Dave Holmes isn’t famous, exactly. “Fame-adjacent” might be more accurate. He launched his career with a VJ stint on MTV in the late 90s. He stuck around on-air at the network as music became a smaller and smaller part of its identity. He’s appeared in a few movies, a bunch of Ford commercials and an array of podcasts. He recapped American Idol for New York Magazine long after that show faded from cultural relevance.

Now he can add “wrote a memoir” to his eclectic set of professional accomplishments. Party of One traces Holmes’ development from a pop culture-obsessed, identity-conflicted boy in St. Louis to the equally pop culture-obsessed, slightly less identity-conflicted man he’s become. The book digs deep into Holmes’ obsessive knowledge of pop culture and reaches for broader truths about the healing power of what some might describe as frivolous entertainment. He’ll discuss his experiences at Kramerbooks on Wednesday.

Party of One will resonate in particular for anyone who’s ever had to suppress an intrinsic part of their identity. Holmes realized he was gay when he found himself describing a male grade-school classmate as “cute” one afternoon, in an attempt to convince Holmes’ mother to invite the boy over. But his family’s traditional Midwestern values didn’t account for such a scenario, and Holmes spent much of his youth living different public and private lives.

The serious elements of Holmes’ backstory make up much of the book’s backbone, but there’s a healthy dollop of pop culture references and controversial assertions — for instance, the title track is Michael Jackson’s Thriller is “garbage, and in your heart you know it” — to keep fans of Holmes’ professional life satiated. Interstitial segments between the chapters offer playlists, asides and ruminations that offer glimpses into different corners of Holmes’ mind. The best memoirs offer more detail on the parts of the subject’s life you already know about, and then illuminate some parts you didn’t. Party of One accomplishes both.

Dave Holmes will discuss the book in conversation with NPR’s Linda Holmes at Kramerbooks at 6:30 p.m. on June 29; the event is free.