![]() Because of Pighead’s diagnosis, Burroughs finds constant excuses to avoid seeing him. The narrative then introduces Pighead, a former-romantic-interest-turned-friend who is living with HIV. As the first day of rehab nears, he reflects on the causes of his alcoholism: the aesthetics of the drinking experience, a popular culture that normalizes the addiction, and an abusive father who scarred him with cigarette burns. He schedules his 30-day stay at the Proud Institute, a recovery clinic in Minnesota catering to a gay clientele, assuming it will be “like going to a spa” (27). They strongly suggest rehab if he wants to keep his job, so he reluctantly agrees. ![]() After missing another meeting the next day, Greer and their boss Elenor confront him about his drinking. He arrives for a client meeting still drunk, and his partner, Greer, is forced to cover for him. One night, they drink until 4:00am despite Burroughs’s early workday the next morning. His go-to drinking partner is Jim, a mortician. Nevertheless, he’s good at what he does, and he earns a good salary, so he perseveres-using alcohol to cope with the stress. A junior copywriter at 19, Burroughs is now 24 and hates the hypocrisy and artifice at the heart of advertising. This guide references the 2003 Macmillan paperback edition.Ĭontent warning: The memoir addresses the author’s experiences of childhood sexual abuse.Īugusten Burroughs, a New York advertising copywriter, opens his memoir with a critical look at the industry built on attractive unrealities. ![]()
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