George Takei discusses IT RHYMES WITH TAKEI at B&N Union Square

Join Barnes & Noble - Union Square in New York City on Wednesday, June 25th at 6PM as we welcome actor, activist and New York Times bestselling author George Takei to discuss his full-color graphic memoir, IT RHYMES WITH TAKEI. George shares the full story of his life in the closet, his decision to come out as gay at the age of 68, and the way that moment transformed everything.

George will be in conversation with Publishers Weekly Graphic Novels Editor Meg Lemke.

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To make this event safe and enjoyable for all attendees, please read the below guidelines ahead of buying a ticket, so you know what to expect on the day. To avoid disappointment, we must stress that there will be no access to the event for non-ticketholders.

• Barnes & Noble reserves the right to make new rules and orders in its sole discretion with regard to COVID-19 at any time and any person not abiding by the Barnes & Noble directives will be refused entrance or directed to leave the premises.

TICKETING INFORMATION

Book Admission - $32.70 (Admission + one copy of IT RHYMES WITH TAKEI + 5-cent bag fee): **LIMITED QUANTITY AVAILABLE**: A ticket PER PERSON includes:

• One copy of IT RHYMES WITH TAKEI.
• Admission to the event space and signing line with George Takei.

George will NOT pose for photos. A B&N staff member will be on-hand to take candid photos while your book is signed.

George will sign and personalize (name only) copies of IT RHYMES WITH TAKEI. No additional books or memorabilia will be signed.

Any gifts for the author will be collected prior to the signing line.

Please arrive by 6PM in order to secure your seat in the event space. Late arrivals may only have access to standing room and may not have the opportunity to meet the author.

GUIDELINES

No memorabilia will be signed at this event.

No large bags will be permitted into the event.

Ticket holders will be admitted into the event beginning at 5:30PM the day of the event. Please have a copy of your ticket available (either printed out or on your phone) for check in.

Due to health and safety and space limitations, those without a ticket will not be permitted into the event space.

Please note that Eventbrite is the only authorized dealer for this event. Each person must have a ticket to enter.

All event guidelines are subject to change.

If you have any additional questions, please call the store directly at: 212-253-0810.

REFUNDS

Attendees can receive refunds up to 24 hours before your event start time.

If you are unable to attend the event, Barnes & Noble - Union Square in New York City will hold your book for seven days after the event. Please contact the store to arrange your pickup.

Should this event be canceled, all customers will be refunded their ticket price to the original method of payment per Eventbrite's refund policy.

Event guidelines are subject to change.

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ABOUT IT RHYMES WITH TAKEI:
George Takei has shown the world many faces: actor, author, outspoken activist, helmsman of the starship Enterprise, living witness to the internment of Japanese Americans, and king of social media. But until October 27, 2005, there was always one piece missing—one face he did not show the world. There was one very intimate fact about George that he never shared…and it rhymes with Takei.

Now, for the first time ever, George shares the full story of his life in the closet, his decision to come out as gay at the age of 68, and the way that moment transformed everything. Following the phenomenal success of his first graphic memoir, They Called Us Enemy, George Takei reunites with the team of Harmony Becker, Steven Scott, and Justin Eisinger for a jaw-dropping new testament. From his earliest childhood crushes and youthful experiments in the rigidly conformist 1950s, to global fame asv an actor and the terrible fear of exposure, to the watershed moment of speaking his truth and becoming one of the most high-profile gay men on the planet, It Rhymes with Takei offers a sweeping portrait of one iconic American navigating the tides of LGBTQ+ history.

Combining historical context with intimate subjectivity, It Rhymes with Takei shows how the personal and the political have always been intertwined. Its richly emotional words and images depict the terror of entrapment even in gay community spaces, the anguish of speaking up for so many issues while remaining silent on his most personal issue, the grief of losing friends to AIDS, the joy of finding true love with Brad Altman, and the determination to declare that love openly—and legally—before the whole world.

Looking back on his astonishing life on both sides of the closet door, George Takei presents a charismatic and candid account of how far America has come…and how precious that progress is.

ABOUT George Takei:

George Takei is a civil rights activist, social media superstar, Grammy-nominated recording artist, New York Times bestselling author, and pioneering actor whose career has spanned six decades. He has appeared in more than 40 feature films and hundreds of television roles, most famously as Hikaru Sulu in Star Trek, and he has used his success as a platform to fight for social justice, LGBTQ+ rights, and marriage equality. His advocacy is personal: during World War II, Takei spent his childhood unjustly imprisoned in United States incarceration camps along with 125,000 other Japanese Americans. Takei is the author of five books, including his autobiography, To the Stars. His Eisner Award winning and New York Times bestselling graphic memoir They Called Us Enemy was released in July 2019. His picture book for children, My Lost Freedom: A Japanese American World War II Story, also became a New York Times bestseller upon its release in April 2024.