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<< Previous   of   Next >> Photo by Dennis Pilsits  (click to enlarge) Augusten Burroughs (click to enlarge)   ADVERTISEMENT   In person Augusten Burroughs: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave., Seattle; 800-335-7323, call in advance for free tickets.   CONTACT THE HERALD Melanie Munk, Features Editor munk@heraldnet.com   Published: Monday, May 12, 2008 Augusten Burroughs: Not a prisoner of my past' By Andy Rathbun Herald Writer Augusten Burroughs' latest memoir, "A Wolf at the Table," has divided critics. The tale of his abusive father is either "a searing, emotional portrait" (Publishers Weekly) or "awkwardly histrionic and sometimes anything but credible." (New York Times) Before a book tour brings him to Seattle on Tuesday, the 42-year-old author of "Running With Scissors" talked about living in rural Massachusetts and welcoming scrutiny of his past. Here are excerpts: QThe new book focuses on your time living outside Amherst, Mass., with your abusive father. You now maintain a home in Amherst. Given your horrible memories, why still live in the area? AI missed certain smells and the sounds of the woods. I still live in New York as well. I didn't really leave New York. I just sort of added Amherst. And I didn't want to be a prisoner of my past. QIn "A Wolf at the Table," you recount memories of your childhood beginning at 18 months old. How do you recall so much? APart of it is in the circumstances of my life. Let's say that you were on the Titanic, and let's say that it did not sink. How much of that trip would you remember 60 years later? … Extraordinary stress does something to cement the memory. QThe book includes an outdoor chase scene at night. It ends with you noticing a pine needle in your father's hair the next morning. It wasn't clear to me what led to the chase. AThat's sort of the point of that: It's never clear. It's never made clear. I'm never sure what happened or if it was a dream. So that was the point of that, of just not knowing. QBut you remember the pine needle in his hair? A Yeah, but that can be explained too. … It was not uncommon to find a pine needle or tick on yourself. Q You've said by writing "Scissors," you were able to exorcise the so-called Finch family from your nightmares. Did you have a similar goal writing "A Wolf at the Table?" A It's not that rational a process. It's almost like being pregnant and the baby's going to come. You don't really say, "I'd rather have it next Tuesday." As soon as my father died I felt this incredible sense of freedom. Q You said your father was considered "the kindest man, an absolute Southern gentlemen," to people outside your family. Given the Vanity Fair article and the lawsuit by the Finches challenging "Scissors," are you concerned about the response to this book? A I welcome the scrutiny. The fact is that whenever you write a memoir about family, you risk hurting people close to you. It's worth it if you're trying to deliver real truths. That's what makes a reader connect. Andy Rathbun: 425-339-3455 or e-mail arathbun@heraldnet.com

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