Augusten Burroughs

1) I have never chosen to read a nonfiction book on my own time because when I think nonfiction I oftentimes think of something boring and dry. The ones I have read have been strictly informational and in general very uninteresting. However, I am excited to read a biography as as of late there have been quite a few I have wanted to read and I think I will find them more interesting than what I traditionally associate with nonfiction books. 2) I am reading the memoir Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson. I think a memoir can be desireable as it is a direct reflection of someone's experience which can be more relatable and raw rather than someone simply listening off facts and details. I think from reading a memoir one can learn more valuable lessons instead of facts as the author once again is telling their perspective and emotion on experiences. What is lacking from memoirs however is other viewpoints and information all together as the authors experience would be completely different from someone else's in the same situation. In this sense the actual information coming from the story could be considered less reliable and more for entertainment. 3) Autobiography- Autobiographies are desirable as they give a reader a first hand view of an event with reliable facts and details. Autobiographies can teach someone about an event with accurate and descriptive information however would lack any emotional connection to the event which may make it less interesting to…

short amount of time to confer. Once they were done, they did, in fact, perform a new trick that they had created in that time. (“How Smart Are Animals?”) The dolphins’ ability to work together toward a common goal shows that dogs, too, can work together towards the goal of driving the sled without being forced because of a shared desire to do so. Although Jack London should not be considered a “nature faker,” there is evidence to the contrary. It can be said that animals are not truly…

to maintain contact with both ends of the spectrum. To Thoreau, it was all about a balance of the two worlds to achieve inner peace and happiness. “I learned this, at least, by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours” (Walden). This quote from Walden, explains that because of his experiment in the woods, he realized that he can live the life that he…

thing at the wrong moment. If our curiosity is not aloud to get the best of us how are we to learn? When society gets ahold of you it is difficult to escape its grasp. In “Alone on a Mountaintop,” by Jack Kerouac, it explains how he tries to forget society’s rules and break-free. Alberto does something similar in his essay, “The Secret Lion.” Alberto Rios attempts to defy society, at much younger age than Kerouac, and gets hurt because of it. The “Beat Generation” included authors who wrote…

that was forming post World War II. The Beats were a group of writers that opposed conventional writing, spoke about issues regarding race, sex, and class, and rejected many cultural principles that was happening post war. The Origin of the Beats was in 1943, Allen Ginsberg meets Lucien Carr at Columbia University. Carr introduces Ginsberg to Jack Kerouac and William Burroughs. From there, the Beat Generation arises and their movement was faced with criticism along the way. The Beats received…

Often referred to as the beatniks, a parody of the USSR’s “Sputnik” (Enck), the Beat Generation stands in stark contrast to 1950’s American culture. With the rapid emergence of a post-WWII society - suburbs and consumerism, traditional family values and an exclusion of the extreme - entered the authors who rejected it. Their ideology, shocking to those of their time, ultimately led to the creation of a nation-wide literary movement. The roots of this movement took place during 1944 near Columbia…

Writing Assignment #1: Gorilla Growing up, there was one movie that was constantly in the DVR. That movie was Tarzan. Watching it often as I came home from daycare, it was one of the few films my parents bought for my brothers and I to watch. I was fascinated by the idea of a man living with what I thought of at the time as monkeys. Much time has passed since then, and as I grew older, my perspective changed on what I once thought were noble beasts. After watching films like King Kong and…

B. One important theme does arise during this juggle adventure such as the seemingly obvious; racism. Tarzan originated from Edgar Rice Burroughs’ 1914 novel “Tarzan of the Apes.” When he first meets Jane, he declares that “This is the house of Tarzan, the killer of beasts and many black men” (). Since his origin, Tarzan became a symbol of “adventure and athleticism, but most adaptations were steeped in the paternalistic idea that it takes a white man to save Africa” (). Those ideals are…

self is this aid doing its job or does it need a new strategy? The answer is yes; it does need a new stagey! It is obvious that these families do not want to opt out of government aid but we can certainly open their minds and enlighten them with an educational program that will show them how to manage their money more appropriately. They can also be educated on self-control knowing what the difference is between wants and needs. But one big issue still stands, these families are still in danger…

in a story that change through out the book. Augusten Burroughs’ has one main complex character in his book “Running with Scissors”, himself. In Burroughs book he shows a huge amount of personal change and development. He focuses on making himself a complex character because it is his own memoir and he is writing about his own life journey. Burroughs’ memoir is also very applicable to others lives, and can help many. Augusten Burroughs memoir “Running with Scissors” is a really good example of…