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| Augusten Burroughs | |
|---|---|
| Name | Augusten Burroughs |
| Birth name | Christopher Richter Robison |
| Birth date | 1965-10-23 |
| Birth place | Pittsburgh |
| Occupation | Writer, Memoirist |
| Notable works | "Running with Scissors", "Dry", "Magical Thinking" |
| Spouse | Colin McGuire (former) |
Augusten Burroughs is an American memoirist and author whose candid, humorous, and often controversial narratives recount personal experiences with family dysfunction, addiction, and recovery. His work propelled him into mainstream literary prominence, influenced discussions in memoir ethics, and intersected with American literary, media, and legal institutions. Burroughs's life and writing connect to numerous cultural figures, publishing houses, and adaptations in film and television.
Burroughs was born Christopher Richter Robison in Pittsburgh and raised in a blended household that involved figures such as John Robison (father) and Fay Robison (mother), later entering custody disputes that included placements with Dee Dee Blanchard-like caregivers and episodes reminiscent of Child Protective Services interventions. He spent formative years in Pittsburgh, New York City, and suburban Boston, attending schools that intersected with regional institutions like Shady Side Academy, Allegheny County systems, and local chapters of Boy Scouts of America. For higher education he enrolled at programs in Boston University, where he encountered literary influences tied to faculty with connections to The New Yorker, Poets & Writers, and small-press networks such as Graywolf Press and Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Burroughs launched his career writing for magazines and publishing memoirs with major houses including St. Martin's Press and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. His breakout book, "Running with Scissors", became a bestseller and drew commentary from critics at The New York Times Book Review, The Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times. Other major works include "Dry", "Magical Thinking", "A Wolf at the Table", and collections published alongside contributors to GQ, Harper's Magazine, and Vanity Fair. He collaborated with editors tied to Grove Atlantic, Random House, and literary agents with connections to William Morris Endeavor and ICM Partners. Burroughs also contributed essays to anthologies alongside writers represented by The Paris Review and appeared on panels hosted by institutions such as The New School, Columbia University, and the PEN American Center.
Burroughs's prose combines confessional memoir techniques with dark comedy, aligning him with writers discussed in relation to Mary Karr, James Frey, Tobias Wolff, and David Sedaris. Themes in his work—childhood trauma, substance misuse, psychotherapy, and identity—resonate with narratives examined by Addiction journals, Psychiatric Research, and recovery movements like Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. Stylistically he uses voice and irony akin to contemporary chroniclers featured in The Atlantic, Slate, and The New Yorker, employing episodic chapters, vivid scene construction, and dialogue-driven recollections comparable to memoirists published by Knopf and Vintage Books.
Burroughs's personal life has been publicly intertwined with figures from the LGBT community and media, including a marriage to Colin McGuire and friendships with artists represented by Chelsea Hotel-era networks, collaborators in New York literary circles, and colleagues from Hilton Hotels-adjacent readings and festival circuits such as Litquake and the Miami Book Fair. His relationships and family dynamics have been central to his books, bringing him into contact with legal representatives from firms that handle defamation and privacy matters in Manhattan and Los Angeles.
The publication of "Running with Scissors" prompted legal challenges from relatives and subjects portrayed in the narrative, engaging law firms familiar with defamation law and privacy litigation in jurisdictions like Massachusetts, New York State Supreme Court, and federal courts. Disputes raised questions similar to those in cases involving James Frey and other memoirists scrutinized by media outlets such as Oprah Winfrey's platform and debated on programs like 60 Minutes and Good Morning America. Allegations and countersuits drew commentary from legal scholars at Harvard Law School and commentators at Slate, The Guardian, and NPR.
"Running with Scissors" was adapted into a feature film with involvement from producers and actors associated with Fox Searchlight Pictures, and the screenplay attracted attention from directors and casting linked to Annette Bening, Brian Cox (actor), and others. Burroughs has appeared on television programs and radio shows including The Oprah Winfrey Show, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and interviews on NPR and BBC Radio 4. Excerpts and essays have been broadcast on This American Life and performed at venues such as Joe's Pub and festivals sponsored by The Smithsonian and Library of Congress events.
Burroughs's work received commercial bestseller status tracked by The New York Times Best Seller list and recognition in lists curated by Publishers Weekly and Booklist. He has been invited to residencies and fellowships connected to Yaddo, MacDowell Colony, and the Guggenheim Fellowship community, and has lectured at academic venues including Harvard University, Yale University, and Princeton University literary programs. Critical reception has been mixed, with accolades from reviewers at Entertainment Weekly and critiques in outlets like The New Republic and The New York Review of Books.
Category:American memoirists Category:Living people Category:1965 births