Essays in Appreciation, and many others. Collaborator with George Lyman Kittredge. Lowes
and Kittredge were both Harvard educators, and Burroughs took courses with both.
He remarked many times on Lowes work throughout his career and commented positively on
his great scholarly book on Coleridge, The Road to Xanadu, in the introduction to Letters
To Allen Ginsberg.
On his studies at Harvard: “...I did take John Livingston Lowe’s course on the Romantic poets. He was a great lecturer. His book The Road to Xanadu is certainly a very important piece of scholarship.” CWWB, p. 96. “In The Road to Xanadu, John Livingston Lowes traces the sources of Coleridge’s poetic
imagery in the books that he is known to have read, and shows the conversion of raw material-
mostly from account of sea voyages into The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner and other poems.” LAG, p. 2. From the WSB introduction.
(57)
Lowry, Malcolm. Under the Volcano. San Francisco, CA: Harper, 1984. Clarence Malcolm Lowry (1909-1957) English writer. Under the Volcano was Lowry’s classic novel. Few works have been so influential in contemporary literature. The story is of an alcoholic couple traveling
through Mexico. It was first published in 1947 and made into a film by John Huston.
Burroughs interest lied not only in the author’s use of language, but also the Mexican terrain,
and a literary investigation of alcoholism.
One of the books included in the Granta Anthology project Table of Contents. Passages from WSB’s favorite books were chosen and compiled to be published as Granta 52: Granta Anthology of Deathless Prose, 1990.
(22, 40)
Lyon, William S. & Wallace Black Elk. Black Elk. The Sacred Ways of a Lakota. San Francisco, CA: Harper, 1991. (H) William S. Lyon, American writer, anthropologist, and educator. Friend
of Burroughs during his Lawrence, Kansas years.
“I’m very interested in Indian shamanism now. Shamans can really call up the spirits, and there’s one that will be here in a couple of days, and I hope that he can demonstrate. Most of the shamans come from Dakota. A friend of mine called Bill Lyon- an anthropologist who specializes in shamanism- has spent 12 years with Wallace Black Elk, and he wrote a book- Black Elk. The Sacred Ways of a Lakota. He tells how Black Elk calls up spirits- animal spirits of all kinds. He’s done it in front of physicists.” BL, p. 773. This book recommended to the author by WSB in 1995.
MacDiarmid, Hugh. Christopher Murray Grieve (1892-1978) Hugh MacDiarmid (pseud.) Scottish poet.
Attended the Edinburgh conference in 1962. Also in attendance was Burroughs, Norman Mailer,
Lawrence Durrell, Colin MacInnes, Mary Macarthy, Alexander Trocchi, Henry Miller, and
many others. MacDiarmid attacked Trocchi on the first day of the conference saying “Mr.
Trocchi seems to imagine that the burning questions in the world today are lesbianism,
homosexuality, and matters of that kind.” LO, p. 334.
Norman Mailer, Trocchi, and Macarthy were Burroughs defenders at this conference where
WSB was very nearly unknown.
Used in fold-in method. TTM, p. 97.
MacDonald, John D. Planet of the Dreamers. London: Corgi, 1962. aka The Wine of the Dreamers.
John D. MacDonald (1916-1986) American mystery writer. This book was one of MacDonald’s
ventures into science-fiction.
One of the books from File 65, WSB, p. 310 aka The Wine of the Dreamers.
MacInnes, Colin. Colin MacInnes (1914-1976) Scottish writer.
Attended the Edinburgh conference in 1962. Also in attendance was Burroughs, Norman Mailer,
Lawrence Durrell, Hugh MacDiarmid, Mary Macarthy, Alexander Trocchi, Henry Miller, and
many others. MacInnes attacked Burroughs when he exclaimed “If a writer like this is a
novelist then clearly the word is practically meaningless.” LO, p. 340.
Used in fold-in method. TTM
MacLeish, Archibald. Archibald MacLeish (1892- 1982) American poet.
Burroughs refers to some of the early poetry of MacLeish as being like Eliot’s, a stylistic trick imitating schizophrenic poetry. AM, p. 157.
Magherini, Graziella. La Sindrome Di Stendhal. Firenze: Ponte alle Grazie, 1995. (H)
WSB recommended Magherini’s research on the Stendhal syndrome in a letter to the author in 1995. In 2004 the book had still not been translated into English.
Mailer, Norman. Norman Mailer (1923- ) American novelist. Author of The Naked and the Dead,
Barbary Shore, Advertisements for Myself, Prisoner of Sex, Ancient Evenings, Tough Guys
Don’t Dance, Harlot’s Ghost, Oswald’s Tale, and many others. Mailer defended Burroughs’
Naked Lunch throughout the fifties and at the Edinburgh conference in 1962. He said of WSB
that he may be the only living American novelist possessed by genius. An often quoted blurb
on many a Burroughs book. Mailer recommended Burroughs for inclusion along with Ginsberg
and others into the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters. Burroughs was
a fan of Mailer’s work, especially The Naked and the Dead, and Ancient Evenings, of which
he said, “it was a magnificent piece of work.” He also claimed that the book was a source
of inspiration for his own work, Cities of the Red Night.
"These writers are going to write history as it happens in present time." BF, p. 148
Used in fold-in method. TTM, p. 97.
Mailer, Norman. Ancient Evenings. NY: Warner, 1984. (H)
"It was very good. I thought it was a magnificent piece of work." CWWB, p. 159.
TWL, p. 5. BL, p. 811.
Mailer, Norman. Naked and the Dead. NY: Rinehart, 1948. BL, p. 811. (D) (26)
Malaparte, Curzio. La Pelle (Translated as The Skin.) London: Alvin Redman, 1952. (D)
“If Malaparte can make a fortune writing an anti-American book, I might could do the same thing writing an anti-European polemic.”
(“Malaparte: pseudonym of Italian novelist Curzio Suckert. Burroughs was probably thinking of his novel La Pelle, translated as The Skin by David Moore (London: Alvin Redman, 1952).”) From Harris footnote. LWSB, p. 205.
Malraux, Andre. Man’s Fate. NY: Vintage, 1969. (F) Andre Malraux (1901-1976) French writer and
resistance leader.
"I suppose that there are writers who really derive their inspiration from political movements and who sometimes achieve good results: Malraux is an example. In his early work, like Man’s Fate, which definitely grew out of his political commitments, and yet was a very fine novel. TJ, p. 56.
Mann, Thomas. Death in Venice. NY: Vintage, 1963. Thomas Mann (1875-1955) German author of
Buddenbrooks, Death in Venice, and others.
AM, p. 101.
Mannix, Daniel P. The History of Torture. NY: Dell, 1966. (F)
"Death yields it's secrets to those who survive it." POS, p. 153.
COTRN p. 67.
One of the books included in the Granta Anthology project Table of Contents. Passages from WSB’s favorite books were chosen and compiled to be published as Granta 52: Granta Anthology of Deathless Prose, 1990.
March, Joseph Moncure. The Set-Up. NY: Covici, Friedi, Inc., 1928.
One of the books on the Naropa list of neglected works; suggested for Naropa Workshop, Fall
1976, by WSB.
March, Joseph Moncure. The Wild Party. NY: Pantheon, 1994. (A)
"From The Wild Party: 'I don't like you/ and I don't know you/ and now by God I'm going/ to show you.'" LW, p. 229.
WWB, p. 148.
One of the books on the Naropa list of neglected works; suggested for Naropa Workshop, Fall
1976, by WSB. Burroughs also wrote the introduction for the 1994 Pantheon edition
of The Wild Party illustrated by Art Spiegelman.
Marks, Percy. The Plastic Age. Carbondale and Edwardsville: Southern Illinois University Press, 1980. (A) Percy Marks (1891-1956) American educator and writer. Author of The Plastic Age
and other novels. Burroughs evokes The Plastic Age for the same reasons he mentions
The Great Gatsby and The Green Hat by Arlen. The mere mention of the work brings to mind
America in the nineteen-twenties. (6)
Martin, Malachi. Hostage to the Devil. NY: Harper Collins, 1992. Tradepaper. (H) (46)
Martini, Teri (Ed.) The Secret is Out. True Spy Stories. NY: Morrow/Avon, 1992. (H)
“I quote from a spy book, The Secret is Out:
‘Colonel Alfred Real was one of the most notorious double agents who ever lived. To honorable men and women, there is no one more despised than an agent who betrays his own people for personal gain.’
What rubbish! The superior and perceptive man has no people.” LW, p. 194.
Marvell, Andrew. The Selected Poetry of Andrew Marvell. NY: Signet, 1967. Andrew Marvell (1621-
1678) English poet and satirist.
"A green thought in a green shade.' 'At my back I always hear Time's winged chariot hurrying near.'" LW, p. 199.
“Annihilating all that’s made To a green thought in a green shade.” From “The Garden,” 1681.
In above collection, p. 109.
“But at my back I always hear/ Time’s winged chariot hurrying near;/ And yonder all before
us lie/ Deserts of vast eternity,” From “To His Coy Mistress,” 1681. In above collection,
p. 76.
“One day when he was in Forest Park with his brother in the late afternoon he looked into a grove of trees and saw a little green reindeer, very delicate, with pale thin legs. Annihilating all that’s made/ To a green thought in a green shade. The reindeer, later reflected, was his totem animal, which is revealed to you in a vision, and which you must never kill.” LO, p. 30.
Marx, Karl & Friedrich Engels. Communist Manifesto. (B)
WSB on the Communist Manifesto in 1932: “...he didn’t like the sound of it... ‘Everyone’s gonna work, but who’s gonna make ‘em work? (...) Sounds to me like a lot of old people with beards are gonna be running the country.” LO, p. 57.
Mason, Felicity. AM, p. 132. See also Anne Cummings. Friend of Burroughs through Brion Gysin from the Tangier and Paris years. Burroughs also contributed the cover blurb for her book, The Love Habit.
Maugham, Somerset. William Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) English novelist and playwright. Author of Of Human Bondage, The Razor’s Edge, The Moon and Sixpence, among others. Burroughs
was fond of quoting Maugham but never had anything positive to say of his work. His
complimentary remarks usually fell on Ted Morgan’s biography of Maugham when mentioning
him in his later years. Morgan was also the author of Burroughs most comprehensive and
detailed biography, Literary Outlaw, where much information herein was culled.
"The Maugham Curse" An entire essay on Maugham and the Ted Morgan biography, Maugham. AM, p. 171.
“Somerset Maugham said that the greatest asset that any writer can have is longevity, and I think that in another ten or fifteen or twenty years, Allen may be a very deserving recipient of the Nobel Prize.” WWB, p. 22.
“Sometimes he went to classes in anatomy and materia medica. He was able to follow, having boned up on his German by reading a book in English side by side with the German, a trick he had picked up in one of Somerset Maugham’s short stories.” LO, pp. 65-6.
Maupassant, Guy de. (A) Henri Rene Albert Guy de Maupassant (1850-1893) French writer.
An early influence. Burroughs was reading Maupassant along with Anatole France, and Oscar
Wilde while attending Los Alamos Ranch School as a child.
(98, 99)
Maxwell, Nicole. Witch Doctor’s Apprentice. NY: Collier, 1975. (G)
“Bokris: In South America they have the seven-year birth control pill.
WSB: It’s true: a woman went down there and found that pill. When she got back she said, ‘Oh well, the big drug companies will be deeply interested.’ They didn’t want to hear about it. They prefer to sell a pill every day rather than one that lasts for seven years. She was very disillusioned.” WWB, p. 57. Burroughs and Bokris make reference to Nicole Maxwell’s Witch Doctor’s Apprentice. Her book is also listed in Burroughs’ Naropa Workshop Reading List included here.
One of the books included in the Granta Anthology project Table of Contents. Passages from WSB’s favorite books were chosen and compiled to be published as Granta 52: Granta Anthology of Deathless Prose, 1990.
Maxwell, William. The Folded Leaf. NY: Harper & Brothers, 1945. (C) William Maxwell (1908-2000)
American novelist and editor for The New Yorker. Author of fourteen books and a memoir,
among them Time Will Darken It, The Folded Leaf, and So Long See You Tomorrow. The Folded
Leaf is a sentimental story of two Midwestern boys finding one another.
(1)
McCarthy, Mary. (E) Mary McCarthy (1912-1989) American writer. Author of The Company She
Keeps, The Group, Memoirs of a Catholic Girlhood, Cannibals and Missionaries, and Writing
On the Wall among others.
Burroughs called McCarthy, “my spiritual sister.” She defended Naked Lunch
during the nineteen-fifties and wrote an essay devoted to Burroughs work which was later
collected in her book of non-fiction, Writing on the Wall. She is most famous for her book,
The Group.
"These writers are going to write history as it happens in present time." BF, p. 148. (11)
McCarthy, Mary. "The Old Men". Cast a Cold Eye. San Diego, CA: HBJ, 1992. (H) "my spiritual sister" - "The Young Man story" - "The worst of the male sex." LW, pp. 9-10.
“Like th e young man in Mary McCarthy’s story:
‘For no reason his heart simply stopped on the operating table.’
Precisely: for ‘no reason.’” LW, p. 77.
“How to describe Mary McCarthy’s ‘Young Man,’ and ‘Walter Ramsey’ in Truman Capote’s ‘Shut a Final Door’? Hopeless- neither could ever receive grace.” LW, p. 83.
(83)
McCluhan, Marshall. (F) Herbert Marshall McCluhan (1911-1980) Canadian born writer and sociologist. Author of The Mechanical Bride, The Gutenberg Galaxy, Understanding Media:
The Extensions of Man, The Medium is the Massage, and many others.
TTM, p. 20.
