"This dazzling memoir from the writer better known as Lemony Snicket (a nom de plume whose origins he hilariously explains here) delves deeply into every aspect of his life. Each section effortlessly shifts from the sublime--such as his literary and cultural influences, particularly the poetry of Baudelaire--to the banal, then the deeply silly, and then back to another immensely readable description of the writers and artists he loves (he includes a short reading list at the end of the most notable works he mentions since he discusses so many). In stupendously written, engagingly conversational prose, Handler candidly covers a wide range of topics and experiences--his mental health struggles, his sexuality, his terrible early attempts at writing, and some shocking trauma. Handler also thoughtfully probes what to include and not include in a memoir, and throughout there are a lot of laugh-out-loud moments. Handler's army of devoted fans will be delighted with this imitable memoir, while his fascinating experiences and approaches to writing will engage all readers interested in how writers write and why. Thought-provoking, deeply personal, and like few other memoirs in the range of topics covered, Handler's mix of the personal and the literary is as compelling as his gloriously off-beat fiction.".