Skip navigation

 Login or Register | Member Centre

Memoir: Daddy dearest

TRALEE PEARCE

From Tuesday's Globe and Mail

Latest comment posted at 2:45 PM EDT 29/04/08

He was 'dangerous' - and probably a sociopath. But for Running with Scissors author Augusten Burroughs, his father was the force that shaped his life ...Read the full article

This conversation is semi-moderated What is moderation? | How do I report a comment?

  1. Carolyn Bongiorno from Glenham,NY, United States writes: I seldom cannot watch a movie to its conclusion, but I do remember walking out midway through 'Running With Scissors,' the big screen adaptation of the Burroughs book. I couldn't take another minute of the movie.

    I'm sorry he had such poor parents and that he was sexually exploited as a child. I take comfort that he has matured into a functional adult and maintains a good relationship with his brother.

    I worked as a social services caseworker in NYC, and it's amazing how little contact middle class whites have with social services versus how over-involved they are in the lives of poor and working class Black and Hispanic families. It is a scandal in my nation and a measure of how class and race stratified the whole social services framework is.
  2. Michele K from Ottawa, Canada writes: Interesting. I never read the first book, but the movie left me with the impression that Burroughs' father wasn't a villain so much as another victim of his crazy mother.

    That's Hollywood, I guess.
  3. Gary Thomson from Surrey, BC, Canada writes: Sounds like a heckuva son, doesn't he?
  4. Michele K from Ottawa, Canada writes: Well, Gary, if half of what he wrote about his childhood is true, being messed up would be pretty much unavoidable, I would think.
  5. Johnn Baraka from Victoria, Canada writes: Read his book called Dry if you have any addiction issues (past or present). He places a very funny twist on a serious subject and I found it very refreshing.
  6. Emma Hawthorne from Canada writes: Society hasn't openly addressed the nurgent need to corral, limit and hopefully rehabilitate or retrain toxic parents, bullies, employers, etc., while rescuing their victims as early as possible. Providing widespread information on just what good parenting, mental health and raising happy children is, is a no brainer, but where is it?
  7. rosanne van schie from Canada writes: Emma I don't think free market society can prevent, treat, or harm reduce its way out of these things any more than it can police its way out of it. Society in North America as we know and live it has ripped humans out of their natural state of well being destroying extended family and community life and replacing this with the values of the free market system. These unwanted behaviors could be natural defense mechanisms when humans face these kinds of stresses. Today its everyone for themself-we don't live communally, we don't share our resources other than thru an imposed tax system, and we don't live within a tight interconnected family or community matrix. Humans need pyschosocial integration not dislocation and widespread government information. As for good parenting, mental health and raising happy children being a no brainer, you should think again or perhaps give us some insight into how you are accomplishing this raising your own children. I'm interested to know.
  8. Andrea Smith from Boston, United States writes: Excluding "Wolf at the Table", I've read all of his books.

    Yes, his childhood was horrible.
    Yes, he is an alcholic.
    Yes, his father was a tyrant.
    Yes, his mother is loopy.
    Yes, his brother has Asperger's syndrome.

    But, first and foremost, he's a fantastic writer and storyteller.
    Let's not forget that.

    Incidentally, Annette Bening deserved her Golden Globe Nomination.

Join the Conversation, Leave a Comment

This conversation is semi-moderated What is moderation? | How do I report a comment?

You must be logged-in to submit a comment — login now!

Not registered with globeandmail.com? Register now. It is quick and free.

close

Alert us about this comment

Please let us know if this reader’s comment breaks the editor's rules and is obscene, abusive, threatening, unlawful, harassing, defamatory, profane or racially offensive by selecting the appropriate option to describe the problem.

Do not use this to complain about comments that don’t break the rules, for example those comments that you disagree with or contain spelling errors or multiple postings.

Back to top