McConnell, Malcolm. Matata. Viking, 1971. (F) Burroughs wrote a sizable dustjacket blurb for this
book. Used in cut-ups. WSB, pp. 307, 308.
McCullers, Carson. Carson McCullers (1917-1967) pseudonym for Lula Carson Smith. American
writer. Author of The Ballad of the Sad Cafe, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, Reflections in
a Golden Eye and others. One of Burroughs favorite writers but not an influence.
(11, 40)
McCullers, Carson. Ballad of the Sad Cafe. NY: Bantam, 1971.
One of the books on the Naropa list of neglected works; suggested for Naropa Workshop, Fall
1976, by WSB.
McCullers, Carson. The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter. NY: Bantam, 1961.
One of the books on the Naropa list of neglected works; suggested for Naropa Workshop, Fall
1976, by WSB.
“Like I feel about the dream in The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter: carrying this basket, terrible bright sun, no one sees him, and the horror of carrying this basket and not knowing where to put it down mounts, until he wakes up moaning. I read this passage and I got the chill up my neck, when I asked myself the question: ‘What is in the basket? What is in the basket?’” LW, p. 105.
One of the books included in the Granta Anthology project Table of Contents. Passages from WSB’s favorite books were chosen and compiled to be published as Granta 52: Granta Anthology of Deathless Prose, 1990.
TWL, p. 245.
McCullers, Carson. Reflections In a Golden Eye. NY: Bantam, 1977.
One of the books on the Naropa list of neglected works; suggested for Naropa Workshop, Fall
1976, by WSB. McGrath, Patrick. Asylum. NY: Random House, 1997. (H) (110)
McMurtry, Larry. Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas A Screenplay. Based on the book by Hunter S. Thompson. AG&F Item #71. AG&F. (G)
Larry McMurtry (1936- ) American writer. Author of The Last Picture Show, Horseman Pass
By, In A Narrow Grave, Lonesome Dove, and many more bestsellers and contemporary classic
novels as well as award winning screenplays. Somewhat of a convoluted story described in
the Sotheby’s catalogue for the Allen Ginsberg estate, this screenplay is a very rare item
that was donated by the Burroughs estate for this sale. In 1977 Burroughs, Terry Southern,
and Dennis Hopper were involved in a film project for Junky. Jacques Stern and Joe Bianco
were the producers. Bianco was working on a film project for Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and
Loathing in Las Vegas. This unfilmed screenplay by McMurtry was given to Burroughs by
Bianco. McMurtry’s involvement with the beat generation is minimal to say the least. However,
one of McMurtry’s earliest publications was an essay called “The Beat Academy,” which was
published in the March, 1960 issue of “Janus.” In this essay he claims of the beats: “they
are writers of genuine, and I think substantial, merit; the body of work they have produced so
far enriches the record of our time; and the movement they fostered has been a memorable
part of the literary parade.” Mr. McMurtry lives in his home town of Archer City, Texas.
Mead, Margaret. Coming of Age In Samoa. NY: Morrow, 1961. Margaret Mead (1901-1978) American
anthropologist. Her most famous book, Coming of Age in Samoa. When she died in 1978 she
was probably the most famous anthropologist in the world.
(6)
Melville, Herman. (A) Herman Melville (1819-1891) American novelist. Author of Typee, White
Jacket, Moby Dick, Pierre, and others. Burroughs read Melville as a child, and used his work
in the cut-ups, but Melville was admittedly not an influence.
Used in cut-ups for The Exterminator!
Melville, Herman. Moby Dick. NY: Bantam, 1981. (A) (1, 107)
Mery, Fernand. Life History and Magic of the Cat. NY: Grosset & Dunlap, 1978. (H) (86)
Meyer, Stewart. The Lotus Crew. NY: Grove, 1984. (G) "...Stewart Meyer, whose novel The Lotus Crew was written during his apprenticeship with Burroughs." -Victor Bokris. WWB, p. xiii.
Stewart Meyer was Burroughs’ driver in NYC and Meyer was his apprentice during WSB’s
years at the “bunker” in NYC. He appears quite frequently in With William Burroughs by
Bokris.
Michaux, Henri. Miserable Miracle: La Mescaline. Gallimard, 1956. (E) Henri Michaux (1899-1984)
Belgian born French painter and writer. Author of Miserable Miracle, Un Certain Plume, and
many others. A collection entitled Darkness Moves collects much of Michaux’s work.
His poetry was in the tradition of Rimbaud and Verlaine; his art in the vein of Max Ernst and
the surrealists.
Conrad Knickerbocker: “Have you ever read Henri Michaux’s book on mescaline?
WSB: His idea was to go into his room and close the door and hold in the experiences. I had my most interesting experiences with mescaline when I got outdoors and walked around...” BL, p. 62.
Miles, Barry. One of the cut-up sources for "Palm Sunday Tape.” Barry Miles was very close to
William S. Burroughs. He is responsible for the most complete bibliography spanning Burroughs
literary career until 1973. He is also the author of the Burroughs biography, El Hombre Invisible, and he compiled the Catalogue of the William S. Burroughs Archive for Burroughs and Brion Gysin. Since that time Miles has written a great deal on fifties and sixties counterculture
including a biography of Allen Ginsberg, The Beat Hotel, and he edited the Annotated Howl.
Miller, Henry. Henry Miller (1891-1980) American novelist. Author of Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn, Opus Pistorum (Under the Roofs of Paris), The Time of the Assassins, Big Sure, Sexus, Plexus, Nexus, and many more. Miller was originally published in Paris by Jack Kahane
at the Obelisk Press. His works were the center of much controversy in America spawning
censorship debates over “pornography.” Kahane was the father of Maurice Giordias, owner
of Olympia Press, who went on to publish Miller in later years as well as Burroughs, Nabakov,
Terry Southern, Jean Genet, and the db’s (dirty books.) Miller and Burroughs met on at least
two occasions both described in Ted Morgan’s Literary Outlaw. Burroughs was not influenced
by Miller but shows knowledge of his work quoting him on several occasions as well as
commenting positively on his erotic work, Opus Pistorum, also published under the title Under
The Roofs of Paris.
"Who writes great books? Not we who have our names on the covers." CWWB, p.162.
PAG, p. 44. BL, p. 311.
“John Tytell: Has Henry Miller been a writer who in any way influenced you?
WSB: No.” - KATB, p. 29.
Miller, Neal E. (F) Neal E. Miller (1909-2002) American experimental psychologist, neurologist, and
behaviorist. Miller was responsible for ground breaking work with biofeedback suggesting that
the automatic nervous system was not automatic at all and could be controlled with the use of biofeedback. Burroughs was very interested in biofeedback during the sixties.
ASNS, pp. 74-5
Milton, John. (60) John Milton (1608-1674) English poet. His most famous prose work, Areopagitica.
Among other classics English Minor Poems, Paradise Lost, and Paradise Regained.
Milton, John. English Minor Poems Paradise Lost Samson Agonistes Areopagitica. Great Books of the
Western World, number 32. Editor in Chief, Robert Maynard. Chicago, IL: The University of
Chicago, 1952. (46)
Milton, John. Paradise Lost. NY: Modern Library, 1969.
WSB and Robert Wilson collaborated on a project that WSB called Paradise Lost based on the Milton poem and the UFO crash in Roswell, NM. MILES, p. 247.
See also SDS by WSB.
Minnery, John. How To Kill Vol. 5. Boulder: Paladin Press, 1980. (H) (86)
Mishima, Yukio. Hiraoka Kimitake (1925-1970) pseudonym Yukio Mishima. Japanese novelist.
Among his classic masterpieces The Temple of the Golden Pavilion, Confessions of a Mask, the Sea of Fertility tetralogy.
AM, p. 66.
Monroe, Robert A. Journeys Out of the Body. NY: Anchor Press/Doubleday, 1977. (G)
“Do I want to know? I have tried psychoanalysis, yoga, Alexander’s posture method, done a seminar with Robert Monroe (the JOURNEY’S OUT OF THE BODY man), EST in London, Scientology, sweat lodges and a yuwipi ceremony.
Looking for the answer?
Why? Do you want to know the secret?
Hell, no. Just what I need to know, to do what I can do.
‘All is in the not done. The diffidence that faltered’
Ezra Pound (old crank).” LW, p. 195.
On the succubus:
“We urgently need explorers who are willing to investigate these uncharted possibilities and at least consider taking a positive attitude toward sex with other beings. There is Robert Monroe, who wrote in 1971, a bestseller called Journeys Out of the Body. He’s an American businessman in his sixties who lives in Virginia. Monroe did a series of experiments in which he seemed, on the edge of sleep, to leave his body and go to other places. On some of these journeys he met people with whom he had sexual encounters. In a chapter called ‘Sex in the Second State,’ he describes some sexual contacts he had.” WWB, p. 183.
One of the books on the Naropa list of neglected works; suggested for Naropa Workshop, Fall
1976, by WSB.
One of the books included in the Granta Anthology project Table of Contents. Passages from WSB’s favorite books were chosen and compiled to be published as Granta 52: Granta Anthology of Deathless Prose, 1990. “Not the usual book on astral projection. This American businessman found he was having
these experiences of getting out of the body - never used any hallucinogenic drugs. He’s now
setting up this astral air force.” WSB from the David Bowie/William S. Burroughs interview
with Craig Copetas. Rolling Stone Feb. 28, 1974.
POS, p. 46. BF, p. 193. BL, pp. 213, 236, 677. AWG, p. 40. BV, p. 214. WWB, P. 184. CWWB, p.159.
Moorcock, Michael. (F) Michael Moorcock (1939- ) British science-fiction novelist. Author of
the Jerry Cornelius series, and other “new wave” science-fiction works. Moorcock was
also the editor of “New Worlds” which brought out many of the new and more taboo sf
writers of the second half of the twentieth century including J. G. Ballard and Brain Aldiss.
(10)
Moorcock, Michael (ed.). (F) "New Worlds Science Fiction". Magazine. SF Horizons: “Am I to gather then, that, in recent years at least, most of your reading has been in the science-fiction novel rather than in the magazine?
WSB: Both, both... I get this quite regularly (holds up a magazine), ‘New Worlds Science Fiction’ which I believe is edited by Michael Moorcock, and I’ve found some extremely good stories in there, and I also have a number of paperbacks by Mr. Sturgeon.” BL, p. 83.
Moore, Daniel. Used in cut-ins, WSB, p. 241.
Morgan, Dan. The High Destiny. NY: Berkeley Medallion, 1973. Dan Morgan (1925- ) British science-
fiction novelist. Author of The High Destiny, The New Minds, The Concrete Horizon, and others.
Chosen by Audrey in "Light Reading" from the The Adding Machine, p. 196-201 to be read in space.
Morgan, Ted. Maugham. NY: Simon & Schuster, 1980. (H) Sanche de Gramont (1932- ) French
aristocrat who became an American citizen in 1977 and changed his name to Ted Morgan.
Morgan is the author of numerous non-fiction and biographical books among them On Becoming
American, Maugham, Literary Outlaw (The Life and Times of William S. Burroughs), Chuchill,
and Wilderness at Dawn. Burroughs liked Morgan’s book on Maugham more than he liked the
work of Maugham. His book on Burroughs remains the most complete, articulate, and essential
guide on the life of Burroughs to date.
"The Maugham Curse" An entire essay on Maugham and the Ted Morgan biography, Maugham. AM, p. 171.
"Ted wrote the biography of Somerset Maugham, which I thought was very, very fine, much more interesting than Maugham himself actually." BL, p. 616.
LW, p. 65.
Mulford, Clarence E. Bar-20 Days. NY: TOR, 1993. (A) Clarence Edward Mulford (1883- 1956) American author of western novels including Bar 20 and Hopalong Cassidy series. (6)
Nabakov, Vladimir. Nikolai Gogol. NY: New Directions, 1944. (C) Vladimir Nabakov (1899-1977)
Russian writer. Author of Pnin, Pale Fire, Bend Sinister, Ada, and is most famous for his
classic Lolita, which was originally published by Olympia Press.
(1)
Nash, Thomas. The Unfortunate Traveler. NY: Penguin, 1985. Thomas Nash or Thomas Nashe (1567-
1601) English satirist, most famous for his picaresque novel, The Unfortunate Traveller or
The Life of Jack Wilton.
One of the books included in the Granta Anthology project Table of Contents. Passages from WSB’s favorite books were chosen and compiled to be published as Granta 52: Granta Anthology of Deathless Prose, 1990.
Used in cut-ins. WSB, pp. 286, 288.
BOL2 lists The Unfortunate Traveler as being Burroughs’ ninth favorite novel of all time (see note 124 for context.)
AM, p. 106. BL, p. 272. LO, p. 350. (47, 49, 50, 52, 54, 112)
Neihardt, John G. Black Elk Speaks. NY: Pocket, 1972. (G) John Gneisenau Neihardt (1881-1973)
American poet and writer. Poet laureate Nebraska. Most famous for his Black Elk Speaks.
Black Elk (1863-1950) aka Hehaka Sapa and Nicholas Black Elk. Black Elk was born into the
Plains Indians tribe, the Oglala Sioux. A visionary and converted catholic, Black Elk was
born to a Oglala medicine man who followed Crazy Horse. He witnessed the battle of Little
Bighorn in 1876 at the age of thirteen. His Sacred Pipe is a classic of American Indian
literature and his story has been told and retold. The most famous of these tellings is in
Neihardt’s Black Elk Speaks.
"The Nation's hoop is broken and scattered like a ring of smoke. There is no center anymore. The sacred tree is dead and all its birds are gone." AM, p. 136.
Neumann, John Von & Oskar Morgenstern. Theory of Games and Economic Behavior. NJ: Princeton University Press, 1990. John Von Neumann (1903-1957) and Oskar Morgenstern
wrote Theory of Games and Economic Behavior, which was published by Princeton in 1944.
