Robin Williams Is My Uncle

Robin Williams Is My Uncle, And Other Stories We Possess

Robin Williams Is My Uncle: And Other Stories We Possess is a bricolage study on inherited trauma and the stories we keep inside our bodies.

Robin Williams is not her uncle, no more than he is yours. But like Robin’s humor, this text bounces from one reference to the next. Bound by its own rhythms and joy, the story unravels as it aims to protect itself.

An autotheory about alienation, the uncanny, and epigenetics told through the lens of Robin Williams’s children’s movies, fairy tales, feminism, and the death of her beloved cat, Rufus.

A Shape & Color Books publication.

Published August 24th, 2025.

Cover art by her daughter, Aria Block.

Reading the opening pages at Water Street Writers:

Actual Reviews

“The cutting edge of hybrid literature, Robin Williams Is My Uncle deserves to be on everyone’s bookshelf.”

Rick Holinger

“Using actor/comedian Robin Williams, his stand-up and his films as a lens through which to see the world, Borders brilliantly stitches meaning between the work of this beloved actor, her life, the life of her family and ours.

This meditation on the life and work of Williams allows the writer to reflect on the import of his work and life as along the way, she explores fairy tales, Disney princesses and her own trauma.

Written in short, quote-worthy, paragraphs Borders successfully connects one of our national comedic heroes to the darkness and beauty of the world in a way that is understandable, thought-provoking and well worth reading.”

Cecilia Pinto, author of Imagine the Dog

“This book is pure artistry. It’s like a pyramid of intertextual/braided poetry, memory, and trauma all somehow pieced together with incredible skill.

The line, “to think of all the Cathy’s, the ones inside all the minds of everyone I know. The Cathy’s from lifetimes ago. The versions I’ve forgotten, buried” Wow! This line like so many, I sat with in pause. It felt tender, personal and at the same time universal.

Even with some movie references I had to look up, I was completely drawn in. Borders way of writing reads like a conversation, which to me are the best kind of books. She uses reflections from her life to bring together what feels relevant in all our lives.

I came away wanting to know more about Robin Williams and even more about the author herself. This is a beautiful, deeply human book that I strongly recommend”

J.J. Celli, author of Love Letters & Pocket Knives

“This is a brilliant, thought-provoking and raw book. It’s carefully crafted and one of the most unique and intelligent books I’ve read. Cathy artfully weaves fact and fiction, joy and despair, folly and trauma, pain and desire to reflect the beautiful messiness of being human. You will be taken on a journey, one of both shared and personal experience, that’s deeply satisfying.”

Michelle Donfrio

“This was such an amazing book. I went into it not knowing what to expect and loved it. I felt like I was reading a chaotic yet organized print out from Cathy’s mind. It’s not like anything I have ever read! Highly recommend.”

E.L. Rae, author of This Won’t Hurt

“With brilliance and bite, Borders bends genre into revelation.

This is a book about epigenetics and trauma, yes, but it’s also about the impossible intimacy we project onto celebrities. It’s about the way Robin Williams’s characters—become scaffolding for our own unresolved ache.

Borders doesn’t just write—she performs on the page. She is a creative genius, bending genre- unspooling metaphors that make you want to underline whole passages and whisper, yes, exactly this. She invites us to ask ourselves about the uncanny way our bodies hold the stories we never agreed to keep.

She threads this complexity with a playful ferocity: she is Rufus, letting prey go only to circle back and catch it again, every prey a Williams character reimagined, every capture another chance to ask, what wound is mine, what wound is borrowed?

The brilliance lies in the way she marries pop-cultural scenes with philosophical excavation- which never feel pedantic; instead, they are like secrets whispered at the kitchen table after the kids are finally asleep.

Borders reminds us that Robin Williams’ joy was never just his own. Reading this book is less like consuming a story and more like being drawn into a séance—called to witness, called to carry weight, called to laugh, ache, and marvel at the unbearable lightness that holds us all.”

Cyndi Martz

“I Shouldn’t Have Liked It, But I Did!

I rarely read the books I format. Of course, I have to read a little bit of each book to figure out what goes where. That’s my job. With this book I would read a line to figure out where to put it and a few minutes later realized I had read a couple pages. I knew I had to read the whole thing.

The back cover and Amazon description says the book is a ‘bricolage study.’ Words like ‘autotheory’ and ‘epigenetics’ are there too. Academic gobbledygook. I could have looked them up, but I didn’t care to know. I did know that the book is a good read. I’m a pedestrian book consumer: mysteries, legal dramas, non-fiction history… I should not have found this book compelling. But, I did. I started it and didn’t stop until I was done. It kept my attention, which if you read enough you know isn’t always the case. The weird thing: I can’t nail down why it kept my attention. It’s certainly not a traditional story structure that I’m used to reading.”

Kevin Moriarity

“Such a unique and powerful work of art. Borders weaves fantastic imagery and insight into a heartfelt piece that will stick with you. Highly recommend for something truly different, beautiful, and inspiring!”

Annalisa J

“Part stream of consciousness, part autobiography, “Robin Williams Is My Uncle: And Other Stories We Possess” is a well-crafted, lyrical romp that explores trauma against the backdrop of the author’s love of Robin Williams and his work. As you start the book, know that chapter breaks don’t await you (it threw me off at first), but once I understood the format I settled in and enjoyed the book. In fact, I learned as much about Williams as I did the author.”

Vince Vieceli, author of Stand-Up Comedy in Chicago

“Cathy is a gem and I loved getting the chance to enter her mindscape through this book. Ready to buy the next one!!”

Allison O

“This book was my favorite of 2026! The author weaves a powerful telling with anecdotal references. I found her words thought-provoking and powerful. Highly recommend!”

Krew

“Cathy Borders is a creative genius. This is the first “experimental ” memoir I have ever read. It took me about fifteen pages to get the rhythm of her writing. I was sad when the book ended. My husband—who limits his reading to the NY Post, the Wall Street Journal and medical journals—is reading the book. He is only about 20 pages in. I asked him what he thought so far. His reply: Creative genius. I look forward to her next book.”

Eileen Cornacchia

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