NOVEMBER 21, 2019 |
BOOK REVIEW | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | 39
ISSUE 306 | Qsaltlake.com
the bookworm sez REVIEW BY TERRI SCHILCHENMEYER
Toil & Trouble BY AUGUSTEN BURROUGHS C.2019, ST. MARTIN’S PRESS, $27.99, 320 PAGES
Halloween is over this year, but not for you. Your decorations are still up because the season is young. There’s plenty of time left for skeletons, monsters, and wind that howls like a banshee. You can still hear spirits high-stepping in your upstairs. Most important of all: as in the new book, Toil & Trouble by Augusten Burroughs, witches walk among us. At just eight years old, Augusten Burroughs learned that he was a witch. Riding the bus home from school, he’d had the sudden
q scopes DECEMBER BY SAM KELLEY-MILLS
ARIES March 20–April 19
There is not much activity going yet and boredom has a way of creating false problems to worry about. Avoid creating conflict with others and keep perceptions in check. The holidays will bring you face to face with family. Do your best to avoid drama. Alone time works when imagination is used.
TAURUS Apr 20–May 20
Someone at work or school needs help. Do something to help perk them up and find a return gift as a result. Be cautious of providing too much help to someone you don’t like much. They may develop excessive expectations. It helps to be good at what you do, but don’t compromise.
GEMINI May 21–June 20
It’s time to receive some good stuff and give as well. Don’t fear taking action and have a good time. A fight may cause pain and pain can spread. A personal matter
realization that something happened to his grandmother; he knew without knowing, saw without seeing, and he rushed to his mother in a panic. Matter-of-factly, she calmed him; she was a witch, too, and had sensed that her younger son had the “Gift.” “It was the strongest bond my mother and I had when I was young…” Burroughs says. Most people think of Hollywood magic or crones on brooms when they think of witches but those are just myths, he says. The truth comes in three parts: witches have existed for as long as have humans. They’ve “always been misunderstood.” And yes, “witches are real,” and each is a little different, as Burroughs learned when his Aunt Curtis (a witch) introduced him to a root woman (another witch) who told him something about his future. Witchcraft isn’t perfect, though. It didn’t help much while Burroughs was bullied
as a boy. Sometimes, spells took longer to work than he hoped they might. It isn’t for revenge or hurtful purposes, although there is a way to influence how things turn out and patience is key. “Magick” worked when he wanted to move from Manhattan to his beloved New England; it didn’t work when he wanted to talk to a friend on the phone. It warned him of a possibly-bad situation near his new home, but there were no details. It helps find lost objects, but not lost confidence. And when his magick went missing as his husband fell seriously ill, Burroughs learned that “Things are not as they appear. They are much, much more.” When starting “Toil & Trouble, you could be forgiven for thinking that author Augusten Burroughs is pulling your leg. He does, after all, write with humor and this witch stuff is conjured, right? Isn’t it?
should keep it close to home. There is confusion regarding a family matter. By sorting things out, gratitude will come.
main focus, there is not much point in continuing.
CANCER June 21–July 22
It is a happy time. The temperatures fall but you will rise. All the ingredients for happiness are here. Be creative and don’t worry about making a mess. An important person will ask for some help regarding an issue that makes you uneasy. Smile, nod, but move them right along.
LEO July 23–August 22
LIBRA Sept 23–October 22
It is possible to fall and get up, but the pain of doing so should be avoided. There seems to be some confusion over what is really important. Step back from a situation and revisit when the dust has settled. Personal matters suck, but sucking can become amazing if you try hard enough.
SCORPIO Oct. 23–Nov. 21
There is always someone to compete with. Balance modesty and pride to look your best. Cheer and satisfaction can come in the form of a great and intimate interaction, leading to some very pleasing results. It might not be the best time to figure out yourself, so reflect and simply enjoy.
What makes sense to you baffles someone else. Don’t let this discrepancy become an issue. Agree to disagree. Much can be learned from alternate perspectives. Get behind this person and see life from their point of view. But don’t spend too much time back there. You risk losing yourself.
VIRGO August 23–Sep. 22
Nov. 22–December 20.
Priorities are good to have, don’t allow them to trap you in a method that isn’t working. Adapt and do what the moment requires. A relationship is in trouble. Take time to simply enjoy this person, and make them enjoy you too! If fun is not the
SAGITTARIUS
A vital task feels like pushing a hard rock uphill. Break up a burden and tackle it a little bit at a time. Consider whether it is worth the effort. Examine a clear goal and make changes. The heart may break but it is better to get priorities figured out now and not
After a few more pages, it won’t matter. You’ll be so enAugusten Burroughs grossed by Photo: AXB this tale of the magick of life and so caught up in the stories Burroughs tells, that witchcraft really becomes no big deal, no less normal than blue eyes or brown hair. And while it’s the main reason for this book and everything attached to it, it’s more of a magically delightful, meaningful backdrop for tales of family, growing up gay, falling in love with a man, finding home, and forgiving. Toil & Trouble is not a darkand-stormy-night kind of book, and it won’t make you jumpy. There are, however, a few hair-raising pages that’ll make you squirm but mostly, it’s funny and sweet and charming, a cauldron full of goodness. Q halfway up the hill.
CAPRICORN Dec 21–Jan 19
There is never a perfect situation, no matter how amazing a change may seem at the time. Don’t be quick to go back to an old way of doing something. There is always a reason for your actions, even if you don’t understand the choice at the time. It can take time for things to feel right.
AQUARIUS Jan. 20–Feb. 18
Romantic feelings could develop with a co-worker or casual friend. Not much has changed, but a little change in the heart can create a big difference. Put faith in feelings and don’t fear to explore a new outlook. Life is about change, even when the routines seem to be the same.
PISCES Feb 19–Mar 19
It could be hard learning skills needed to overcome a problem. Don’t fear to ask for help from a buddy. Learn new ways to accomplish goals. A financial situation takes a toll. Spend wisely during this time. Luckily, your wish list is on the light side, so hold off on big purchases until later. Q