Neumann and Morgenstern conceived a mathematical theory of economic and social organization based on a theory of games of strategy. Not only did this new approach revolutionize economics, but spawned an entirely new field of scientific inquiry called “game theory.” Today, the science of game theory and the economic strategy put forth by Neumann
and Morgenstern is used to determine just about everything. Burroughs found the book
interesting for literary purposes as well. He likened the randomness used in military strategy
based on the principles in the Theory of Games to the cut-up, and was also interested in
“minimax,” an idea proposed by the book, meaning assume the worst has happened and act
in such a way that it is of little use to the enemy as possible.
“Remember, the cut-up principle of introducing randomity was actually the basis of strategy in World War Two. Read Dr. Neumann’s book, Theory of Games and Economic Behavior. Suppose you got three alternative flight paths. If the enemy find out which one you’re gonna use, they gonna intercept you, right? So minimize. You assume the worst has happened, that they know you’re going to select one, but that information would be of utterly no use to them, because it would be a throw of the dice. We don’t know ourselves which one we’re going to use until the dice falls...” BL, p. 572.
“Randomness has also been used quite extensively in military strategy. In fact, what I would call the cut-up method was a basic factor in the strategy of the Air Force during World War II,
as explained by John Von Neumann in Theory of Games. He enunciated the principle of minimax.
That is, you assume that the worst has happened and then act in such a way that it is of
minimal assistance to the enemy.” DP, p. 275.
BL, p. 606. RE/SEARCH, p. 36. LOKA 2, p. 120. TTM, p. 32. (44)
Nicolaides, Kimon. The Natural Way To Draw. Boston, MA: Houghton-Mifflin, 1941.
One of the books on the Naropa list of neglected works; suggested for Naropa Workshop, Fall
1976, by WSB.
Nietzsche, Friedrich. Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (1844-1900) German poet and philosopher. Author
of Thus Spoke Zarathustra, The Gay Science, Ecco Homo, and many others.
"Man needs play and danger. Civilization gives them work and safety." PODR, p. 237
BL, p. 538.
Nohl, Johannes. The Black Death: A Chronicle of the Plague. NY: Harper & Brothers, 1924.
One of the books included in the Granta Anthology project Table of Contents. Passages from WSB’s favorite books were chosen and compiled to be published as Granta 52: Granta Anthology of Deathless Prose, 1990.
Nolen, William A. The Making of a Surgeon. NY: Pocket, 1972. (H)
One of WSB’s favorite books of the year. “New York Times Book Review,” Dec. 5, 1982.
Nourse, Alan E. The Bladerunner. NY: Ballantine, 1975. (G) Alan Edward Nourse (1928-1992)
American writer. Author of The Bladerunner, Star Surgeon, The Counterfeit Man, PSI High and
Others, as well as many other medical and science-fiction novels. He also wrote a book called
Intern under the pen-name, Doctor X. Intern was listed as one of Burroughs favorite books
in the December 5, 1982 issue of The New York Times Book Review. Nourse was a medical
doctor who took to writing.
The Bladerunner is a little known science-fiction book from the 1970’s. It’s title is much more well known than its subject matter. The film Blade Runner by Ridley Scott took its name from the Burroughs book, Blade Runner, A Movie. William Burroughs took the title of his book from the Alan E. Nourse book called The Bladerunner. Credit is given on the copyright page. While the movie Blade Runner which starred Harrison Ford and has nothing at all to do with the Burroughs or the Nourse books is actually based on the classic science-fiction book by Philip K. Dick, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. And, loosely based on that. Apparently, Rudolph Wurliter and Hampton Fancher (who was involved with the film in the early stages) was responsible for getting the title to Ridley Scott who liked the title so much he named the replicant killing cop in the film a blade runner. Burroughs and Nourse are both thanked in the credits for the film.
This entry runs long because it is essentially the core of section one. It is here that the reader can see the true nature of Burroughs’ appropriation of his reading into his own writing.
The original novel, The Bladerunner by Nourse, is about a boy named Billy Gimp. He was in and out of foster homes, orphanages, etc., so he doesn’t know his real last name. He has a lame leg, so he is called Billy Gimp. Billy is a bladerunner, which means he runs bootleg medical supplies for underground doctors. The novel is set in approximately 2017, New York City. The city has been ravaged by riots, and the disaffected. Billy works for Doc, a skilled and well respected surgeon who is a government employed medical doctor by day, and an underground surgeon by night.
This medical underground was established after the Health Riots of 1994. Based on the research of two scientists, Heinz and Lafferty, the government shuts down public health care to but a few people. If someone visits a hospital for any reason they are forced to be sterilized as a result of hereditary findings that suggest diseases and conditions such as diabetes, etc. are being found in more and more people. Professor Heinz discovers that modern medicine, by breaking down natural immunity, is actually resulting in more illness as opposed to minimizing it.
These findings back the Health Control Acts which force people and doctors underground. These doctors have helpers that run errands, and carry their tools, scalpels, and medicine.
These helpers are called “bladerunners”. In the novel, their are also groups of people who refuse to be sterilized, therefore refuse any medical treatment. They are called “the Naturalists”. With religious vigor, they protest the medical establishment, the government, and their rigorous police state. The naturalists pose almost as big of a threat to the bladerunners and underground doctors as the government.
The Bladerunner consists of three sections. “Billy’s Story”, “Doc’s Story”, and “The Bladerunner”. Section one, “Billy’s Story” begins with Billy Gimp waking from a dream where he is being pursued by something ominous. He wakes to find a bug in his room, and realizes he is being spied on. Billy contacts Doc, and goes through a couple of surgeries with him and his assistant, Molly Burnett. Billy gets much of his medical supplies for Doc from a bootlegger called the Parrott. After a routine tonselitis, as Doc and Billy are leaving Billy is apprehended by the police, while Doc gets away.
Section two, “Doc’s Story” opens with Doc thinking of Billy and what was happening to him. We go through a day of surgery with Doc at the government operated hospital. A turn in the story develops. Doc starts noticing a rash of folks coming in with meningitis. While Doc is trying to figure this out, he is being closely watched by a superior named, Katie Durham. As a development in the government health care, many doctors and nurses have walked out, and few are coming into the business. Therefore, robots are being trained to observe and mimic the surgeons actions. For years, Doc has been strategically altering his movements and changing game plans within his surgery to prolong the inevitable takeover of the mechanized surgeon. Katie Durham is onto him, and confronts him. He is given an ultimatum, and during his conference with her realizes that every patient he has treated within the hospital and while moonlighting in the past few weeks, has had a case of Shanghai flu only weeks prior to their coming down with deadly meningitis. This leads Doc to believe that the flu is only a precursor to the killer disease, and that many people won’t come to the hospital and become sterilized, and unable to procreate for a simple flu that they can ride out. Especially, the Naturalists.
Durham investigates, and while she brings in top authority to look at the matter after computer history proves them right, Billy is not only sentenced to house arrest with a bracelet that detects his every move and reports it to the police, but is also coming down with the flu. Doc is concerned about Billy’s whereabouts, but he has bigger fish to fry. The Health Control Authority shows up at Durham’s request and informs Doc (whom the reader has only recently been told is called Doctor Long) that the underground medical establishment and the bladerunners, while illegal, are necessary in keeping the public health. Only examples are made occasionally by flamboyant doctors, and obvious suspects, while the government has turned a blind eye to their goings on. Doctor Long is surprised and suspicious. The Health Control man continues informing Long that his suspicions about the meningitis are correct, and they have a potential epidemic on their hands. The only way to get people treated would be to expose themselves which could cause more riots and violence, or to get the word out in the underground that they are willing to treat these people for free. In order for this to happen he needs Long’s assistance, and Long knows he can’t do it without Billy, his bladerunner.
Section three, “The Bladerunner” opens with Billy sick. He sits shivering in his apartment. Long had managed during section two to get him a masking device to fool his observers, but it has done little good with Billy out of commission, and the Health Control Authority was well aware of it anyway. Now, Doctor Long must convince an already suspicious and paranoid youth to trust him in getting the word spread about this epidemic, and must convince Billy to convince other hardened youths (bladerunners) to spread the word. These boys are the only way to get the information out to thousands of people who either refuse medical treatment, or refuse government medical treatment.
While in the throes of the flu, and high fevers, Billy talks to his supplier, Parrot, and many bladerunners he has known, or has been told about by Parrot. The information spreads like a wildfire through the underground, and in a fit of hallucinatory madness, Billy manages to save the day. The book reaches its crescendo in a bladerunner hangout where Billy, at his worst, is talking to Roberts, giving him the information to spread. The bladerunners are attacked by a redneck lot of Naturalists, and Billy is down when a helicab descends, and Doctor Long saves Billy.
The novel ends with Billy in the hospital getting his lame leg cared for, and the Doc explaining that all of the newspaper headlines are praising the bladerunners as heroes while the government health control has been toppled. There is no more medical underground and Billy can work at the hospital and his trouble with the law is old news. Billy glances out of his hospital window, and watches the city.
The Burroughs version is similar, as it is written as a sort of screen treatment.
Burroughs’ most common complaint about science-fiction is that it couldn’t happen in any world. It is essentially unbelievable, and this is its major flaw.
The Bladerunner by Nourse is a believable science-fiction tale. In fact, sometimes you forget you are reading a futuristic yarn. Burroughs’s “screenplay” opens not with Billy in his apartment as does the Nourse novel. But, instead opens with an explanation of why the reader is here. Why the future is as it is in the time you are reading about.
It is not until the second section of the novel, “Doc’s Story” that we are told why we are here. What is the purpose of underground medicine, why it is necessary to have bladerunners, what is going on with the government, the riots. The story comes first, and the setting later. Burroughs, in a very traditional manner of storytelling opens his screenplay with this information. In fact, the scene describing Billy Gimp waking up in an apartment to discover he is being bugged by someone, which opens the novel, is presented in the screen treatment approximately half-way into it. Burroughs works at creating a fearful sense of paranoia and dread in the beginning, and once this is established builds the storyline.
Of course, if it were filmed the scenery, and some of the narrative would be seen, and taken for granted by the viewer.
When Billy is introduced in the screen treatment, we see Billy awakening from a nightmare in his apartment. He is a “nude boy w/ mercury sandals and a doctor’s satchel.” Billy is running through the city. Trying to escape from something. He smells sawdust, and awakens to find a bug in his apartment. He is being spied on. Their was a small hole drilled in the floor, and from there the bug was placed.
Nourse’s novel:
“He had been dreaming, as usual, and the dream had been unpleasant, as usual. Someone had been chasing him through a strange and unfamiliar wooded countryside, relentlessly closing the gap on him as he had limped down brush-filled gullies and scrambled over windfallen logs, dragging his bad foot painfully as he went. He remembered vividly climbing up a ridge and down into a logging camp where chain saws had just fallen silent and piles of fragrant pine sawdust were lying about... Sawdust.”
Burroughs Treatment:
“Flash of nude boy with Mercury sandals and a doctor’s satchel. A boy is seen running through the streets of Lower Manhattan, dodging from one doorway to another as the credits come on. Blowing snow... dogs bark from the windows of derelict buildings. The boy is leaning into the wind, snow in his face. He collapses for a moment, leaning against a tree. He passes a vacant lot with frozen corn shucks. As he runs, the weather gets milder. Frogs jump into a pothole, weeds and bushes grow up through undergrowth and gulleys full of branches. He is clearly running from something now. Sound of a chain-saw behind him. He stumbles and falls and turns screaming as a tree falls on him in a cloud of sawdust.”
The dream sequence becomes entirely more important than the reality of the situation. As usual, in the fiction of Burroughs, the dream is telling, and in Dunneian fashion parallels reality.
Billy senses a problem. He discovers the source of unease,
Nourse: “a short metallic stalk emerging like a periscope from the floorboards, with a tiny pile of sawdust beside it. At the end of the stalk, like the head on a kitchen match, there was a glistening crystal bead.”
Burroughs: “a short metallic stalk emerging like a periscope from the floorboards. At the end of the stalk, a glistening crystal bead. There is a little pile of sawdust beside the device. Flash of erect penis with a glistening bead of lubricant.”
This is a screen treatment of the Nourse novel. So, of course their are obvious similarities, and much is going to be left out. What we see here, is an appropriation of Nourse’s fiction with the Burroughs mythology. The boy (typical of Burroughs’ heroes), Billy Gimp, is seen nude in a dream, as the hero running from some ominous presence. When awoke, the dream is not too different from the reality. The presence of the bug is parallel to an erect penis. In the Nourse novel, Billy is alone in the apartment. In the Burroughs treatment, he is with a lover, Roberts. Roberts is also a character in the Nourse novel, but doesn’t appear until the end section when BIlly goes, in a hallucinatory daze, to inform him of Health Control’s plans.
In the Burroughs treatment, Roberts is seen as a fellow bladerunner, and a companion. He helps Billy kick drugs, which Burroughs has given Billy as a fault, in exchange for the Nourse fault, a gimp leg. There is a warm exchange where Billy and Roberts flip a coin to see who will fix dinner in the Burroughs treatment as well. This companionship is much deeper than the token female, Molly Barret, who appears in the Nourse novel as the Doc’s assistant. At the end of the novel there is an exchange between Molly and Billy which implies a sort of previous tension that was noticed nowhere in the novel until that moment. Billy seems happy, and there is an indication that they will continue their relationship, which existed as co-workers throughout the novel.
