Burroughs, published initially under the pseudonym william lee. Burroughs is the second book ive read as part of a miniproject of mine to examine the place of the heroin junky in literature. William burroughs the original junkie books the guardian. Burroughs junky is edited with an introduction by oliver harris in penguin modern classics. He once told a wichita eagle reporter that he was content to live in kansas, saying, the thing i like about kansas is that its not nearly as violent, and its a helluva lot cheaper. Burroughs is a bleak take on heroin addicts during the 1940s50s. Burroughs unique among writers is the fact that he spent a lot of his creative energy not writing, presumably as a way to accomplish his mission of rubbing out the word. Yes it is quite a sad book but it is a book that i favour over many of todays and it is well worth a read. It s safe to say that the book wouldnt have seen the light of day if allen ginsberg hadnt taken burroughs under his wing and edited the manuscript. From the tenements of new york to the queer bars of new orleans, junky takes the reader into a world at once longforgotten and still with us today. Get cozy and expand your home library with a large online selection of books at. Junk is not, like alcohol or weed, a means to increased enjoyment of life. Burroughs broke into the literary scene with junky sometimes also called junkie, a candid, semiautobiographical account of an unredeemed drug addict.
He had a culpable homicide verdict stuck on him and, in 1953, had junky published. A shocking expose of the desperate subculture surrounding heroin addiction, william s. This is the first book i read of william s burroughs, i have to say it was a brilliant read, it lets you into the mind of a junkie and how heshe. Burroughs virtual junky diary is a trip through the authors own selfinflicted and selfinjected personal hell. Burroughs is the second book ive read as part of a miniproject of mine to examine the place of. Its safe to say that the book wouldnt have seen the light of day if allen ginsberg hadnt taken burroughs under his wing and edited the manuscript. It appears in the 1989 collection interzone and on the 1993 album spare ass annie and other tales. Then, burroughs pulls a copy of his 1989 collection of short stories, interzone off of a bookshelf and opens it to the piece called the junkys christmas. More than anything else, junky reads like a field guide to the american underworld.
This book was titled junky after all and was being recommendedlent to me by someone who had earlier reassured me that william s. Burroughs this study guide consists of approximately 38 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of junky. Yes it is quite a sad book but it is a book that i. Burroughss first novel is a cult classic and a critical part of his oeuvre.
Burroughs, published initially under the pseudonym william lee in 1953. Read junky the definitive text of junk by william s. Junk is not, like alcohol or a weed, a means to increased enjoyment of life. Junkie by william burroughs, first edition abebooks.
The definitive text of junk penguin modern classics by burroughs, william s. Feb 01, 2014 the original cover of junkie by william lee second, although the bulk of junky was in place before the killing, burroughs continued to revise the text at least as late as july 1952, including. After many rejections, burroughs kind of gave up on the idea of seeing this book in print. William burroughs audio books, best sellers, author bio. In 1953, at the height of american conformism and anticommunist hysteria, william s. Junky audiobook published march th 2003 by recorded books unabridged, audiobook authors. Junkie alternative title spelled junky is a 1953 semiautobiographical novel by william s. Junky is a novel yet also serves as an autobiographical account of william s.
Six years before he published his breakthrough novel, naked lunch 1959, william s. Burroughs 1977, paperback the naked lunch william burroughs paperback very good. I was digging through boxes of cassettes in the basement, looking for the lost hasil adkins tape which i posted back in february and i came upon a prerecorded two cassette box of burroughs reading from junky. Louis, missouri on february 5, 1914, to laura lee and mortimer burroughs, grandson and namesake of william s. It is a way of life william burroughs, legendary drug. Aug 07, 2012 if youre a fan of william burroughs work, a complete reading of junkie, by william burroughs himself, has recently appeared online, for free. Ryder smith narrator, mark nelson narrator, andrew garman goodreads author narrator isbn. Burroughs, including the naked lunch, and junky, and more on. Get this book free when you sign up for a 30day trial. William burroughs died at his home in lawrence, kansas, after suffering a heart attack in 1997.
Burroughs first novel, a largely autobiographical account of the constant cycle of drug dependency, cures and relapses, remains the most unflinching, unsentimental account of addiction ever written. Junky is burroughs s first book and is written in a very straightforward, almost journalistic, style. This is the first book i read of william s burroughs, i have to say it was a brilliant read, it lets you into the mind of a junkie and how heshe thinks. Burroughs 19141997 famously accidentally shot his wife dead in 1951 during a drunken and misguided attempt at william tell shooting an apple off someones head. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading junky. Burroughs was a beat generation writer known for his startling, nontraditional accounts of drug culture, most famously in the book naked lunch. Burroughs 1999 last words 2000 and the hippos were boiled in their tanks 2008 junky the definitive text of junk william s. Get 50% off this audiobook at the audiobooksnow online audio book store and download or stream it right to your computer, smartphone or tablet. Confessions of an unredeemed drug addict originally titled junk, later released as junky is a novel by american beat generation writer william s.
