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  1. Blog Time USA!

    Saturday, August 17, 2013

    By Lisa Harmon

    Well I can't believe its Friday and I have to write something compelling/brilliant/memorable AGAIN. Do only gay guys write memoirs? And do they all have OCD? Or is it just a coincidence that I started with David Sedaris and then went on to Augusten Burroughs? They seem to have some similar characteristics. I had to turn the book over repeatedly to double check which author I was actually reading.

    I did, in between, read a memoir by a woman – Jeanette Walls. And I have figured out the secret to writing the great memoir: You have to be raised by mentally ill and preferably self-medicating parent(s).

    My family didn't use drugs. And aside from being totally unhip, they didn't suffer from any recognized mental illnesses. Just my luck.

    I find myself here again, learning a skill that I probably will never turn into a paycheck. Art is all well and good but if its not paying my bills what is the point, exactly?

    And don't tell me that it is because I'm sharing. If I was sharing something that someone wanted to share, my bills would be getting paid!

    I never would have even picked up that book by Augusten Burroughs if I didn't really think about it for a second. That's because I was traumatized by a guy named Burroughs once.

    I finally realized the traumatic one was William and I gave the book by Augusten a chance. I don't know how people find these things humorous, I am always appalled at the events depicted. But its a pretty interesting read and anyway it isn't giving me nightmares like that psycho William Burroughs!

    Not only did I not finish Naked Lunch I'm pretty sure I threw it out because it was giving me the heebie jeebies.

    If you know of any good memoirs please drop me a note. I've got to pad up my reading list with stuff that won't scare the crap out of me.
















  2. 5 comments:

    1. She So Funny said...

      I actually like both Dave Sedaris and Augusten Burroughs...but I think it's because I'm mentally ill. Though I do walk away from their memoirs feeling filthy.

    2. Anonymous said...

      I like them too...but the similarities...too weird. Thanks for reading & commenting.

    3. RHC said...

      Ahhh... The joys of non-income generating self-expression!

    4. If there's a memoir in you, it is deep inside. So I recommend any reading or meaningful conversations that get you looking in that direction. To my knowledge, that is where most of the juicy details are. Things that happen outside of us triggers the world inside of us -- at least that is what I believe happens for me. I don't think there is a secret, but rather a willingness to step inside ourselves and mingle.

    5. Anonymous said...

      Wow Mindy well put. Thank you.

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