Running with Scissors

Augusten Burroughs recounts his unconventional upbringing, beginning when his mother, a poet with a volatile temperament, placed him in the care of her psychiatrist, Dr. David Vane. At twelve, Burroughs moved from a structured life into a chaotic Victorian house in Amherst, Massachusetts, inhabited by Vane’s eccentric family, his psychiatric patients, and a cast of bizarre characters. The memoir details a childhood defined by the absence of rules, the presence of vintage electroshock therapy equipment, and a household where Valium was consumed casually. Burroughs navigates this surreal environment with a sharp, wry observational eye, documenting the blurred lines between therapy and domestic life, and the profound impact of being raised by a man who was simultaneously a caregiver and a clinician. The narrative explores themes of identity, abandonment, and the search for stability within a deliberately disordered world, blending dark humor with poignant reflection on family dynamics and psychological survival.

Description adapted from Open Library ↗.