Magical Thinking

Augusten Burroughs’s break-out bestseller Running with Scissors reinvented and redefined the memoir. Dry proved that he could do it again. And now, with this collection, he sets a new standard for the personal essay. Whether he’s describing a contest of wills with a deranged cleaning lady, the simultaneous thrill and self-disgust that comes from killing a rodent in your home, or the instinctive desire for fifteen minutes of fame in a Tang commercial, these stories give voice to thoughts we all have but dare not mention. What makes the collection so original is Augusten’s sharp-eyed observations about things that are unique to him, but somehow universal to us all. Magical Thinking is contagiously funny, heartwarming, shocking, twisted, and absolutely magical.