In the Burroughs treatment, Doc’s assistant is called, “The Hand”, and is described as, “the best operating assistant in the industry”. He is also a “Blues addict”. “The Blues is a metallic variation of heroin, so named because of the bluish tinge imparted to the face. Blues is twenty times stronger than heroin.” There is no Molly Barret in the Burroughs treatment. The assistant is referred to as “The Hand”. Consciously, or not, Burroughs has replaced one of the female characters in the book with a character that is never named, only given a moniker. And, the character is addicted to a fictional drug more powerful than heroin. The other female character in the book, Katie Durham, has been completely eliminated from the screenplay. This lack of appropriation is important, and can be seen as indicative not only of Burroughs’s feelings about women but also of his relationships at the time.
Nourse: “The nurse is okay. The anesthetist is drunk about half the time, so Doc and I have to pinch hit sometimes.”
Burroughs” “Where’s that fucking anesthetist? The anesthetist reels in dead drunk. ‘He’s shit drunk. You’ll have to take over Billy.’”
Burroughs has incorporated Doc from the Nourse story into his treatment as Doctor Benway. With similar behavior, and treatment of his staff, the doctor becomes an ambivalent creature that the reader isn’t sure whether he should align himself with or not.
Sometimes it seems worth mentioning the things that Burroughs leaves out as much as what he includes. As for what he included, one very minor detail, Lazy Louie’s, a bladerunner tavern, or hangout. And, an important group of fundamentalist anti-government folks called the “Naturists.”
A piece from Nourse, which I am surprised wasn’t included in the screenplay, as it seems to be something that would either interest Burroughs, or at least catch his attention can be found on page 67,
“-but that was not all that was bothering Doc. Deep in his mind there was another worry. Far more ominous, yet strangely undefined, chipping away stubbornly at his subconscious. It was something quite aside from Billy Gimp or the Hardy Boy- a cold, relentless sense of impending disaster that Doc could neither shake aside or identify.
Compare to Burroughs’ description of the “ugly spirit.”
Another character occurring in both the Nourse novel, and the Burroughs screenplay is Professor Heinz. Heinz appears in Nourse’s novel as Rupert Heinz and is led to the “frightening hypothesis: that the miracles of medical progress in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries might in some cases, have ultimately led to more human illness, rather than less.” And, in Burroughs, “Professor Heinz addressing a class: ‘...The conclusion seems unmistakable. The medical miracles of the 20th Century, by destroying natural immunity, result in more illness rather than less... deadly outbreak of adult diphtheria in the early 1990’s... And still more alarming the incidence of hereditary degenerative diseases... Where can this proliferation of recessive genes end? (...) ‘In plain English, sterilization is now the price for any medical care.” This sterilization process is called the Eugenics Act in the Nourse novel. Pages of information are given in the Nourse novel where Burroughs cuts it down to a lecture by Professor Heinz.
This is a great example of how Burroughs uses cuts, folds, and flashes of scenes to explain pages of information. Also interesting how we see the “screenplay,” or film platform used where Burroughs methods seem almost par for the course, and the writing style isn’t that much different from novels like Port of Saints. This treatment not only uncovers the way Burroughs treats his reading material, but unveils a method of writing that proves his writing was cinematic all along. Making the cut-up almost a modern storytelling device. All films use this method now, and Burroughs’ lecture on film that can be found in the collection, Disembodied Poetics, as well as his introduction to the Canyon Cinema catalogue, and his very early experimentation with filmmaker Antony Balch illustrate his early understanding of the use of cut-ups in film.
This sort of cut-up used not with pages, but with scenes is described by Burroughs in the opening sequence to Blade Runner, A Movie as riffling “(...) through stills from the movie like a deck of cards...”
The penultimate scene in Nourse, the action scene, is set in the tavern (In Burroughs, the Silver Dollar Bar). Billy makes contact with Roberts, his first appearance in the novel, who is at the tavern. He is with some companions, fellow bladerunners, and comes across as a bit hardened. After Roberts contacts one of his suppliers regarding Billy’s story he is confronted by a group of Naturists. “’Hold it, Bud,’ he rumbled, ‘What’s in the package?’ ‘That’s my business,’ Roberts said, ‘And any lousy bladerunner with bootleg medical supplies is my business,’ the big man said, ‘hand it over’”. Burroughs cuts way back on the dialogue here and attributes the scene to Nourse. After a fight, the Doc comes in and saves the day in both books.
This scene differs however. In the novel, Doctor Long takes Billy from the tavern and gets him to the hospital with little exchange. In the Burroughs treatment, Billy asks, “’Doc, what’s the date?’”, and gets, “’January 18th.’ ‘The whole date Doc.’ ‘January 18, 1914.’”. In the treatment, this entire end sequence is a dream, where as in the Nourse novel, it is in a illness induced hallucination. This dream sequence can be seen as a cyclical sequence that could open up into the beginning of the actual on screen treatment where Billy is seen running through the city nude with Mercury sandals.
Compare the two ending sequences. From Nourse, “(...)-you’re the Boy Heroes of the Plague City, and Health Control knows it.’ He tossed a pile of newspapers on the bed. ‘Take a look.’ Billy blinked at the banner headlines, ILLEGAL MEDICS HEROES IN FLU CRISIS (...)” In Burroughs, “Snow blurs into confetti, streamers, cheering crowds in Times Square. Advertisement shows animated figure in lights running across the Manhattan skyline.” Time in Burroughs treatment is interesting. Billy is seen to have blown a hole in time. Both books end with Billy staring out of hospital room at Manhattan skyline. Time skips used as tool for Billy. As with characters in Cities of the Red Night. A tool that can be used by the characters, as well as the author. Burroughs utilizes his reading J. W. Dunne, and time/dream theory.
In Blade Runner: A Movie, we can see not only J. W. Dunne, but L. Ron Hubbard and Wilhelm Reich. For example, look at the scene where Burroughs assigns Benway attributes to the Doctor Long character, “’Shut up, you’ll give my patient an engram...’ Doc screams back.” And in regards to Virus B-23, the “virus of biologic mutation” Doktor Unruh von Steinplatz “...calls it Unruh’s Disease. U.D. is characterized by an itching burning erogenous rash in the genitals and surrounding areas, accompanied by an uncontrollable sexual frenzy. U.D. victims undergo bizarre changes in pigmentation during intercourse, and these changes are genetically conveyed.
U.D. was extracted by the Herr Doktor by exposing the crystal skulls to D.O.R.-Deadly Orgone Radiation- in a highly magnetized pyramid.” More about the disease, and the “cure” later. But, observe how Burroughs worked Dunne, Hubbard, and Reich into this science-fiction treatment. So subtle at times, you might even wonder how the original novel went without it.
The Nourse epidemic is meningitis. In the Burroughs treatment is is smallpox.
The bladerunner’s as mentioned before have to get the information out to other bladerunners, suppliers, and underground doctors that the Health Control people are willing to look the other way while free injections are given out to those who are experiencing the flu or having flu like symptoms in an effort to halt a rising potential epidemic of meningitis which is showing up in people a couple of weeks after what they thought was the flu. We end the Burroughs treatment in 1914, so the disease is smallpox. This is only addressed momentarily, and we are taken to a new problem. A different storyline. This thread concerns Virus B-23, or U.D., the “virus of biologic mutation”. This is a total variation from the Nourse novel. U.D. is the cure for cancer which is an epidemic in the treatment as well as smallpox.
U.D. as described by Steinplatz earlier creates in the “victim” a sexual frenzy. This disease is used in Cities of the Red Night. The disease is an answer to cancer. “No one can have U.D. and cancer at the same time”. The vaccine, U.D., is illegal. U.D. is sort of Burroughs’s answer to Reich’s “emotional plague”, and/or “character rigidity”.
Blade Runner, A Movie is an important work for Burroughs, and for the study of his fiction. It serves as a sort of guideline for understanding not only the structure of Cities of the Red Night, and the following novels, but also as a crystal ball showing Burroughs’s method of appropriation. The book is presented as a film treatment, yet, we see all of the Burroughs methodology, mythology, and use of language. From packs of wild boys to DOR, engrams, anti- government, anti-drug war, and J. W. Dunne serial time theory to disease, virus, and apocalypse.
See Blade Runner: A Movie.
CWWB, p. 116. DP, p. 299 (Why it was never made into a film.)
Nuttall, Jeff. Jeff Nuttall (1933-2004) English poet, writer, publisher, and activist. Jeff Nuttall
was the author of Pig, Bomb Culture, the editor of “My Own Mag” (which Burroughs was a contributor), and a friend of Burroughs
during the sixties.
Used in cut-ups. WSB, p. 162.
O'Connor, Flannery. Flannery O’Connor (1925-1964) American novelist and short story writer.
Author of Wise Blood, A Good Man Is Hard To Find, The Violent Bear It Away, and
many short stories.
(11)
O'Connor, Flannery. "Parker's Back." The Complete Stories. NY: Farrar Straus Giroux, 1989. “Parker’s Back” appears on pp. 510-30.
One of the books included in the Granta Anthology project Table of Contents. Passages from WSB’s favorite books were chosen and compiled to be published as Granta 52: Granta Anthology of Deathless Prose, 1990.
O'Flaherty, Liam. The Informer. NY Bantam Books 1955. Liam O’Flaherty (1896-?)
Irish novelist. The film, The Informer, based on the book by O’Flaherty won an Academy
Award, 1935. Burroughs discusses how much better the film is than the book as well as
Traven’s The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.
(95)
O'Hara, John. (C) John Henry O’Hara (1905-?) American journalist and novelist. Author of many
works including Butterfield 8, Appointment in Sammara, and collections of short stories.
John O’Hara was a favorite of Burroughs throughout the thirties and forties. His characterization and dialogue played an important role in Burroughs fiction.
AM, p. 66. (1, 93)
O'Hara, John. Appointment In Sammara. London: Corgi, 1965. AM, p. 38.
Ohle, David. Motorman. NY: Knopf, 1972.
“I would be quick to mention David Ohle, who teaches at the University of Texas. I think he’s a fine writer. He’s only been able to publish one novel, Motorman. I wrote the introduction for it.” LIW, p. 20. David Ohle and Burroughs were friendly in Lawrence where Ohle lived and
later wrote Cows are Freaky When They Look at You. The introduction Burroughs refers to was
never published with the novel. Ohle is also the author of numerous short stories, The
Mortified Man, and the sequel to Motorman, The Age of Sinatra. Most recently he has edited Cursed from Birth: The Short, Unhappy Life of William S. Burroughs, Jr.
Orwell, George. Nineteen Eighty-Four. NY: Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc., 1949. Eric Arthur Blair
(1903-1950) pen name George Orwell. British writer. Author of 1984, Down and Out In Paris
and London, Homage to Catalonia, and many others. Burroughs wasn’t a big fan of Nineteen
Eighty-Four, or the work of Orwell. However, he was friendly with Orwell’s wife, Sonia
Orwell.
“Everyone is obliged to become hysterical at the mere thought of drug use, just as Office workers in Orwell’s 1984 were obligated to scream curses, like Pavlov’s frothing dogs, when the enemy leader appeared on screen.” HR, p. 72.
On Scientology: “What most disgusted Burroughs, however, were the See Checks, a sort of Orwellian thought police. (...) going to See Checks reminded him of a line in Celine: ‘All this time I felt my self-respect slipping away from me, and finally completely gone, as if officially removed. LO, p. 442.
TWL, p. 59. AM, p. 116.
Ostrander, Sheila & Lynn Schroeder. The Handbook of PSI Discoveries. NY: Berkeley, 1974. (G)
One of the books on the Naropa list of neglected works; suggested for Naropa Workshop, Fall
1976, by WSB.
BV, p. 214. AM, p. 53. LOKA 2, p. 117. (28)
Ostrander, Sheila & Lynn Schroeder. Psychic Discoveries Behind the Iron Curtain. Laffont Special edition, 1970. (G)
PODR, p. 173. AM, pp. 100, 150. BL, pp. 212, 263.
Otis, James. Toby Tyler Or Ten Weeks With A Circus. NY: Winston, 1937. James Otis Kaler (1848-
1912) American author of more than 150 children’s books. The character Toby Tyler
is a recurring boy character throughout Burroughs’ fiction.
"Fear and the Monkey" from BF, p. 110. TCI, P. 45. (113)
Ouellette, Pierre. The Third Pandemic. NY: Pocket Star Books, 1997. (H)
“He asks for a short human reprieve from a coupling basically cold and alien. ‘We’ve got a problem,’ said Frazier, the villainous attorney in The Third Pandemic, quite an interesting story.” LW, p. 176.
Pareto, Vilfredo. (C) Vilfredo Pareto (1848-1923) Italian economist and sociologist. Pareto was
responsible for developing mathematical analysis in the study of economics and sociological
issues. Some believe his Machiavellian approach to sociology was partially inspirational
to Italian fascism. Burroughs was known to be a reader of Pareto, and according to Ginsberg
carried his works along with Giambatista Vico’s around with him.
(15, 34)
Parise, Goffredo. The Dead Boys and the Comets. NY: Farrar, Straus & Young, 1953. (E)
Goffredo Parise (1929-1986) Italian novelist.
“Read very good novel by Italian writer, The Dead Boys and the Comets by Goffred Parise.”
LAG, p. 74.
Parker, Dorothy. Dorothy Parker (1893-1967) American writer. Author of Enough Rope, Sunset Gun,
Death and Taxes, and several short story collections. One of the few women mentioned
in Burroughs’ list of favorite authors.
(11)
Pascucci, John. The Manhunter. NY: Pocket Star Books, 1997. (H)
“Well, book by a ‘former U.S. Marshall’, The Manhunter. Pocket Star Books. Need I say more. What a conflicted character this prick is, smokes pot, got a dark side to himself.
‘Is that cop-killing puke going to get to Center alive?’
‘I gave ‘em my loyal services, now they want my very soul!’
‘Sure, he tried to make a break for it, grabs my gun and I - uh- I -God, I had to do it! He’d goine berserk!’
