Wednesday

[mynewplace]

First of all -  Happy birthday Rae!  I hope you have a very peaceful stress-free 24 hours. 

Does everyone know that I love Love LOVE Augusten Burroughs?  I thought I'd written about it somewhere, but it's probably been a year or more, and I can't find it in tags or anything.  Anyway, I LOVE LOVE LOVE AUGUSTEN BURROUGHS!!  He's written Running With Scissors, Dry, Magical Thinking, Sellevision, Possible Side Effects and now A Wolf At The Table.  Brilliant stuff.  Ruthie got me started reading the books, then I turned Brent on to him, and encouraged Gym to listen to him on audio.  Gym got to meet him at a book signing a week or two ago (OMG I'm so jealous) and Leigh is reading him too!  

So if you've READ Augusten, you know he has a brother with Asperger's Syndrome.  His brother has written a book about it called Look Me In The Eye, and I am quite anxious to read it.  See the movie Running With Scissors too.  It's hard to take, but very well done.  Went straight to video, probably because the subject matter would have been considered too harsh for the big screen. 

Also so - there are two books on Amazon that are credited to him as author but have NO information about content, and I believe at least one is in German. The books aren't on Augusten's website, and one of them is priced at about $64 which is excessive, so I wrote to him and asked him about them.  Unfortunately, just like last time I emailed him, a guy named Steve answered. Probably his assistant, since he says he's helping Augusten during his book tour. Which ISN'T coming here. bleh  Steve said that Augusten didn't write the books, but they were listed on his web site.  (Can't FIND them! So I wrote back.)  Steve hasn't provided an explanation that I consider satisfactory, but I'm hoping with further questioning I can get to the bottom of the deal.

Well, moving right along.  I'm getting a few things done today.  Not enough really, but more than usual.  And I've managed to stay awake all day so far.  HUGE achievement for me.  I have t-bones marinating for dinner this evening, along with a big ol' salad.  I'm hoping Brent and I will get to watch another episode of John Adams on HBO.  We haven't watched an episode in a long while and I want to see all of it before HBO takes it off of on-demand.

There was more I wanted to say, but I've been so distracted reading reviews for books on Amazon that I've lost my entire group of thoughts.  Thus I will go to my work email and correspond more with Leigh instead of writing.  
 

One more edit, since I'm starting to remember crap.  I am SO fucking ashamed of WVU.  I'm glad I never went there, and if I have anything to say about it, my child will never go.  I am SICK TO DEATH of our damned governor, have been sick of him for years, and if he gets re-elected I will vomit.  I would do anything to be able to protest his running for re-election, but I'm afraid I'd lose my job.  Stupid bastard. 

Comments

[retro-rider55.livejournal.com]

'A Wolf At The Table'; as opposed to '- at the door'?:p The imagination reels, seems like a good read already.

[sapphirescarlet.livejournal.com]

I'm sure it's as opposed to "at the door". From what I've seen, it is not at all funny like his other books. But I'm intrigued because of his references to his father in other writings, and my own issues with an abusive father. I am even starting to think that one of my stepbrothers has Aspergers.

Teeny claim to fame

[ar-wahan.livejournal.com]

I've never met Augusten (his pen name), but we used to hang out with John Robinson and his then-girlfriend (now wife) Mary -- we were not close to them, but we had mutual friends who entertained a lot, including potlucks following amateur model-rocket-launching outings. They (and a son the same age as Samurai) live in South Hadley, two towns from here.

Re: Teeny claim to fame

[sapphirescarlet.livejournal.com]

He also sells his brother's books at his auto shop. That is VERY interesting stuff Janis! Thanks for sharing!

Re: Teeny claim to fame

[gymorama.livejournal.com]

Anita pointed me to here. I grew up in Holyoke and used to be involved in the local model rocket community (1960s/70s). it certainly is a small world. The book signing in Boston last friday was GREAT. it gives a new dimension to his pieces knowing the landmarks he discusses. I strongly recommend listening to one of his books on audio since he reads them himself. *waves*

Re: Teeny claim to fame

[ar-wahan.livejournal.com]

*waves back*

Ah, Estes! (Wasn't that a popular brand?) Our club, the Planet Mongo Rocket Forces, launched rockets at the UMass playing fields at the very end of the 70s and for a few years into the 80s.

Re: Teeny claim to fame

[gymorama.livejournal.com]

Estes and Centuri where the biggies then (MRC tried to break into it also). I taught it to 5th graders while in high school and got into the local paper. I moved out of the area (to college) in 75. All my kids built/launched rockets growing up (now all married). I miss the area but the money is far better further east.

[amian.livejournal.com]

I loved Running with Scissors... just watched it again the other night, as a matter of fact. Listened to the audio version on the way to Ohio a few years ago.

I went digging in our bookshelves and found "Dry" and it's in my "to read" pile as we speak.

I will probably be picking up the new book soon. I don't usually like to pay for hardback but I'm pretty sure husband and daughter will read it also so it's not a bad deal. Some of the reviews make it sound pretty disturbing, particularly some stuff about mistreatment of pets. Still, it should be fascinating reading.

[gymorama.livejournal.com]

Amazon has it cheaper than I got it at the book signing. Almost half price.

[sapphirescarlet.livejournal.com]

Brent made me cry in the middle of it because he asked me about abusing my own child, etc., so I had to quit watching. But I started over later, and was glad I did. I have always loved the song "Year Of The Cat" but it brings on such strong emotions from the film that I can't remember anything about my own life when it was popular.

[onesexiladee.livejournal.com]

Thank you, thank you! I am on my way out the door for a free lobster dinner, and its been a pretty great day! :)

[kokopelleigh.livejournal.com]

good lord, woman. you were sitting there volleying emails to and fro on six different topics with me AND posting to LJ?
skillz. mad multitasking skillz.
don't tell me you were actually *working*, too? hehe :)

[sapphirescarlet.livejournal.com]

Work? What is the "Work" that you speak of?

I'd actually written this when you and I were in the beginning of our conversation.

By the way, I DREAMED I was in a Coach outlet store with you last night. OMG the purses!! My mind still boggles. Bad influence, you are.

[kokopelleigh.livejournal.com]

you're not kiddin'. bad influence on MYSELF. i am now coveting the ever-colorful scribble print, in the large bucket-style with camel trim, and i will not stop until i've won one on ebay. with a matching wallet. gods help me.

[sapphirescarlet.livejournal.com]

BUT That scribble print is AWESOME!!!!

[kokopelleigh.livejournal.com]

won the wallet. bag is up to 102.50 with 3-odd hours left. damnit.
DAMN MY COMPETITIVE STREAK.
i shoulda learned my lesson back when i bought that van. didn't want it but didn't want anyone else to have it, either.

[sapphirescarlet.livejournal.com]

VAN??

[reallyamermaid.livejournal.com]

I also LOVE Augusten Burroughs. Did you know that he is a frequesnt columnist in um, I wanna say Details. It's one of the mags I subscribe to. I think it's Details. I have an autographed copy of Magical Thinking, too. When I worked at the bookstore, my boss had to attend a yearly managers conference and apparently a bunch of authors were there. The managers got a LOT of free books. Many were some where the author wasn't well-known. My boss used to hand the swag out to us book-hungry employees at the annual holiday meeting. He held that one up and said something like "I don't know who this guy is, but the book's autographed." I almost tackled him to get it.