M O N D AY, F E B R U A RY 0 6 , 2 0 0 6Augusten Burroughs Is A LiarAt least, it certainly seems that way.</p><p> Just finished reading his "memoir"Running With Scissors and found it difficult in the extreme to believehis story.</p><p> Not because strange and terrible things happened to him butbecause he wrote about them unconvincingly.</p><p> Bad as fiction, but ifmade up, unconscionable as memoir.</p><p> The Independent UK has alengthy profile that without trying too hard raises all sorts of questions.It quotes his publisher on the truth of the book as saying "His life is inhis books." Then the writer quotes a stunning passage in his secondmemoir Dry where the writer's dad and he are fighting in a car and thedad says, "You make crap up" and then crushes a lit cigarette ontoBurroughs' forehead leaving a scar between his eyes (a la Harry Potter)that the writer tries very, very hard to see but can't.</p><p> Did it reallyhappen, he asks the writer? "I'm not sure to this day.</p><p> I think so.</p><p> I hopenot.</p><p> But my father was sadistic.</p><p> He was emotionally cruel." He's NOTSURE if his dad ground a lit cigarette into the writer's head.</p><p> Liar, liar,liar.</p><p> His mom has a website.</p><p> His adopted family has a website and issuing -- and a spokesperson for their dad's organization makes themsound flaky in the extreme, so clearly there's some kernel of truth inthere.</p><p> But the movie comes out this year and Augusten Burroughs, itseems, is a big, fat liar.POSTED BY MICHAEL IN NEW YORK AT 11:32 AM 6 C O M M E N T S :Anonymous said...I thought the book read fishy too.</p><p> He isn't sure if his dad crushed acigarette onto his forehead as an adult? That's absurd.12:33 PM Anonymous said...You're just jealous because his life is more colorful than yours.1:00 PM Anonymous said...my goodness. people these days. why would you care even if he didNext Blog»sal1mineo@hotmail.comSEARCH BLOG FLAG BLOGFOLLOW BLOGP O P S U R F I N G .</p><p> C O MS U R F I N G T H E WAV E S O F P O P U L A R C U LT U R EB Y M I C H A E L G I LT Z & F R I E N D SPOPSURFING.COM: Augusten Burroughs Is A Liarhttp://popsurfing.blogspot.com/2006/02/augusten-burroughs-is-li... 1 of 37/29/09 3:27 AMFAV O R I T E L I N K SAmericablogFive O'Clock Lightning baseball blogDeep Pop -- Lori Lakin's BlogThe Back Page -- Jason Page on ESPNRadioCine-Blog -- George Robinson's BlogDocuments On Art & Cinema - DarylChin's BlogBrucie G's Wondrous Blog OfAdventure and Mystery -- BruceGreenspan's BlogB L O G A R C H I V E▼ 2009 (17)▼ July (3)1939 -- The Greatest Year ForMoviesSwimming Bans Those Hi-TechSuits!Best Movies Of The Year -- TheMaster List► June (3)► May (1)► March (2)► February (1)► January (7)► 2008 (86)► 2007 (781)► 2006 (2412)► 2005 (5)C O N T R I B U TO R SAaronMichael in New YorkBiboy POPSURFING.COM: Augusten Burroughs Is A Liarhttp://popsurfing.blogspot.com/2006/02/augusten-burroughs-is-li... 2 of 37/29/09 3:27 AMPOPSURFING.COM: Augusten Burroughs Is A Liarhttp://popsurfing.blogspot.com/2006/02/augusten-burroughs-is-li... 3 of 37/29/09 3:27 AM
