GuRu

{{short description|Autobiography and life guide from American drag queen RuPaul}}

{{Other uses|Guru (disambiguation)}}

{{Infobox book

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| name = GuRu

| image = File:GuRu (book).jpg

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| caption = First edition

| author = RuPaul

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| country = United States

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| subject =autobiography, advice

| genre = autobiography / self-help

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| publisher = Dey St. Books

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| pub_date = October 2018

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| pages = 194

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| isbn = 0062862995

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| preceded_by = Workin' It! RuPaul's Guide to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Style (2010)

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GuRu is a 2018 autobiography and life guide from American drag queen and entrepreneur RuPaul.{{Cite web|url=https://www.popmatters.com/guru-by-rupaul-2619380521.html|title=RuPaul's 'Guru' Tells You All You Need to Know|date=2018-11-12|website=PopMatters|language=en|access-date=2019-05-21|archive-date=2018-11-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181122135540/https://www.popmatters.com/guru-by-rupaul-2619380521.html|url-status=live}} Released in October 2018 by HarperCollins, with a foreword by actress and author Jane Fonda, included are quotes, phrases, advice and insight to help readers navigate the “chaos of modern life”, such as self-love, harnessing one’s inner critic, and finding your tribe.{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/roytelmontero/2018/05/13/here-are-5-life-lessons-from-rupaul-the-mother-of-drag/|title=Here Are 5 Life Lessons From Rupaul, The Mother Of Drag|last=Montero|first=Roytel|website=Forbes|language=en|access-date=2019-05-21|archive-date=2019-06-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190613122524/https://www.forbes.com/sites/roytelmontero/2018/05/13/here-are-5-life-lessons-from-rupaul-the-mother-of-drag/|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|url=https://hornet.com/stories/rupauls-new-book-guru-two/|title=Here's What Fans Can Expect From RuPaul's New Book, 'Guru'|last=Hornet Networks|date=2018-04-24|work=Hornet|access-date=2019-05-21|language=en-US|archive-date=2019-06-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190612112324/https://hornet.com/stories/rupauls-new-book-guru-two/|url-status=live}} Her previous books were Lettin' It All Hang Out (1995), an autobiography, and Workin' It! RuPaul's Guide to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Style (2010).{{Cite news|url=https://hornet.com/stories/new-rupaul-book-guru/|title=RuPaul's New Book 'GuRu' Is Here, a How-To Guide for Living One's Truth|last=Hornet Networks|date=2018-10-23|work=Hornet|access-date=2019-05-21|language=en-US|archive-date=2020-08-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200815031039/https://hornet.com/stories/new-rupaul-book-guru/|url-status=live}}

She was inspired to write the book to reach LGBTQ youth who often face ostracism and rejection from their parents and families, and society, because of their sexuality and gender identity.{{Cite web|url=https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2018/10/22/rupaul-drag-race-guru|title=RuPaul On Childhood, The Power Of Drag And The 'Tenacity Of The Human Spirit'|website=www.wbur.org|date=22 October 2018 |language=en|access-date=2019-05-21|archive-date=2019-06-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190611031921/https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2018/10/22/rupaul-drag-race-guru|url-status=live}} RuPaul’s parents divorced when she was very young and the experience scarred her for years, during which she had to grow through the pain.{{Cite web|url=https://people.com/tv/rupaul-worst-advice-job-post-office/|title=RuPaul Reveals the Worst Advice He Ever Received: 'Get a Job at the Post Office'|website=PEOPLE.com|language=en|access-date=2019-05-21|archive-date=2019-05-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190513062345/https://people.com/tv/rupaul-worst-advice-job-post-office/|url-status=live}} In an interview with WBUR, RuPaul notes the reason she wrote the book was to give young LGBTQ people a touchstone for their lives. She explained that the queens who competed in RuPaul's Drag Race has similar family experiences of rejection, and talked about those stories inspiring the viewers in dealing with their own problems. RuPaul sees LGBTQ people allegorically as lotus flowers growing through adversity; born under mud, growing through water, and then to reach air and light of the sun.{{efn|

The growth is identified with human life, born in earth but desiring elevation to the air; representing the middle stage between animals and the ultimate reality.{{Cite book|title=The lotus quest : in search of the sacred flower|last=Griffiths, Mark.|date=2013|publisher=St. Martin's Press|isbn=9781429964524|location=New York|oclc=865098724}} White Lotus Day is an annual celebration commemorating the story.}}