer. And afterwards, strangers become a community over a stack of signed books.
Rob let the funny bits breathe and didn’t rush the tender ones. The questions were generous, and so were the answers. That’s the difference between a reading and an evening, and it’s why we love hosting nights like this.
Why we do this
This store was built on Jim Deva’s belief in freedom of sexuality, gender diversity, and the right to say what you need to say without a censor looking over your shoulder. That fight didn’t end with the court cases. It continues every time a queer author gets a stage, and every time someone walks in and finds a book that makes them feel less alone.
Little Sister’s opened on Thurlow Street in 1983, moved to Davie in 1996, and took the fight for the freedom to read all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada. This June, Canada Post put us on a stamp as a Place of Pride. We carry that history with us, and nights like this one are how we keep adding to it.
Still here, still reading
So yes, we’ll keep hosting nights like this one, even while Davie Street is torn up for construction. Especially then. Independent spaces like ours survive because neighbours choose them, one book and one evening at a time.
Thank you
To everyone who came out, thank you for showing up for a first-time author and for each other. To Rob, thank you for trusting us with your launch and for being so generous with your story.
Take the book home
Missed it? Ask at the till about Getting Dirty and Coming Clean at 1238 Davie Street, or find us at littlesisters.ca. Not sure where to start? Ask the team what they’re reading. We love a good recommendation. Follow Rob at @writewithrt to see what he writes next.