(The cop cracks up. Is led away sobbing.)
‘Decent young cop. People just don’t understand about cops. We’re not all shits.’
‘They are animals!’ - as the Mexican citizen classifies cops.” LW, p. 237.
(114)
Pasolini, Pier Paolo. (1922-1975) Italian filmmaker and writer. Author of The Violent Life, and
director of many films including Salo, The Decameron, Oedipus Rex, The Canterbury Tales,
and many others. Pasolini was murdered in 1975.
WWB, pp. 137-8.
Patterson, J. H. The Man Eaters of Tsavo. NY: Pocket, 1996. Originally published in 1907.
One of the books included in the Granta Anthology project Table of Contents. Passages from WSB’s favorite books were chosen and compiled to be published as Granta 52: Granta Anthology of Deathless Prose, 1990.
Pearson, Ridley. Chain of Evidence. NY: Hyperion, 1995. (H) "Chain of Evidence falls into the Waste Basket (why capitalized?) 'William Burroughs is it?' - Ridley Pearson So I into waste basket? The son of Sam - Samson." LW, p. 45.
Peck, M. Scott. Denial of the Soul. NY: Harmony, 1997. (H)
“Reading Denial of the Soul by M. Scott Peck, M.D. very good, very sound, and rejecting the dogmas of psychiatric treatment.” LW, p. 147.
“Just finished reading Denial of the Soul by Scott Peck, M.D., a psychotherapist who - like me - believes in God. Very sound book.” LW, p. 155.
(115)
Pegler, Westbrook. (D) James Westbrook Pegler (1894-?) American journalist. US WWI correspondent.
Chicago Tribune, New York World Telegram, and others.
"My opinion of labor leaders and unions is very close to the views so ably and vigorously expressed by Westbrook Pegler, the only columnist, in my opinion, who possesses a grain of integrity." LWSB, p. 57.
Pellegrino, Charles. Her Name: Titanic. NY: Avon, 1990. (H) "Reading Titanic by Charles Pellegrino. Page 18. What is an experience if it is not shared? Did it even happen?" LW, p. 251. Last book mentioned by WSB in his final journals. "Twilight's Last Gleaming" Burroughs’s first story written as an adult in collaboration with Kells Elvins was based on the Titanic and the Morro Castle disasters.
Perry, Thomas. Metzger’s Dog. NY: Charter, 1984. (H)
“I have been thinking all afternoon about a silly old song, 1948 or earlier:
Bongobongobongo
I’m so happy in the congo
Got this book I picked up in Dillons this afternoon, called Metzger’s Dog, won out in a coin toss over Realm Seven. (Take a book, any book) Page 16: ‘Immelmann began to glate at him, so Chinese Gordon shifted to ‘Bongo Bongo Bongo, I don’t want to leave the leave the Congo.’
Coincidence, say the anti-ESPs. Doesn’t mean a thing.” ME, pp. 156-7.
Perse, St. -John. Anabasis. A Translation by T. S. Eliot. NY: Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1949.
Alexis Saint-Leger Leger (1887-1975) pseudonym Saint-John Perse. French poet. One of
Very influential on Burroughs, the poem Anabase was originally published in 1924.
Chosen by Audrey in "Light Reading" from the The Adding Machine, pp. 196-201 to be read in space.
“I was completely alive in the moment, not saving myself, not waiting for anything or anybody. ‘I have told no one to wait.’” (“T. S. Eliot’s translation of St. John Perse’s poem Anabase, section 5 (first edition, 1931, revised, London: Faber and Faber, 1959”) From Harris footnote. LWSB, p. 297.
“I have a strange feeling here of being outside any social context. I have never known any place so relaxing. The possibility of an all-out riot is like a tonic, like ozone in the air: ‘Here surely is a song for men like wind in an iron tree.’ - Anabasis more or less.” (“’Surely a history for men, a song of strength for men, like a shudder from afar of space shaking an iron tree!’ (T. S. Eliot’s translation of St. John Perse’s poem, section 6.)”) From Oliver Harris footnote. LWSB, P. 337.
“I will send along about 100 pages of Interzone, it is coming so fast I can’t hardly get it down, and shakes me like a great black wind through the bones...” (“Phrase from St. John Perse, Anabasis”) From Harris footnote. LWSB, p. 346.
One of the books on the Naropa list of neglected works; suggested for Naropa Workshop, Fall
1976, by WSB.
Used in cut-ups. WSB, pp. 158, 163.
TTM, p. 45. BF, p. 110. AM, p. 106.
(1, 13, 18, 39, 61, 113, 116)
Perse, St. -John. Collected Poems. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1971.
One of the books included in the Granta Anthology project Table of Contents. Passages from WSB’s favorite books were chosen and compiled to be published as Granta 52: Granta Anthology of Deathless Prose, 1990.
Perse, St.-John. Winds. NY: Pantheon, 1953. English translation with bilingual text. This is the
edition Burroughs is reading in the photograph by Allen Ginsberg which appears as photo number
twenty-one in his book, Photographs. The caption by Ginsberg reads “William Burroughs
amusing himself with 1953’s recent translation of St. Jean Perse’s Vents, living room floor
206 East 7th Street New York City, Fall ‘53.” AGP, #21.
Petronius. The Satyricon of Petronius. Privately printed, 1928. Translation ascribed to Oscar Wilde. No Edition stated. 1200 copies. (A) Gaius Petronius Arbiter. First century A.D. Called by
Tacitus, at Nero’s court, Arbiter Elegantine (judge of elegance.) Author of the Satyricon.
Very important for Burroughs for its place in the picaresque tradition, and the chief episode
“Trimalchio’s Banquet,” the description of a rich feast given by the vulgar Trimalchio.
“Reference: Trimalchio’s Feast, in memoirs of Petronius Arbiter. I so admired him as a child- when he pulled out his dagger and killed a ruffian who was breathing wine into one’s face - and Petronius just slid his dagger in, wiped it on the ruffian’s toga as he fell, and walked on, as if nothing happened.” LW, p. 87.
One of the books included in the Granta Anthology project Table of Contents. Passages from WSB’s favorite books were chosen and compiled to be published as Granta 52: Granta Anthology of Deathless Prose, 1990.
LO, p. 350. BL, p. 272.
BOL2 lists The Satyricon as being Burroughs second favorite novel of all time (see note 124 for context.)
(47, 49, 54, 112, 114, 117, 118)
Piombo, Akbar Del. Fuzz Against Junk. The Saga of the Narcotics Brigade. Paris, France: Olympia Press, 1961. (F) Akbar Del Piombo was the pen name for writer/artist Norman Rubington.
"I thought Fuzz Against Junk was very funny." BL, p. 333.
I shouldn’t mention that for years many people believed that Akbar Del Piombo was a
pseudonym of Burroughs’s. This confusion was the result of a publishing error in which
Olympia Press printed on the title page verso of The Fetish Crowd and other works by Del
Piombo: “Other works by William Burroughs published by Olympia Press The Soft Machine The
Ticket That Exploded.”
Pitman, Sir Isaac. The New Method of Arithmetic. Toronto: Sir Isaac Pitman of Canada, 1924. (F)
Sir Isaac Pitman (1813-1897) English phonographer. Invented a system of shorthand based
on phonetic principles described in Stenographic Soundhand.
Commonsense Arithmetic. TTM, p. 159.
Poe, Edgar Allan. (A) Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) American poet and storyteller. Famed author of
well known short stories and poems, among them The Raven, The Murders in the Rue Morgue,
and The Fall of the House of Usher. Burroughs read Poe as a child but mentioned him only once
in his published work. Near the end of his life Burroughs performed a reading of The Raven
and The Masque of the Red Death for a computer game called The Dark Eye. This recording can also be found on bootleg cdr’s sold by independent/lone capitalists on the internet.
AM p. 45.
Pope, Alexander. "Epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot.” The Laurel Poetry Series Pope. Selected, with an Introduction and notes by John Wain. General Editor, Richard Wilbur. NY: Dell, 1968. “Epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot”, p. 54. Alexander Pope (1688-1744) English poet. Burroughs seemed to be
fond of Pope during the forties and fifties quoting him often and recommending his work to
Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg.
“(...) he has the gall to talk against Joan, which he never did before in my hearing. Garver prides himself on ‘not being vicious’. Check. He is no more vicious than he dares to be at any given moment.
‘Willing to wound yet afraid to strike, just hint a fault and hesitate dislike, Reserved alike to blame or to commend, A timorous foe, and a suspicious friend.’ - Pope.”
(“from Alexander Pope’s ‘Epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot’: ‘Willing to wound, and yet afraid to strike,/ just hint a fault, an hesitate dislike;/ Alike reserved to blame, or to commend,/ A tim’rous foe, and a suspicious friend.’” Oliver Harris footnote) LWSB, p. 149.
(33)
Pound, Ezra. Ezra Loomis Pound (1885-1972) American poet. Author of verse including A Lume Spento,
Personae, Canzoni, Ripostes, The Cantos, and prose works including ABC of Reading, and ABC
of Economics.
Used in cut-ups. WSB, pp. 113, 163.
Pound, Ezra. Cantos LII-LXXXI. Norfolk: New Directions, 1940.
“‘All is in the not done. The diffidence that faltered’
Ezra Pound (old crank).” LW, p. 195. From Canto LXXXI: “Here error is all in the not done,/ all in the diffidence that faltered.”
Powers, Tim. The Anubis Gates. NY: Ace, 1983. (H) Tim Powers is an American science-fiction
author. This, his most famous book, was written during his friendship with fellow sf author,
Philip K. Dick. Dick reportedly wrote at least one page of this novel while Powers was away
from the typewriter and it allegedly remains in the published version.
“A slender young man with sandy hair and rather sharp features refers to The Gates of Anubis which takes place in early eighteenth century England. A girl who pretends to be a boy is a key figure, and there are some good bits. The Gates of Anubis lead to the Land of the Dead. I think the reference here is to some Egyptian incestuous relationship with my dark sister.” ME, p. 157.
Prokosch, Frederic. The Seven Who Fled. NY: Harper & Brothers, 1937. Frederic Prokosch (1908- )
American novelist. Author of The Seven Who Fled, The Conspirators, and others.
One of the books included in the Granta Anthology project Table of Contents. Passages from WSB’s favorite books were chosen and compiled to be published as Granta 52: Granta Anthology of Deathless Prose, 1990.
Proust, Marcel. Remembrance of Things Past. NY: Random House, 1934. Two volumes. Marcel Proust
(1871-1922) French novelist. Author of many works including the classic series of novels
published collectively as Remembrance of Things Past.
"Beckett and Proust", entire essay devoted to Proust and Beckett. AM, p. 182.
(58)
Pushkin, Alexander. "The Queen of Spades.” The Captain’s Daughter. NY: Dutton, Everyman's Library, 1969. Story appears on pp. 121-45. (C) Aleksander Sergeevich Pushkin (1799-1837)
Russian poet and storyteller. Allen Ginsberg claims in The Beat Generation and the Russian
New Wave that Burroughs, himself, and Jack Kerouac were readers of Russian literature
during the nineteen forties, especially Dostoevsky. This is probably when Burroughs became
familiar with this story by Pushkin, if not earlier.
“If you’re trying to take something from this level and bring it down to this level, you’re going to get fucked every time. The classical story about that was The Queen of Spades - a Russian story about someone who was getting telepathic tips on gambling and, of course, finally got fucked.” WWB, p. 27.
BV, p. 215.
Puzo, Mario. The Godfather. Greenwich, CT: Fawcett, 1969. Mario Puzo (1920-1999) American
writer. Author of The Godfather, The Sicilian, The Fourth K, The Last Don, and others.
He is also the author of all three Godfather screenplays.
One of the bestsellers mention by WSB in The Adding Machine, pp. 25-6, 192.
BL, p. 306.
“One of my all-time favorites was Mario Puzo’s The Godfather. It had a splendid narrative and character development. BL, p. 514.
(27)
Puzo, Mario. The Last Don. NY: Ballantine, 1997. (H)
“Reading The Last Don - page 36. Lady had a stalking husband name of Boz. Dangerous. Always escalates, throws water in her face at the Pavilion. It will be the real thing next. Only one solution to the Boz problem: total.” LW, p. 106.
“Reading The Last Don, interesting work. It seems a hit man is not allowed to enjoy his work. They say that he has a ‘bloody mouth’ and decent mafiosi don’t like it.
‘Dante,’ accused of a bloody mouth:
‘I’ll enjoy my work less, if that is what you want.’” LW, p. 120.
“Ref. The Last Don book: Dante has a ‘bloody mouth’- that is, he likes to kill. One decent hit man went out with Dante on a job said:
‘He pants and drools and his hair stands up and a stink steams offen him like a bitch in heat - disgust you to smell it and see it. Won’t ever again go out with that Dante, he’s a mental.’” LW, p. 123.
“On with The Last Don. (...) ‘He is growing. He will wisen,’ the Don says indulgently.
‘No, Don, he will not wisen. He will never wisen.’
In your heart, you know that.
Dante is rotten to the core of Hell.
And the sooner the quicker.
‘Don, your indulgence of this ‘bloody mouth’ endangers us all, and stains us with vileness. ‘Typical wop trick’ - cut off a man’s prick, throw acid in a woman’s face. He is bad for our image. La bella figura.’ And what else does a man have? Nada.” LW, p. 124.
“Every Don must have a ‘bloody mouth’ at times, to inspire the fear that they need- if this role can be assigned to someone else.
‘He is still young!’
‘Well, he shouldn’t get much older.’
‘Please, his is my son, from my blessed Cherifa, Puta de Palermo.’
‘He is your misfortune, and you cannot rub his blood from your hands and your heart, and you cannot deny or evade your blame. You would look proudly in the other direction while your son cuts off someone’s prick? and shoves his nuts down his throat? This is not good clean work.’
