William Seward Burroughs II (February 5, 1914 – August 2, 1997) was an Amer… Read Full Bio ↴William Seward Burroughs II (February 5, 1914 – August 2, 1997) was an American novelist, essayist, social critic and spoken word performer. Much of Burroughs' work is semi-autobiographical cut-up stories. He saw all his writing as a single, vast book.
He is generally allied with the Beats, and while he was close friends with the true Beats like Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac, his writing never fit with the Beatnik style. His first couple of novels, Junkie (or Junky) and Queer, were written in a style reminiscent of hard-boiled detective novels. As he became more comfortable with expressing himself through writing, his "routines" were assembled into his most famous work, Naked Lunch , published in 1959. His "cut-up" technique, developed subsequently with fellow inventor-poet Brion Gysin, took over his literary style to produce a number of lesser-known works. With the publication in 1981 of the trilogy starting with Cities of the Red Night he embarked on a further development of style aimed at achieving his expressed intent to "write the great American novel".
Such a vast amount could be written about Burroughs' life and legacy; perhaps "lives and legacies" would be more appropriate. His influences are uncountably and immeasurably wide-reaching; it has been argued that without his tape cut-ups, we'd not have thought of sampling and therefore we'd never have had techno. Equally, without his transgressive, libertarian, shocking subject matter, we may never have had punk or industrial. In his later life he was championed and courted by these fringe elements of society and art.
He is generally allied with the Beats, and while he was close friends with the true Beats like Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac, his writing never fit with the Beatnik style. His first couple of novels, Junkie (or Junky) and Queer, were written in a style reminiscent of hard-boiled detective novels. As he became more comfortable with expressing himself through writing, his "routines" were assembled into his most famous work, Naked Lunch , published in 1959. His "cut-up" technique, developed subsequently with fellow inventor-poet Brion Gysin, took over his literary style to produce a number of lesser-known works. With the publication in 1981 of the trilogy starting with Cities of the Red Night he embarked on a further development of style aimed at achieving his expressed intent to "write the great American novel".
Such a vast amount could be written about Burroughs' life and legacy; perhaps "lives and legacies" would be more appropriate. His influences are uncountably and immeasurably wide-reaching; it has been argued that without his tape cut-ups, we'd not have thought of sampling and therefore we'd never have had techno. Equally, without his transgressive, libertarian, shocking subject matter, we may never have had punk or industrial. In his later life he was championed and courted by these fringe elements of society and art.
More Genres
No Artists Found
More Artists
Load All
No Albums Found
More Albums
Load All
No Tracks Found
05Naked Lunch: Meeting of International Conference of Technological Psychiatry4:59William S. Burroughs
06Naked Lunch: In Mexico the Gimmick Is to Find a Local Junkie With a Government Script2:25William S. Burroughs
08Naked Lunch: Dr. Benway Is Operating in an Auditorium Filled With Students2:01William S. Burroughs
09Naked Lunch: Fats Terminal Had Organized a Purple Ass Stick for Motorcyclists2:06William S. Burroughs
19Ah Pook Is Here: Introducing John Stanley Hart. He Entered The Bar With The Best Intentions2:15William S. Burroughs
32Cities Of The Red Night: The Name Is Clem Snide. Mr. Hart Couldn't Hear The Word Death5:03William S. Burroughs
56Nothing Here Now But The Recordings: The Saints Go Marching Through All The Popular Tunes4:11William S. Burroughs
58Nothing Here Now but the Recordings: Outside the Pier Prowled Like Electric Turtles1:13William S. Burroughs
60Nothing Here Now but the Recordings: We See the Future Through the Binoculars of the People11:25William S. Burroughs
62Nothing Here Now but the Recordings: Creepy Letter, Cut-Up at the Beat Hotel in Paris1:56William S. Burroughs
67Nothing Here Now But The Recordings: It's About Time To Identify Oven Area1:09William S. Burroughs
Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Search results not found
Song not found
The Best of William Burroughs
William S. Burroughs Lyrics
Dinosaurs Hey man them ain't high heeled sneakers And they sure don't…
Sexual Conditioning My first reading tonight is an extension and amplification o…
Twilight's Last Gleamings Ah this text written in collaboration with Kels Elvens in…