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Search String: is the movie Shopgirl Steve Martin's autobiography

No. The movie Shopgirl is based on a novella (i.e. short novel) of the same name and is Steve Martin's first published work of fiction. It is about a lonely young woman who sells gloves in Neiman's. Unless Martin was once a girl behind a counter in a department store, odds are it isn't his autobiography.

Search String: what are the points of view in reading

There are many. A story can be told from the point of view of the main character, an objective observer, an unreliable narrator, multiple narrators, a third-person omniscient, etc. The best way to figure out point of view for a particular book is to read it. Your job, as a reader, is to understand and interpret what you read, which includes identifying point of view. For example, this paragraph is written from the point of view of the Book Mistress. Now, don't you feel smart?

Search String: how to read "house of leaves"

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski may seem like a daunting read but can be easily conquered by following these steps. Begin at the beginning. Follow the pages sequentially. When you come to a footnote, read the footnote then return to where you left off in the text. If you are directed to an appendix, read the appendix then return to where you left off in the text. You are finished when you reach the end.

Search String: running with scissors fact or fiction

Augusten Burroughs's Running with Scissors is a memoir, a genre that is not held to the same rigorous factual standards as a biography or autobiography. Some of it may be true, some of it may be based on what the author remembers as being true. Often, memoirists use will impression, interpretation, and fictionalization to tell their stories, so memoirs should be read with the foreknowledge that not everything may be completely accurate. Burroughs has asserted that his memoir is factual, but the Turcottes (portrayed in the book as the Finches) disagree. They have filed a lawsuit.

Search String: my name is oliver. i m a 33 year-old living in toronto canada. i have many interests but i ll list a few; i love to read watch movies listen to music and write. i m an author with a passion for writing so i spend much of my time doing that. i m a huge tennis fan...so i usually spend much of my time watching the grand slams.i m interesed in communicating with guys from all over the world. i consider myself to be a friendly honest guy and look for the the same. i am single and i live alone but much of my time is spent around family and friends

Dude, the Book Mistress can't help you.

I apologize for getting this going late. I must also apologize for the fact that Running with Scissors is non-fiction. This was my first selection and I wasn’t very diligent in doing my research before selecting it as my book of choice.

This book was an emotional trip for me because of the life this child endured. It is simply beyond any reality I have known in my personal life. I was drawn into this book due to the manner in which it was narrated. Do you think this book did a proper job of conveying the emotions and growth Augusten experiences throughout the course of his childhood?

He obviously had an interesting life, stemming from his parents (the mother in particular) and continuing on in his experiences with Dr. Finch and the entire Finch family. What is your take on the fact that his mother so willingly passed him over to the Finch family, especially considering the type of family and people she handed him over to? How much of who Augusten is, as a person, do you believe was influenced by his time spent with this family, as opposed to how things would have been if he had stayed with his mother?

To me, this entire story is unbelievable in the sense that it is so outrageous. What do you pick up as the main undertone in the story? Do you feel Augusten regrets the way his life happened to him, or do you get the impression that it gave him an interesting story to tell and pushed him to become more than he would have become had he not faced such a different type of childhood?

As Augusten reaches adulthood, he seems less and less affected by the story of his upbringing. Do you think the book portrayed him as someone who overcame the obstacles in his path or was his life forever damaged as a result of the manner in which he was raised? Finally, what surprised you the MOST in this story?

Today was shopping day and it included a trip to Barnes & Noble. I was having memory problems, so I had to go to the info counter to find the books I wanted.

Me: I'm looking for a book but can't remember the name of the author.
BOOk Boy: What's the name of the book?
Me: Veronika Decides to Die. That's Veronika with a K.
BOOB: [snigger] Paul-o Coal-o.
Me: Paulo Coelho.
BOOB: We don't have a copy at this store.
Me: Okay. Could you tell me what section Running with Scissors is in?
BOOB: [snort] Augusten Burroughs. Biography.

As I walked away, I wondered what was so funny. A little while later, I had to go back.

Me: I'm looking for another book. Kiss Me, Judas.
BOOB: Are you the one with all the weird titles?
Me: I guess. Is Kiss Me, Judas, weird?
BOOB: A little. Will Christopher Baer. We don't have one in stock.
Me: Thanks.
BOOB: I'm not putting you down or anything. Those titles are just weird. Interesting.
Me: Ah.

I'm glad I didn't have to ask him for Amy Hempel's name because I was also looking for Reasons to Live.

Some of our charter members might be wondering what's up with our next selection, Running with Scissors: A Memoir. It isn't fiction. All I can say is that Chandos snuck it by me, so please don't get indignant about the time I steered you away from your non-fiction choice. At any rate, the press I've read about it has all been positive and makes it seem like a good fit with the rest of our reading list.

For more information on Augusten Burroughs, check out:

BookPage: A Walk on the Wild Side

The Black Table: Augusten Burroughs' Magical Way of Thinking

Bookslut: An Interview with Augusten Burroughs