Barry Yourgrau

Mess: One Man's Struggle to Clean Up His House and His Act Barry Yourgrau

Publisher Marketing: Millions of Americans struggle with severe clutter and hoarding. Barry Yourgrau is one of them. Behind the door of his Queens apartment, Yourgrau's life is, quite literally, chaos. Confronted by his exasperated girlfriend, he embarks on a heartfelt and too often uproarious project to take control of his disorderly apartment and life, and to explore the wider world of collecting, clutter, and extreme hoarding. Encounters with a professional declutterer, a Lacanian shrink, and Clutterers Anonymous as well as explorations of the bewildering universe of new therapies and brain science, help Yourgrau navigate uncharted territory: clearing shelves, boxes, and bags. Mess is the story of one man's efforts to learn to let go, to clean up his space (physical and emotional), and to save his relationship. Review Citations: Publishers Weekly 03/30/2015 (EAN 9780393241778, Hardcover) Kirkus Reviews 05/15/2015 (EAN 9780393241778, Hardcover) Booklist 06/01/2015 pg. 33 (EAN 9780393241778, Hardcover) Contributor Bio:  Yourgrau, Barry Writer-performer Barry Yourgrau is the author of acclaimed books of brief fiction, including Wearing Dad's Head, and The Sadness of Sex, in whose film version he starred. He's appeared on MTV and NPR, and written for the New York Times, Huffington Post, Paris Review, and Vice, among others. Born in South Africa, he lives in New York and Istanbul. Contributor Bio:  Brooke, Peter Peter grew up all around New England and graduated from NYU Tisch School of the Arts. An early love for storytelling comes from his dads' magic lantern shows. This obsession led to single-handedly voicing all 32 of his Batman comic books (in his home studio behind the couch). Peter has voiced numerous audiobooks and, although covering many genres, he tends to gravitate to the wildly improbable. His career also includes film, TV, radio, and video games.