AUGUSTEN BURROUGHS
IN CONVERSATION WITH RICHARD WOLINSKY
Augusten Burroughs is the son of poet and writer Margaret Robison and the late John G. Robison, head of the philosophy department at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He is also the younger brother of John Elder Robison. When he was 12, his mother sent him to live with her psychiatrist's family in western Massachusetts.
His books are published by St. Martin's Press (hardcover) and Picador (trade paperback). Some of his childhood experiences were chronicled in Running with Scissors. Burroughs dropped out of school after sixth grade, and obtained a GED at age 17. He worked his way up to a high-paying job in the advertising industry before leaving the field to become a writer. His written work blends the fantastic and the mundane, and is delivered in a matter-of-fact style. In addition to Scissors, Burroughs penned a second memoir, Dry (2003), about his experience during and after treatment for alcoholism. That was followed by two collections of essays, Magical Thinking (2003) and Possible Side Effects (2006). His first book, the novel Sellevision (2000), is currently in production as a feature film. His most recent book is a memoir about his father, A Wolf at the Table.
Recorded during Augusten's tour for Magical Thinking. In streaming audio and downloadable formats
Recorded during Augusten's tour for A Wolf at the Table. In streaming audio and downloadable formats