THE SHINY BLACK DOOR

Augusten Burroughs

 Augusten is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of 9 books including Running with Scissors, the 2002 publishing phenomenon that detailed his remarkably unorthodox adolescence in Northampton, Massachusetts. Augusten graduated from Boston's Control Data Institute as a Programmer/Systems Analyst and Designer, but instead entered the advertising industry and was one of Manhattan's top Creatives for almost 18 years. Augusten became a Certified Professional Gemologist. He also holds an honorary Doctor of Letters from the Savannah College of Art & Design -the #1 interior design college in America. A self-taught interior designer, his corporate and residential spaces have been featured in publications worldwide. 

Christopher Schelling

Christopher is one of the leading literary agents in the publishing industry. He is the owner of www.selectricartists.com literary agency. The Selectric Artists client roster includes numerous international bestselling authors and spans a wide range of genres, from psychological thrillers, literary fiction, memoirs and commercial women's fiction to science fiction & fantasy, narrative nonfiction, YA and graphic novels. Whether they are established bestselling writers or authors building careers, the creators on the Selectric list are all redefining genres and shaping the future of art. Christopher is also a musician and musicologist. He is responsible for our small, but unique selection of vintage (and special-print new) vinyl. He has a fondness for unusual portraits, brass figures, rare books, manuscripts and oddities.

Shari Sirkin

Shari Sirkin was born into a restaurant-owning family where she learned the ropes of business from a very early age. Brilliant, (but self-deprecating) she entered college at 16 and graduated with a degree in psychology. She later introduced personal-trainer based gyms to Connecticut in the 1990s. And for ten Shari was one of Connecticut's to-ten performing agents/brokers in the real estae business.  Shari has traveled the globe extensively and amassed a huge inventory of remarkable, rare, and magnificent treasures. She is the mother of two objectively wonderful adult children and she enjoys cooking for friends, gardening, and -of course- always collecting.