Sellevision by Augusten Burroughs

Maybe it's because it was so rainy. Maybe it's because I was mildly hungover and in the mood for laying about. In any case, I guzzled this book down in a voracious fit this weekend.

Sellevision is Augusten Burrough's first book, supposedly written mainly over a single week. It's not perfect writing, but it's dark, fast and funny.

The story revolves around the team of hosts at Sellevision, America's premier shopping network, as the much-loved and handsome host of Slumber Party Sundown, accidentally exposes himself in front of 60 million kids and their parents during a "Toys for Tots" segment. The characters quickly lose control as each hurls towards his own twisted and subversive climax - finding redemption in porno, valium and other public humiliations. Quick, mean-spirited good fun.

Augusten Burroughs is pretty big right now, due to his bizarre and disturbing memoir Running with Scissors being made into an indy 'it' movie with a-list first namers like Gwenyth and Alec.


Joseph Cross and Evan Rachel Wood in the 'we made a skylight' scene.

Sellevision is supposedly going to be made into a film with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Kristin Davis and Carrie Fischer, but it seems pretty sketchy right now. In any case, a rather good excerpt from Sellevision if you're interested in reading more.