John Elder Robison Book Reading

On Tuesday, September 9, at 7:00 p.m., RiverRun Bookstore and The Birchtree Center are hosting author John Elder Robison for a reading from his New York Times bestseller, Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger’s.

The reading will take place at RiverRun Bookstore on 20 Congress Street in downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Staff from The Birchtree Center will be present to offer information about their organization's programs for children and youth with autism.

This darkly funny memoir offers insight into the life of an individual growing up on the autism spectrum. It also provides another look at the family described in Running with Scissors by the author's brother, Augusten Burroughs.

As a child, with no inkling of how to pass for “normal,” John Elder Robison tried to make friends by petting other children with sticks. He seldom met anyone’s gaze, struggled with the simplest social interactions, and was constantly told to “wipe that strange look off his face” by teachers and other adults. Feeling like a freak, he dropped out of high school at sixteen and took refuge in his savant-like abilities with machines.

Despite his lifelong struggles to communicate, Robison is a born storyteller. The author recounts memorable adventures as a teenage tinkerer, toy engineer, auto restorer, and sound & effects engineer for KISS and other bands. Robison also offers valuable insight into the challenges he has faced in navigating typical social interactions. After reading about how Robinson puzzles over small talk, you’ll never see a simple “How are you?” in quite the same way!

This is the debut of the author's paperback tour. The event is free and open to the public. For more information about the event, please visit www.riverrunbookstore.com or call (603) 431-2100. For more information about the author, see jerobison.blogspot.com.