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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 15, 2004)
15.2004 BOOKS 3 ÍÍS S (fay Oregon X X V lII Jlíycía D ay Scissors sister J im / Jm j/eriafSovereign Tiose C ourt Straight talk from gay scribe A ugusten Burroughs invites one muí all to attend by J im R adosta help or hinder your writing? Since advertising is all about the manipulation of truth, and what makes your writing so fresh is its uncensored honesty, how do you reconcile Gay author Augusten Burroughs’ those two? bizarre memoir—soon to he made into a AB: My experience in advertising was the major motion picture starring Julianne Moore best training 1 could ever imagine for a writer. as the dysfunctional mother who let her eccen In advertising, you may not feel creative on a tric shrink raise him—is a must-read, especially given day, and that’s just too bad—you have to for fans of humorist David Sedaris. His other do it anyway. So years and years and years in books are Dry, a memoir about his days as an advertising trained me to just soldier on despite alcoholic ad exec and subsequent stint at a gay my mood. And I learned rehah, and Sellevision, a comic novel about the one thing that was really behind-the-scenes drama at important, which is you a Home Shopping don’t wait for inspiration. Network. You begin writing, and then Burroughs chatted with as you write, you kind of Just Out before embarking become filled with a sense on a nationwide lxx)k tour of inspiration. You may to promote his new collec have to write a long time tion of essays, Magical before you get that feeling, Thinking. but the more you write, the more it sort of frees you up, Jim Radosta: How do limbers you up-and it you feel about the book’s improves your mtxxJ. release this month? Do I a 1st) learned not to he you have any jitters? afraid to cut something if Augusten Burroughs: it’s not working. Advertis You know, most of my jitters ing is like ptxitry in the actually are related to things sense that every word mat like travel. I lixik at the ters. ... So you need to cut UGUSTEN BURROUGHS things that don’t work— itinerary and I think, “There’s no way I’m gonna ruthlessly, even if you think make alt these connecting it’s a great line. flights!’’ There’s always anxiety, hut 1 have less of JR: Have you had some rabid fans who that really because I write about one topic— are more obsessive than you’re accustomed myself—so there’s not much I can do to influ to? ence whether people are gonna like things or AB: There have been some that have mis not. interpreted some things I’ve written and been very, very angry and give me death threats and JR: Do you have to concern yourself with things like that. Those are always kind of sales because the expectations might be a lit uncomfortable, hut I guess that just gtxis with tle bit higher? the territory. AB: I try not to do that. That’s sort of my For the most part...the people who come to publisher’s domain.... My editor once told me my readings always amaze me.... 1 think, that there are two types of writers. There are “Jesus, where the hell were you five, six years the writers who look at the daily sales figures ago r It’s just weird.... I’m just astounded that and...mark their position on the Times list someone that cool would like me. every Wednesday when it comes out, and there are writers who are just oblivious. She was say JR: What is it like to write columns for a ing that, in her experience, the writers who are “straight” magazine like Details? Do you ever oblivious tend to be happier. have to tone down your writing? f you haven’t read Running with Scissors yet, here’s your wake-up call. A ll net proceeds benefit O u r S fo u se o. 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