(...)
‘Dante is you in that sollubi class? Gregorio, who had heard this bullshit many times about the cosmic processes said:
‘Well you got your earthquake warning. The family doesn’t like it.’” LW, p. 125.
“The Last Don - a great read.” LW, p. 128.
Burroughs appropriates The Last Don into his mythology on pp.128-9. UFO’s, chemical warfare,
etc.
“ ‘Everyone is responsible for his or her own actions - everything they do.’
Don Clericurzio, in The Last Don.” LW, p. 143.
Also more discussion of The Last Don in LW, p. 136. (82, 115, 119)
Queneau, Raymond. Zazie In The Metro (Zazie Dans Le Metro.) Paris, France: Olympia Press, 1959. (E)
Raymond Queneau (1903-1973) French writer.
BL, p. 333.
Randle, Kevin D. & Donald R. Schmitt. UFO Crash at Roswell. NY: Avon, 1991. (H) A source of infor-
mation for Burroughs used during his writing of the unpublished Paradise Lost. Another source
was not surprisingly Paradise Lost by Milton. This text/ opera was to be a collaboration between Burroughs and Robert Wilson (with whom Burroughs had collaborated with on The Black Rider) and was to be an investigation into the seven deadly sins, UFO’s, aliens, and according
to James Grauerholz an extrapolation of Brion Gysin’s statement; “man is a bad animal.”
Raudive, Konstantin. Breakthrough: An Amazing Experiment in Electronic Communication. NY: Lancer Books, 1971. (G) Along with Bander’s Voices from the Tapes, this book was the central
focus of the Burroughs lecture, “It Belongs to the Cucumbers,” given at Naropa Institute
regarding taped voices from beyond the grave.
AM, p. 53. (28)
Ravin, Neil. M.D. NY: Delacorte, 1981. (H)
One of the best books of the year according to WSB in “The New York Times Book Review,” Dec. 5, 1982.
Read, Piers Paul. Alive. NY: Avon, 1975. (G)
One of the bestsellers mentioned by WSB in AM, pp. 25-6. BL, p. 306.
Rechy, John. (F) John Rechy (1934- ) American writer. Author of City of Night, Numbers, The Sexual
Outlaw, The Fourth Angel, and many others. Burroughs claimed to have met Rechy briefly on
at least one occasion and reportedly was fond of his work.
(120)
Rechy, John. City of Night. NY: Grove, 1963. (F)
Used in cut-ups. WSB, p. 163. Used in cut-ins, WSB, p. 242.
Reich, Wilhelm. (D) Wilhelm Reich (1897-1957) German psychiatrist.
Many great controversies surrounded the life and work of Wilhelm Reich, despite the many contributions he made to modern psychiatry, medicine, and the study of human sexuality.
Most interesting was his theory of “orgonomic functionalism”. The central idea behind functionalism are the variations within a common functioning system. From functionalism he derieved the theory of psychosomatic identity, which means that whatever is going on in the brain is occurring simultaneously in the body. This opposed to modern scientific belief that what occurs in the brain effects what is going on in the body, therefore seeing the brain and the body as two separate entities working as a whole. Reich saw it as one functioning system where everything was going on at once.
He came to this conclusion as a result of his studies in psychoanalysis. He was an early student and friend of Sigmund Freud in Vienna. Reich felt that in the beginning of any therapeutic relationship between doctor and patient that the patient was closed to the therapist. His body was literally armed and rigid expressing a fear of punishment. This “body armor” was a result of a negative energy flow. What Freud called the “libido concept”, Reich took very literally as a real energy. This energy was not only emitted emotionally but physically as well, since the body and the brain are one functional system. This energy, which flowed from all living things was called, “orgone.”
People who are armored and rigid are also sexually rigid, and unable to emotionally “flow”. This effected their ability to have a complete orgasm during sex as well. Therefore, until they were able to discharge their energy completely they would be unresponsive not only to therapy, but any relationship, including their ability to function in society. Reich believed that sick people, emotionally, physically, and mentally were sick because they didn’t have the right flow of orgone.
Based on “organism” and “orgasm,” the orgone was a “preatomic energy” that Reich viewed as the life energy. He worked with this energy and believed that he was able to trap it, and also to eliminate blocks/ armoring with it. He initially felt that orgone was found only in living beings, but later extended his theory of the orgone to include everything. Orgone was found everywhere, in fact, according to Reich it’s what makes the sky blue! Through his various studies he discovered that some substances attracted orgone, and others reflected it. He attempted to cure the ills of society, the individual, the weather, and even the invading extraterrestrial with orgone.
Reich created orgone accumulators. These were boxes where people could sit and stock-pile orgone. Constructed of alternating layers of metal and wood, with the wood on the outside and the metal on the inside the user would be able to get his/her orgones by sitting in an orgone accumulator for an hour a day. However, you wouldn’t want to sit in there too long. You might get DOR (deadly orgone radiation), in fact you wouldn’t want to bring electrical devices inside either. These also created DOR. He created orgone blankets, orgone shooters (gas can with burlap and fine steel wool wrapped around the outside) to “irradiate” wounds, etc.
Reich also designed super accumulators for weather purposes. These were called “cloud busters” and they worked on the same principal as an orgone shooter except much bigger and they looked like anti-aircraft weapons. He later used these cloud busters to ward off the aliens who used orgone powered space-ships and were coming to invade earth.
All this was too much for the FDA. They had had enough. Reich’s books were burned in America, and he was sent to a federal prison where he died of a heart attack just days before his supposed release. Burroughs was very influenced by Reich’s writings on the orgone, he was
less interested in his political work, and unsympathetic to his legal problems. WSB went as
far as to build an orgone accumulator in the forties and kept one off an on for the rest of his
life. References can be found throughout all of his fiction and nonfiction to orgone and Wilhelm
Reich.
From Naked Lunch: “they wanta suck my organza”, “the invisible blue blowtorch of organza”, “and the clientele of the Meet Cafe’, including sellers of orgone tanks.”
COTRN, p. 23. TWL, pp. 60, 63. AM, p. 164. BL, pp. 509, 79, 114-5, 119-25, 212, 235. LAG, pp. 49-50. SM, p. 70. TTE pp. 62, 63, 76-8, 180. Footnote on Reich p. 69. NE ("orgone belt around planet") p.137. pp. NE footnotes, pp. 9, 156. TJ, pp. 16-7, 60, 64, 65, 68, 92-5, 122. CWWB, pp. 47, 127. WWB, p. 63. BV, p. 205. MILES, p. 50. (30, 32)
Reich, Wilhelm. The Cancer Biopathy. NY: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1973. (D)
“I have just done reading Wilhelm Reich’s latest book The Cancer Biopathy, I tell you Jack (to Jack Kerouac), he is the only man in the analysis line who is on that beam. After reading the book I built an orgone accumulator, and the gimmick really works. The man is not crazy, he’s a fucking genius.” LWSB p.51. LWSB, P. 57.
“I have not read Listen Little Man. Reich’s social and political theories, and his polemics bore me. What interests me is his factual discoveries particularly about the nature of the cancer process, and the use of the accumulator in the treatment of cancer. I consider his book The Cancer Biopathy of incalculable importance. My own experiments with the accumulator have convinced me that many of his conclusions are correct.” LWSB, p. 57.
BL, pp. 200-1, 265.
Newly published (2003) “Chapter 28” of Junkie in the 50th anniversary edition is an examination of Reich’s The Cancer Biopathy.
Reich, Wilhelm. Selected Writings. NY: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1960. POS, p. 46.
Reich, Wilhelm. The Sexual Revolution. Toward A Self Governing Character Structure. NY: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1974.
BL, p. 338. LO, p. 140.
Reiffel, Leonard. The Contaminant. NY: Dell, 1980. (G) (80)
Renault, Mary. The Mask of Apollo. NY: Bantam, 1974. (G) Eileen Mary Challans (1905-1983) English
writer pseudonym Mary Renault. Author of The King Must Die, The Mask of Apollo, The Bull
From the Sea, and many other novels, most famous for her Greek historical fictions.
The Mask of Apollo was spotted in Burroughs' house in Lawrence by Duncan Fallowell. BL, p. 568.
Rey, Rainer. Replicator Run. NY: Fawcett Gold Medal, 1997.
“Reading an epidemic book called Replicator Run, by Rainer Rey. Pretty good. Symptoms like third-degree burns.
How’s about a run of ‘spontaneous combustions’? They flare up anywhere- or a disease that is spread by the smell, an accelerated rot, from inside out (spread by a tiny red centipede, swarms crawl out of supporating sores- or the penis crawls away on its own).” LW, p. 199.
“Book Replicator Run, by Rainer Rey: ‘National Panic’- since when did a man who is a man panic?” LW, p. 202.
Reynolds, James. Ghosts In American Houses. NY: Farrar, Straus & Cudahy, 1955. (29)
Rhine, J. B. J. B. Rhine (1895-1980) Parapsychologist and botanist. Rhine began studying paranormal
and psychic phenomenon in 1927. He established the Duke University Parapsychology
laboratory in 1935 and went on to found the Foundation for Research on the Nature of Man
(FRNM) in 1962.
“...I am interested in telepathy, foresight and clairvoyance, the ESP phenomena
studied by Rhine, Warcollier and others, and have experimented with thought transference.”
This is one of the reasons Burroughs states for his interest in yage, the other is his interest
in narcotics. The quote above comes from an unpublished manuscript called “Yage Article.”
This piece can be found in Harris’s WBSF, p. 165.
Ricciuti, Edward R. Killers of the Seas: The Dangerous Creatures That Threaten Man In An Alien Environment. NY: Walker And Company,1973. (G)
“We sit down on the couch and talk about mugging and weapons, ‘Oh yes,’ Bill says, ‘look to mother nature for weaponry...the porcupine quills...’ He leafs through a book called Killers of the Seas. ‘Electric eels...a snail that shoots a poison dart...the ink screen of the squid...and so many poisons for the CIA to play about with.The poison contained in the spines of the stone fish causes intolerable agony like fire through the blood. Victims throw themselves around screaming. Morphine affords no relief. Often the victim dies of pain, quite literally tortured to death. Now if one had an immediate antidote, stone fish poison could be the perfect shortcut in interrogation...” WWB, p. 130.
WSB continues for another couple of paragraphs. Not only is this discussion an advertisement for the book, it could probably be printed as an introduction!
Richmond, Len & Noguera, Gary (Editors). New Gay Liberation Handbook. Writings and Photographs About Gay (Men’s) Liberation. Palo Alto, CA: Ramparts Press, 1979. (F)
BL, p. 198. Book includes piece by Burroughs.
Riesenberg, Felix. The Left Handed Passenger. London: Ivor Nicholson & Watson, 1935.
On the writing of “Twilight’s Last Gleamings”: “Burroughs and Elvins researched the subject in the Widener Library and read The Left Handed Passenger, based on the Morro Castle disaster.” MILES, p. 31.
On Kells Elvins and their collaboration, “Twilight’s Last Gleamings”: “We read all the material we could find in Widener Library on the Titanic and the Moro Castle and a book based on the Moro Castle disaster called The Left Handed Passenger.” WSB, p. 75.
Rilke, Rainer Maria. Rainer Maria Rilke (1875-1926) German poet and writer.
"Rilke said: 'Give every man his own death.'" ME, p. 51.
“Oh Lord, give each of us his own death,” From Rilke’s prayer. Probably from Rilke’s lyrical
prayer book, Stundenbuch.
Rilla, Wolf Peter. The Writer and the Screen. NY: W. H. Allen, 1973. (G) (85)
Rimbaud, Arthur. Jean Nicolas Arthur Rimbaud (1854-1891) French poet. Author of The Drunken Boat,
Illuminations, and A Season In Hell. WSB was very much influenced by Rimbaud. He acknowledged that his poetry and poetic description played a role in much of the imagery
of the cut-up period. Burroughs cites Rimbaud as an early influence many times throughout
his life and career.
"Fear and the Monkey", BF, p. 110.
“Historic Evening”, “The same bourgeois magic wherever the mail train sets you down.”
“The clouds gathered over the seas formed of an eternity of hot tears.” from
“Childhood”. “And the dream fades...” from “Vigils.” AM, p.44.
“-Rimbaud stated that in his color vowels, words quote ‘words’ can be read in silent color. In other words, man must get away from verbal forms to attain the consciousness, that which is there to be perceived, at hand.” BL, p. 43.
"In the Cobblestone Gardens piece some of the texts are from Rimbaud." BL, p. 471.
On the title of Cities of the Red Night: “Well, yeah that derives from a cut-up of Rimbaud. (...) Rimbaud always cuts up good.” BL, p. 492.
As cut-up source for the title of COTRN. LOKA 2, p. 119.
Used in cut-ups. TTM, pp. 6-7. Used in cut-ups from EX. Used in cut-ups for NE, BL, p. 68.
As cut-up source. LO, p. 324. As fold-in source. LO, p. 339. Used in cut-ups. WSB, pp. 134, 162, 163, 171, 172, 203, 291.
AM, p. 106. PODR, pp. 15, 27, 106.
(1, 9, 12, 13, 18, 33, 39, 51, 61, 70, 116) Rimbaud, Arthur. Illuminations. NY: New Directions, 1946. (35)
Rimbaud, Arthur. A Season In Hell. NY: New Directions, 1945. (32, 35)
Ringer, Robert J. Winning Through Intimidation. NY: Fawcett, 1976. (G)
One of the bestsellers mentioned by WSB in The Adding Machine, pp. 25-6.
Robinson, C. J. Bradbury. See Burroughs' introduction to Robinson and his novels in My Kind of Angel, pp. 51-6.
