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.
-
Blog Time USA!
Saturday, August 17, 2013
| Labels: Lisa Harmon, memoirs, mental illness | 5 comments | |
Showing posts with label mental illness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mental illness. Show all posts