Burroughs and Books

So I guess I’ve been in a literary mood of late, at least blog wise. But books are pop culture too, so it’s all good.

Last night I saw Augusten Burroughs speak at the Brattle Theater. I've read both Running with Scissors (the movie sucked) and Dry. What always strikes me is how people talk about how “hysterically funny” he is. Sure he can find the humor in terrible situations, and can turn a funny phrase, but I think his memoirs are poorly described as comedy. People asked some great questions, and he read with startling passion and eloquence, I was glad I went. I also got a copy of Running with Scissors signed, instead of his new book because, well I’m too cheap to buy hardcover and well, Scissors is set in Amherst. Go UMASS!

It got me thinking about the whole idea of autographs. I spent a few years living in L.A. and had the chance to get many autographs but never really felt comfortable acknowledging that I recognized those people, I mean I don’t want to bug them. Am I really going to ask Wanda from Doogie Howser for an autograph in the middle of us getting manicures next to each other? I made one promise to The Boy, he gave me strict instructions that if I ever saw Bruce Campbell I had to roll him up in a carpet and throw him over a bridge. I’m not sure why he wanted me to do that, and he can’t explain it himself, as he likes Bruce Campbell. I think his argument was that it just had to be done? Boy, do you care to defend yourself?

Well, years later I did meet Bruce Campbell at a book signing in Cambridge. I got myself an autographed first edition of If Chins Could Kill. Also my friend Hunter had him wish the Goon happy birthday which was edited into his tour du force spoof The Goon Witch Project – which by all accounts is not the worst thing Bruce Campbell’s ever been in (and no I don’t mean my pants). For some reason having a author sign their work, I guess because they wrote it, seems less weird to me. I have one or two singed cds’ but those were kind of awkward to get, but a book, a completed written work by one individual seems more special when autographed, it becomes more of a treasure in some way that other autograph’s don’t –at least for me.

So as I now add my copy of Running with Scissors to my autographed book collection, it joins the ranks with Jon Krakauer’s Under the Banner of Heaven, Nick Hornsby’s High Fidelity and Ricky Gervais' Flannimals – I think I might have a few more I’m forgetting. The last of which was a gift from a friend who tried to get me a Stephen King autographed book but showed with with Gervais instead, not a bad deal!

I love that we live in a city where I can see authors like Krakaur, or go hear talks from some of the greatest minds around like Howard Zinn and Noam Chomsky. I know I spend a lot of time on my couch and whenever I go to stuff like this, or seeing Chris Elliot or John Waters or whatever else random talk I go to, I remind myself that life is too short to be in front of the boob tube all day – (don’t hate me boob, you know I love you!).

Update: I just remembered the signed book I was forgetting, Chuck Klosterman IV. He spoke in Harvard Square last year and what I remember was that his name is really pronounced Kloosterman, like Roosterman. Who knew?!