The first complete and unexpurgated edition, originally published as junkie under the pen name of william lee. Burroughs by via the house published march 9, 2009 updated august 1, 2015 junky, first published in 1952, is one of the first examples of contemporary drug literature. Signin to download and listen to this audiobook today. In 1977 the expurgations of the earlier edition were undone, and the title changed from junkie to junky. Junky and william burroughs oblique moral vision its apparently impassive descriptions of a heroin addicts life still lay out rights and wrongs pretty plainly. Junky and william burroughs oblique moral vision books. It is a short, quick read and a superb glimpse behind the curtains of the fifties counterculture burroughs was friends with beat generation icon jack kerouac. For this definitive edition, renowned burroughs scholar oliver harris has gone back to archival typescripts to recreated the authors original text word by word. Buy junky penguin essentials by burroughs, william s.
Continuing his ferocious verbal assault on hatred, hype, poverty, war, bureaucracy, and addiction in all its forms, burroughs gives us a surreal space odyssey through the wounded galaxies in a book only he could create. It provides a thorough exploration of the novels plot, characters and main themes, including addiction, crime and sexuality. Although this is absolutely typical of junkyin giving autobiographical details that are entirely accurate, while omitting to provide the keythe question arises. Burroughs reads from the place of dead roads and the cat inside. Stream and download audiobooks to your computer, tablet or mobile phone. Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app. Burroughs junkie november 10, 2012 june 16, 2015 freshlyworded junkie by influential beat generation writer william s. This novel tells stories of lurid adventures and serious drug abuseall from the junkies point of view. As the black and white film cuts away to claymation, burroughs begins to narrate the sad story of danny, a heroin addicted hustler who finds himself being let out of new york city. The definitive text of junk kindle edition by burroughs, william s download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Burroughs reads his first novel, junky open culture. The definitive text of junk 50th anniversary edition. Junkie alternately titled junky is a 1953 semiautobiographical novel by william s. Contributor internet archive language english originally published as junkie under the pen name of william lee.
We cant think of a more bizarre road to publication than this one. The story tells how the main character, william lee, goes from a middleclass existence in the midwest to pushingusing drugs in new york city, from morphine to marijuana to cocaine to mainly heroin. Oliver harris before his 1959 breakthrough, naked lunch, an unknown william s. Junkie by william burroughs abebooks passion for books. Burroughs moved to lawrence, kansas, in 1981 and lived the remainder of his life there, at 1927 learnard avenue. I throughly enjoyed this book and i will read it again. Burroughs published junky, an irresistible strungout ode to the joys and perversities of drug addiction.
The definitive text of junk audiobook by william s. This practical and insightful reading guide offers a complete summary and analysis of junkie by william s. The 1953 ace edition was a double volume, with maurice helbrant s narcotic agent included on the reverse. Then you can start reading kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer no kindle device required. Burroughs, the inventor of the first marketable adding machine. Feb 11, 2014 junky and william burroughs oblique moral vision its apparently impassive descriptions of a heroin addict s life still lay out rights and wrongs pretty plainly. Burroughs painted, experimented with collage, manipulated tape recordings, collaborated on film projects, toyed with weird contraptions.
Everyday low prices on a huge range of new releases and classic fiction. First published as junkie under the pen name of william lee in 1953, i read from two editions, each of which differed slightly. This is from the audiobook of junky read by william s. The definitive text of junk 50th anniversary edition by william s. Burroughs and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Burroughs virtual junky diary is a trip through the author s own selfinflicted and selfinjected personal hell. The definitive text of junk penguin modern classics. Alex lopez dj jovan walkers hope line nakama cast gunnercast za next move podcast hs 354 video.
All content included on our site, such as text, images, digital downloads and other, is the property of its content suppliers and protected by us and international laws. It is a short, quick read and a superb glimpse behind the curtains of the fifties counterculture burroughs was friends with beat generation icon jack kerouac and junky was championed by allen ginsberg. Burroughs and released in 2000 by penguin audiobooks. Junky is burroughss first book and is written in a very straightforward, almost journalistic, style. It was his first published novel and has come to be considered a seminal text on the lifestyle of heroin addicts in the early 1950s. Jan 25, 2011 the junkys christmas is a story by william s. If public schools really wanted kids to abstain from injecting needles in their arms they should drop d.
Burroughs cult classic junky is now available for the first time on unabridged audio burroughs first novel, a largely autobiographical account of the constant cycle of drug dependency, cures and relapses, remains the most unflinching, unsentimental account of addiction ever written. It is a candid eyewitness account of times and places that are now long gone, an unvarnished. Burroughs, audiobook narrated by andrew garman, mark nelson, t. Oct 02, 2012 for this definitive edition, renowned burroughs scholar oliver harris has gone back to archival typescripts to recreated the author s original text word by word. Junky has 6 available editions to buy at half price books marketplace. Burroughs begins an adventure that will take us into the dark recesses of his imagination, a region where nothing is sacred, nothing taboo. In his debut novel, junky, burroughs fictionalized his experiences using and peddling heroin and other drugs in the 1950s into a work that reads like a field report from the underworld of postwar america. The original cover of junkie by william lee second, although the bulk of junky was in place before the killing, burroughs continued to revise the text at least as late as july 1952, including. Dec 18, 2014 then, burroughs pulls a copy of his 1989 collection of short stories, interzone off of a bookshelf and opens it to the piece called the junkys christmas. The 1957 uk digit edition was withdrawn shortly after publication, and the remaining copies pulped.
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