Robinson, Edwin Arlington. Edwin Arlington Robinson (1869-1935) American poet. Author of numerous
collections of poetry, of which Collected Poems, The Man Who Died Twice, and Tristrum were
all awarded the Pulitzer Prize (1921, 1924, and 1927.)
"'Security, the friendly mask of change at which we smile, not seeing what smiles behind.' Edward A. Robinson." LW, p. 182.
"as always the scroll of my authority represents to me efficiency and dirth" Edward A. R. "A very good poet, incidentally." BV, p. 224. Source unknown.
“After Joan’s death, Burroughs knew that the rest of his life would be a form of atonement for that one inexplicable moment, not only for the wife he had killed but for the havoc he had brought to those closest to him, his son and his parents, and he was haunted by these lines of Edwin Arlington Robinson’s: There are mistakes too monstrous for remorse/ To tamper or to dally with.” LO, p. 197.
From the introduction to Gregory Corso’s Mindfield: “Poetry is made from flaws. A flawless poet is fit only to be a poet-laureate, officially dead and imperfectly embalmed. The stink of death looks out: ‘Rarely, if once, will Nature give/ The power to be a Laureate and live.’- (with apologies to E. A. Robinson.)”
Robinson, Edwin Arlington. “Cassandra.” Tilbury Town. Selected Poems of Edwin Arlington Robinson. NY: Macmillan, 1967. “Cassandra” on pp. 12-3.
On foreign invasion on America:
“Americans are terribly naive about what Edwin Arlington Robinson called ‘the merciless old verities.’ In his poem ‘Cassandra’ You remember:
‘Are we to pay for what we have
With all we are
And will you never have eyes
To see the world the way it is?’” WWB, pp. 168-9.
“And are you never to have eyes/ To see the world for what it is?/ Are you to pay for what
you have/ With all you are?” (p. 13 of Tilbury Town)
Robinson, Edwin Arlington. "The Man Flamonde." CG is dedicated to "the memory of my mother and father- 'We never know how much we learn/ From those who never will return"
Rohmer, Sax. The Insidious Dr. Fu-Manchu. NY: Dover, 1997. Arthur Sarsfield Ward (1886-?)
Pseudonym Sax Rohmer. English novelist. Author of mystery novels centering around the
fictional character, Dr. Fu-Manchu.
“Fu Manchu used to have a poison insect routine. He put some sort of perfume on someone that would attract this venomous creature. I think one was a big red spider, that he called a Red Bride.” WWB, p. 39.
Rorvik, David. In His Image. The Cloning Of A Man. NY: Pocket, 1978. AM, p. 132. WWB, p. 58. (G) (79)
Rossman, John F. The Mind Masters Number One. NY: Signet, 1974. (G)
AM, p. 150.
The Mind Masters was an adventure series and consisted of four books that I am aware of:
The Mind Masters #1, The Mind Masters; The Mind Masters #2, Shamballah; The Mind Masters #3, The Door; And The Mind Masters #4, Amazons. All books published by Signet. The Door and Amazons were both in the Ohio State Archives.
Roueche, Berton. The Medical Detectives. NY: Washington Square Press, Pocket, 1982. (H)
Chapter 20, "Sandy". “An interesting case of mass hysteria is described in a book called The Medical Detectives by Berton Roueche.” Burroughs describes the event which took place at the Bay Harbor Elementary school in Dade County, Florida. The portion of the book that WSB was making reference to is Chapter 20., “Sandy” pp. 339-352. From High Risk: An Anthology of Forbidden Writings.
Russell, Eric Frank. Three To Conquer. NY: Ballantine, 1986. Eric Frank Russell (1905-1976) English
writer of science fiction. Author of Three To Conquer, Wasp, Sentinels from Space, Design
For Great-Day (with Alan Dean Foster), and several other novels and many short stories.
Burroughs called Three To Conquer one of the best sf books he had ever read. He made this
statement on many occasions and called Russell’s virus stories some of the best in the field.
Used in cut-ups. TTM, pp. 6-7.
"One of the best books of science-fiction that I've read is Three To Conquer by Eric Frank Russell." BL, pp. 136, 684.
One of the books on the Naropa list of neglected works; suggested for Naropa Workshop, Fall
1976, by WSB.
One of the books included in the Granta Anthology project Table of Contents. Passages from WSB’s favorite books were chosen and compiled to be published as Granta 52: Granta Anthology of Deathless Prose, 1990.
Used in cut-ins, WSB, p. 240.
(2, 10, 17, 56, 70, 101)
Saberhagen, Fred. William Burroughs was fond of science-fiction and fantasy writer Fred Saberhagen’s
sword and sorcery novels. Saberhagen wrote quite a bit of this type of fiction but Burroughs
only mentions the Empire of the East series which consists of The Broken Lands, The Black
Mountains, and Changeling Earth. These works were later published collectively as Empire of
the East.
(101)
Saberhagen, Fred. Changeling Earth. NY: Daw, 1973.
One of the books on the Naropa list of neglected works; suggested for Naropa Workshop, Fall
1976, by WSB.
Saberhagen, Fred. Empire of the East. NY: Ace, 1980. (109)
Sade Marquis de. (E) Donatien Alphonse Francois de Sade (1740-1814) French soldier, prisoner, and
writer. Author of Juliette, Justine, and 120 Days of Sodom.
“John Tytell: Had you read deSade?
WSB: I looked at de Sade when I was in Paris. Giordias had some translations, but I found it heavy going.”
Sagan, Carl. The Demon-Haunted World. Science As a Candle In the Dark. NY: Ballantine, 1997. (H)
Carl Sagan (1934-1996) American scientist and writer. He was the co-founder of The
Planetary Society, and Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal.
He was the author of many books, including Cosmos, and one fiction titled Contact. Burroughs
owned a copy of Contact in Lawrence. Sagan was respected by many but was a well known
skeptic, which is what Burroughs is referring to here. There exists now a “balogna detection
kit” based on The Demon-Haunted World.
After this reference to Sagan’s book of debunking, Burroughs jokingly writes the lyrics from
“My Blue Heaven.” The song is by Walter Donaldson with lyrics by George Whiting.
“When whippoorwills call and evening is nigh,
I hurry to my Blue Heaven.
A turn to the right, a little white light,
Will lead me to my Blue Heaven.”
“What’s his name - (Carl Sagan) has wroted a fat book to combat the wave of irrational (and long suppressed) influences that threaten to engulf us all in a wave of superstition and proliferating cults, all dedicated to salvation in some imaginary Heaven of their own concocting.
‘When evening is nigh’
(the bouncing sing-along ball)
‘I hurry to my blue heaven.’” LW, p. 216. Saki. Hector Hugh Munro (1870-1916) pseudonym Saki. British author died in France. Author of
short stories including many based on his character, Reginald, and the Chronicles of Clovis.
His stories were usually very dark, short, polished, and revolved around convoluted twists in the final paragraph or sentence. He was also the author of three plays, and three novels,
including The Unbearable Bassington.
Used in cut-ins, WSB, p. 240.
Saki. The Unbearable Bassington. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1984.
TWL, p. 45.
“Somewhere in Southern France. I have forgotten the name of the hotel at the end of the line. Find my way back and two little dogs, one gray and one black, are in the corridor and follow me into my room. These must be the Door Dogs referred to in the Tartar-dress dream in The Unbearable Bassington: Comus Bassington, the image of a flamed, unbearable boyishness at a farewell dinner. He is leaving for Africa the next day. A little black dog follows him into the dining room. Yes, it followed his father just before he was killed, thrown from a horse. Clear death omen.” ME, p. 90.
“A phantom black dog, like a banshee, is a harbringer of death. The Unbearable Bassington: ‘A small black dog followed him into the dining room. He died shortly afterwords in Africa.” ME, p. 143.
Saki. “Sredni Vashtar.” The Complete Works of Saki (H. H. Munro.) NY: Dorset, 1976. “Sredni Vashtar” appears on pp. 136-40. (B)
“Billy was known as mildly eccentric because he kept a ferret in his room. The ferret was called Sredni Vashtar, after a story by Saki in which a ten-year-old boy trains his pet ferret to kill his bossy governess. It was a story likely to appeal to Billy because of his own childhood troubles with his nurse.” LO, p. 58.
Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1945. J. D. Salinger
(1919- ) Reclusive American author of The Catcher in the Rye, Nine Stories, Frannie and
Zooey, Raise High the Roof Beam, and Seymour: An Introduction.
Used in cut-ups. WSB, pp. 163, 293.
Santayana, George. The Life Of Reason. George Santayana (1863-1952) Spanish poet and philosopher.
Author of the five volume philosophical work collectively titled The Life of Reason as well
as many collections of verse and historical philosophy.
“As Bernard Shaw says, ‘Those who are ignorant of history will suffer its repetition,’ and that goes as well for any individual.” LOKA 2, p. 166.
WSB gives George Bernard Shaw credit for Santayana’s oft quoted line.
Saxon, Kurt. The Poor Man’s James Bond. El Dorado, AR: Desert Publications, 1991. (H)
PAG, p. 65.
“Here’s a book I bought through the mail called The Poor Man’s James Bond. It’s just full of all sorts of useful information. The author is an antiflouride nut. Just who he is and what he is doing is weird beyond belief. But he can tell you how to make a 12-gauge shotgun out of a piece of pipe, how to make homemade gunpowder, chemicals, and missiles, all types of explosives and incendiary devices. The directions are very practical and very deadly. Pow! Instant enlightenment. And all the poisons he’s got in here. Oleander, just a few leaves in the salad. Nicotine- a very deadly poison if used in concentrated form. You scoop up a handful of cigarette butts and cook them down to a fine syrupy resin that could kill within a few seconds. It doesn't have much taste. If the victim were drunk enough, put it in his drink, and ‘bottoms up’- then it’s bottoms down. He’d be conked out on the floor before he could even draw his gun. Why, three drops of poison on a small blowgun dart and you’d be dead within three minutes. I happen to have one handy... (...) A collapsible model of one of these would be excellent for urban warfare. Yep, I really feel like I got my money’s worth with this book.” BL, pp. 738-9.
Scott, Alan. The Anthrax Mutation. NY: Pyramid, 1976. (G) AM, p. 115.
Seitz, Don C. Under the Black Flag. Exploits of the Most Notorious Pirates. NY: Dial Press, 1925. (G)
Pages xi - xii. Relating history of Captain Mission. COTRN, xi-xii.
One of the books included in the Granta Anthology project Table of Contents. Passages from WSB’s favorite books were chosen and compiled to be published as Granta 52: Granta Anthology of Deathless Prose, 1990.
Selby Jr., Hubert. Last Exit To Brooklyn. NY: Grove, 1964. (G) Hubert Selby, Jr. (1928- )
American writer. Author of Last Exit To Brooklyn, The Demon, Requiem for a Dream,
The Willow Tree, The Room, Song of the Silent Snow, and Waiting Period. Selby is
a masterful storyteller and is still writing in Los Angeles, Ca. today. Burroughs was very
fond of Last Exit To Brooklyn, and contributed a blurb for the paperback edition of The Demon.
“... Hugh Selby, for example. It took him six years to write Last Exit To Brooklyn. You could see the care he put into that work, the craftsmanship, the hard work.” MKA, p. 29.
From the WSB dj blurb on Bloodbrothers in praise of The Wanderers: “Not since Last Exit To Brooklyn has dialogue been so accurately reproduced in artistic format.”
(120)
Seton-Thompson, Ernest. The Biography of a Grizzly. NY: The Century Co., 1900. (A) Ernest Seton-
Thompson (1860-1946) English writer and illustrator. The Biography of a Grizzly was
probably the most famous and well known of his nature and wilderness writings. This book
inspired one of the earliest of Burroughs’ stories written as a child called, “The Autobiography
of a Wolf.”
A very early and important inspiration for Burroughs. From the earliest writing we can
see that his reading was a big part of his literary output.
CWWB, p. 121.
“For Billy, writing was an alternative to the disappointing world around him. At the age of eight, inspired by Ernest Thompson Seton’s Biography of a Grizzly Bear, he wrote Autobiography of a Wolf. In Seton’s book, the old bear, saddened by the death of his mate, slinks off to die in the animal cemetery. In Billy’s ten-page opus, the wolf, saddened by the death of his mate, killed by hunters, was attacked by a grizzly and killed.” LO, p. 36.
Shaftesbury, Edmund. Instantaneous Personal Magnetism. CT: Ralston Company, 1928. (A)
An early high school essay, the first to be published by Burroughs in the school paper
is a sort of book review. We see, as with the above entry that Burroughs incorporated others’
works into his own and his reading was a large part of his creative input.
“Personal Magnetism” by a young WSB in 1929. This book review/ essay is printed in Word Virus and also in Ted Morgan’s LO (pp. 39-40). “...an impressive red volume with magnetic rays all over the cover.”
Shakespeare, William. (A) William Shakespeare (1564-1616) English dramatist and poet. Burroughs
studied Shakespeare at Harvard, and with what many called a photographic memory he was
able to quote Shakespeare line for line at the drop of a hat throughout his life. Allen Ginsberg
was shocked and impressed upon hearing Burroughs quote Shakespeare early in their friendship
regarding a fight between two lesbians. Burroughs said, “...tis too starved an argument for my
sword.” Ginsberg had never heard Shakespeare quoted in everyday conversation. Burroughs
used Shakespeare in the cut-ups and was quoting the bard up until his final days published in
Last Words.
As fold-in source. LO, p. 339. Used in cut-ups. WSB, pp. 113, 129, 163, 203. Used in cut-ins, WSB, p. 239. Shakespeare as cut-up source for NE, BL, pp. 68-9. AM, p. 44.
Used in cut-ups. TTM, pp. 6-7, 89. Used in fold-in method. TTM, p. 97. Used in cut-ups for EX.
