[3] Hornburg was born in Chicago, where he lived on the city's north side until age fourteen before relocating to Downers Grove.
[5] His first novel, Bongwater, published in 1995, was based on his experiences living there, as well as his purported relationship with a then-unknown Courtney Love.
[6][7] In 1998, Bongwater was adapted into a film of the same name starring Luke Wilson, Alicia Witt, Brittany Murphy, and Jack Black.
The novel received positive critical reception; Robin Henley of The Chicago Tribune wrote: "If the story and setting sound like territory that has been well-trod, that's because it has been, but what makes this novel a welcome addition to the canon of coming-of-age literature is the voice Hornburg has created for Chrissie.
Hornburg knows the rhythms of teenage world-weariness, a self-possessed patter that often belies the terror of straddling the worlds of adulthood and childhood.