See Also SDS. (1, 15, 33, 57, 60, 61, 70, 116)
Shakespeare, William. Antony and Cleopatra.
“There has been no change in my plans. I am leaving for Panama in a week or so, and then will proceed to the putumayo headwaters. In the words of the Immortal Bard: ‘Let determined things to destiny hold unbewailed their way.’”
-Antony and Cleopatra, act 3, scene 6, lines 84-5. LWSB, p. 143.
“The withered face of cancerous control. Ecuador is really on the skids. ‘For this I will never follow the fading fortunes more.’ Let Peru take over and civilize the joint so man can score for the amenities.”
(“Antony and Cleopatra, act 2, scene 7, 80-1: ‘For this,/ I’ll never follow thy pall’d fortunes more./ Who seeks and will not take, when once ‘tis offer’d,/ shall never find it more.’”) From Oliver Harris footnote. LWSB, p. 169.
Shakespeare, William. Hamlet.
“ ‘To die, perhaps to dream-
aye- there’s the rub.’
‘To be or not to be
there is the question.’
Yes, the Bard exhausted so many potentials. So many book titles he has delivered:
The Sound and the Fury, All Our Yesterdays, Told By an Idiot.
It would be a very small man to attack the Immortal Bard. A thousand, a million, a billion pens will sputter in his defense, tap out on the old related typewriter.’” LW, p. 247.
“To be, or not to be- that is the question (...) To sleep- perchance to dream: ay,
there’s the rub!” Hamlet, act III, scene I. The Portable Shakespeare. NY: Penguin, 1977.
p. 57.
Shakespeare, William. Henry IV Part II.
“I am attenuating my relations with Lund and Company. Too much of a bad thing. And as far as the Colonel, in the words of the Immortal Bard: ‘Old man I know thee not.’”. (“Henry IV, part 2, act 5, scene 5: ‘I know thee not, old man. Fall to thy prayers./ How ill white hairs become a fool and jester!’”) From Harris footnote. LWSB, p. 356.
Shakespeare, William. Julius Ceasar.
"'Seeing that death, a necessary end, will come when it will come.' Shakespeare, Julius Ceasar." LW, p. 154.
“Seeing that death, a necessary end, will come when it will come.” Julius Ceasar, act 2,
scene 2, The Portable Shakespeare. NY: Penguin, 1977. p.343.
“Of all the wonders I have seen, the strangest to me is that men do fear seeing that death, the necessary end, will come when it will come.” BL, p. 722. See above.
WSB: "Perhaps I should have restrained myself, but I am a plain blunt man who speaks right on." From the footnote by Oliver Harris: "Julius Ceaser, act 3, scene 2, 221-227, Mark Antony: 'I am orator as Brutus is; / But as you know me all, a plain blunt man/ (...) I only speak right on.”
Shakespeare, William . King Lear.
“Allen’s neglect will drive me to some extravagance of behavior. I don’t know what I will do but it will be the terror of the earth.” (crossed out).
(“King Lear, act 2, scene 4, 275-77: ‘I will do such things-/ what they are, yet I know not; but they shall be/ the terrors of the earth.’”) From Oliver Harris footnote. LWSB, p. 205.
"These are the unsightly tricks." LW, p. 19.
“Good sir, no more. These are unsightly tricks.” King Lear, act 2, scene 4, line 151.
The Pelican Shakespeare King Lear. NY: Penguin, 1970, p. 85.
"Only fools do those villains pity who are punished ere they have done their mischief." BL, p. 363. “Fools do those villains pity who are punish’d/ Ere they have done
their mischief.”King Lear, act IV, scene II, lines 54-5. The Pelican Shakespeare King Lear, p. 123.
1980: “Back in New York in November, he wondered what would happen now that Reagan and the Moron Majority were in. All ruinous disorders follow us disquietly to our graves, in the words of Shakespeare.” LO, p. 564. From King Lear, Act 1 scene 2 lines 109-112. The Pelican Shakespeare King Lear p. 47.
Shakespeare, William. Macbeth.
“First question always: ‘Whose vision??’ If you think any vision you see is ‘yours’, go back to First Base and start over. Some people are very acquisitive of ratings. Others know better. ‘Keep your bosom unfranchised and allegiance clear,’ and remember how long Banquo lasted. Who wants to last?? In this game the point is to lose what you have, and not wind up with someone else’s rusty load of continuity.” (“Banquo’s words to Macbeth, act 2, scene 1. In the context of the play, Banquo is saying that he (unlike Macbeth) will not be guilty in deeds as he is in ‘the cursed thoughts that nature/ Gives way to in repose.’ In the ‘atrophied preface’ section of Naked Lunch: ‘You can write or yell or croon about it... paint about it... act about it... shit it out in mobiles... so long as you don’t go and do it...’ (P. 223, Burroughs ellipses and italics).”) from Harris Footnote. LWSB, p. 434.
“My mind is turning to crime lately. ‘Strange things I have in heart that will to hand.’” (“’Strange things I have in head, that will to hand,/ Which must be acted, ere they may be scann’d.’ Macbeth, act 3, scene 4, 139-40.”) From Harris footnote. LWSB, p. 289.
"Due in court tomorrow. Like the Immortal Bard say, 'Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow." “To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow” Macbeth, act v, scene v. The Portable Shakespeare. NY: Penguin, 1977. p. 204.
"Told by an idiot, signifying nothing." Quoted in LW, p. 236.
“ ‘Time is a dimension,’ Wheeler says. (The Recognition Physics artist.) So what the fuck is that supposed to mean?
‘Told by an idiot, signifying nothing.’ The Immortal Bard.” LW, p.236. “Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,/ Signifying nothing.” Macbeth, act v, scene v. The Portable Shakespeare, p. 204.
1965: WSB on Herbert Huncke: “He is not only a junky but a thief, strong both against the deed, in the words of the immortal bard. The raven himself is harsh who croaks the fatal entrance of Huncke under my battlement.” LO, p. 421. From Macbeth, act 1 scene 5: “The
raven himself is hoarse/ That cracks the fatal entrance of Duncan/ Under my battlements.”
The Portable Shakespeare, pp. 143-4.
(43)
Shakespeare, William. Measure for Measure.
"'The expense in spirit and waste in shame is lust in action.' Lust is one of the seven deadly sins. Pride, 'Proud man like an angry ape... doth play such fantastic fix before fantastic heaven make the angels weep.'" On the Seven Deadly Sins, from BL, p. 766. “But man, proud man,/ Drest in a little brief authority,/ Most ignorant of what he’s most assur’d./ (His glassy essence), like an angry ape,/ Plays such fantastic tricks before high heaven/ as make the angels weep,” Measure for Measure, act II, scene II. The Portable Shakespeare, p. 649. See also “Sonnet 129.”
Shakespeare, William. Troilus And Cressida.
“They were talking about a fight that had taken place in a lesbian bar, during which one woman had bitten another’s ear, and Burroughs commented: ‘In the words of the immortal bard, ‘tis too starved an argument for my sword.’ Allen was impressed. He had never heard Shakespeare quoted before in an ordinary conversation.” LO, p. 89.
From Troilus And Cressida, act 1 scene 1 lines 96-7. “I cannot fight upon this argument;/
It is too starved a subject for my sword.” The Festival Shakespeare Troilus And Cressida. NY: Macmillan, 1967. p. 84.
Shakespeare, William. The Winter’s Tale.
"Things which cannot be repaired should not be discussed." BL, p. 524.
“What’s gone and what’s past help should be past grief.” The Winter’s Tale, act III, scene
II, lines 219-221. The Winter’s Tale. NY: Signet, 1963, p. 87.
Shakespeare, William. “Sonnet 129.”
"'The expense in spirit and waste in shame is lust in action.' Lust is one of the seven deadly sins. Pride, 'Proud man like an angry ape... doth play such fantastic fix before fantastic heaven make the angels weep.'" On the Seven Deadly Sins, from BL, p. 766. “Th’
expense of spirit in a waste of shame/ Is lust in action...” Sonnet 129, lines 1-2 The Sonnets. NY: Signet, 1988, p. 169. See also Measure for Measure.
Shecter, Leonard with William Phillips. On The Pad. The Underworld and It’s Corrupt Police. Confessions of a Cop on the Take. NY: Putnam, 1973. BL, p. 495. (G)
One of the books on the Naropa list of neglected works; suggested for Naropa Workshop, Fall
1976, by WSB.
Shelley, Percy Bysshe. (A) Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822) English poet. Not really as much of
an influence on Burroughs as much as other members of the beat generation, specifically
Gregory Corso.
AM, p. 44.
Silva, Jose. The Silva Mind Control Method. NY: Pocket, 1978. (G) Spotted in Burroughs' house in Lawrence by Duncan Fallowell. BL, p. 568.
Skinner, B. F. Burrhus Frederoc Skinner (1904-1990) American psychologist. Behaviorist and author
of Walden Two, Science and Human Behavior, The Analysis of Behavior, Beyond Freedom and
Dignity, and many others. His respected work in the field of psychology is practically
unprecedented in the second half of the 20th century.
DP, p. 276.
Sloane, Eric. Diary of an Early American Boy. Noah Blake 1805. NY: Ballantine Books, 1974.
In Diary of an Early American Boy we follow a fifteen year old boy, Noah Blake, through
the circumstances that a boy of that age might have endured and experienced. The book
is a partial recreation of an actual diary found from the turn of the 19th century. Noah
Blake appears as a character in Cities of the Red Night. Burroughs describes Noah in COTRN
as being “twenty, a tall red-haired youth with brown eyes, his face dusted with freckles.”
The reader of COTRN follows Noah through his travels on the Great White, through his diaries.
These diaries are introduced to the reader as being from 1702. 103 years before the diaries
of Sloane’s Noah Blake. Blake first appears in COTRN “screwing the pan onto a flintlock pistol,
testing the spring, oiling the barrel and stock.” He then holds the gun up for his father’s
approval. Izaac Blake is Noah’s father in the original Diary and is a craftsman and worker
who teaches Noah handywork and with the help of his son creates a functioning homestead.
Smith, Colin. Carlos: The Portrait of a Terrorist. NY: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1977. (G) BL, p. 396.
Smith, Wilson. Mechanisms of Virus Infection. London: Academic Press, 1963. (F) TJ, p. 12.
Sontag, Susan. Susan Sontag (1933- ) American writer. Author of The Death Kit, Volcano Lover,
Against Interpretation, Illness as Metaphor, and many others. She is also
an Antonin Artaud scholar and edited Artaud’s selected writings
Susan Sontag was a friend of Burroughs. She appears quite often in With William Burroughs. She was also with Burroughs and Ginsberg during their meeting with Samuel Beckett.
(11)
Spence, Lewis. Encyclopedia of Occultism. NY: University Books, 1960. (G)
On the succubus:
“ ‘Adam was having sexual intercourse with Lillith, Adam’s first wife and the princess who presided over these demons known as succubi, for 130 years before the creation of Eve.’ That’s a direct quote from Lewis Spence’s 1960 Encyclopedia of Occultism.” WWB, p. 185.
Spender, Stephen. The Temple. NY: Perennial, 1989. (H) Stephen Spender (1909-1995) English poet.
Author of Poems of Dedication, The Edge of Being, an autobiography, World Within World, The Creative Element , The Struggle of the Modern, The Generous Days, and Love-Hate Relations.
The Temple is an autobiographical novel concerning mainly his homosexuality.
One of many literary references within dreams. (45)
Spengler, Oswald. The Decline of the West. NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 1988, 1994. Volume One: Form and Actuality. Volume Two: Perspectives of World History. Oswald Spengler (1880-1936)
German writer and historian. Burroughs was incredibly influenced by The Decline of The West.
It’s vision of a declining culture and the advent of science over art seemed valid.
Jack Kerouac remembered that The Decline of the West was the first book recommended to him
by Burroughs. Spengler was a cyclical historian in the tradition of Gambatista Vico, which
Burroughs whom Burroughs was very interested.
“Out of Burroughs’ copy of Spengler Kerouac arrived at the conception of ‘Fellaheen Eternal Country Life’ - Country samadhi for Jack,(...)” AGDP, p. 355.
“He pointed out a passage in the preface of Spengler’s Decline of the West, which said that with the culture declining, ‘therefore, young man, take to the slide rule rather than the pen, take to the microscope rather than the brush.’”
LO, p. 114. (1, 8, 9, 15, 30, 32, 33, 34, 35)
Spruce, Richard. Notes of a Botanist on the Amazon & Andes. London: Macmillan & Co., 1908. (D)
Richard Spruce (1817-1893) English botanist.
Oliver Harris in his William Burroughs and the Secret of Fascination says “...while yage had
been discovered for the west in 1851 by the British botanist Richard Spruce, when Burroughs
researched the subject with Ginsberg’s help in July, 1952, there was almost nothing to find.
This was the point he stressed in his ‘Yage Article,’ which included a technical bibliography of
half a dozen works, including Spruce’s Notes of a Botanist.” Harris goes on to quote Burroughs
from this article as saying that the few references available were vague and contradictory and
that the informants had failed to take yage themselves. WBSF, p. 165.
Stableford, Brian. The Critical Threshold. NY: Daw, 1977. (G) AM, p. 42.
Stafford, Jean. "A Country Love Story.” The Collected Short Stories Of Jean Stafford. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 1992. Jean Stafford (1915-1979) American novelist.
“Another source of material was what Burroughs took from other writers. Bad writers borrow, the saying goes, good writers steal- that is, what they take they make their own. In the margins of passages he liked Burroughs would write GETS, which meant Good Enough To Steal, as in this sentence from “A Country Love Story” by Jean Stafford: ‘Sometimes she had to push away the dense sleep as if it were a d