The definitive text of junk 50th anniversary edition. Junky and william burroughs oblique moral vision its apparently impassive descriptions of a heroin addicts life still lay out rights and wrongs pretty plainly. Queer, although not devoted to that quest, does include a trip to south america looking for the substance. The 1957 uk digit edition was withdrawn shortly after publication, and the remaining copies pulped. Burroughs reads from the place of dead roads and the cat inside. Burroughs moved to lawrence, kansas, in 1981 and lived the remainder of his life there, at 1927 learnard avenue. Burroughs, is a seductive story set at the inception of the hip subculture in america. 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. Personally, i read plenty of compulsion in this vivid catalogue of. The main characters of this fiction, classics story are william s. Reality televisions got nothing on william burroughs. Though this printing consisted of over seventyfive thousand copies, it is not particularly common. Burroughs and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at.
William burroughs the original junkie books the guardian. 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. This book brings them vividly to life again it is an unvarnished field report from the american postwar underground. Burroughs was indeed the most amoral of the altogether quite amoral beats. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading junky. The first complete and unexpurgated edition, originally published as junkie under the pen. The answer is that he usually does not intend to become an addict. 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.
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. It was his first published novel and has come to be considered a seminal text on the lifestyle of heroin addicts in the. Burroughs broke into the literary scene with junky. Six years before he published his breakthrough novel, naked lunch 1959, william s. Burroughs wrote this book much based on his own experience with addiction decades ago, and i think itll forever be potent. It takes at least three months shooting twice a day to get any habit at all. Burroughs is the second book ive read as part of a miniproject of mine to examine the place of the heroin junky in literature.
Everyday low prices on a huge range of new releases and classic fiction. 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. In 1977 the expurgations of the earlier edition were undone, and the title changed from junkie to junky. Junky is burroughss first book and is written in a very straightforward, almost journalistic, style. Burroughs wrote junk, his first book, a candid, eyewitness account of times and places. 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. Burroughs broke into the literary scene with junky sometimes also called junkie, a candid, semiautobiographical account of an unredeemed drug addict.
Junk is not, like alcohol or weed, a means to increased enjoyment of life. Burroughs was born on february 5, 1914 in st louis. 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 original cover of junkie by william lee second, although the bulk of junky was in place before the killing, burroughs continued to. Burroughs, published initially under the pseudonym william lee in 1953. No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. The soft machine introduced us to the conditions of a universe where endemic lusts of the mind and body pray upon men, hook them, and turn them into beasts. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 208 pages and is available in paperback format. The definitive text of junk 50th anniversary edition by william s. With our online resources, you can find junky william s burroughs or just about any.
Burroughs, published initially under the pseudonym william lee. Confessions of an unredeemed drug addict originally titled junk, later released as junky is a novel by american beat generation writer william s. This book was titled junky after all and was being recommendedlent to me by someone who had earlier reassured me that william s. A shocking expose of the desperate subculture surrounding heroin addiction, william s. You dont wake up one morning and decide to be a drug addict. The story follows a man at odds with american mainstream culture into a quest for spiritual meaning via heroin. Burroughs junky is edited with an introduction by oliver harris in penguin modern classics. Junk is not, like alcohol or a weed, a means to increased enjoyment of life. For this definitive edition, renowned burroughs scholar oliver harris has gone back to archival typescripts to recreated the authors original text word by word. The 1953 ace edition was a double volume, with maurice helbrants narcotic agent included on the reverse. It is a way of life william burroughs, legendary drug addict, founder member of the beats and author of naked lunch, relates with unflinching realism the addicts life. Burroughs virtual junky diary is a trip through the author s own selfinflicted and selfinjected personal hell. Burroughss first novel is a cult classic and a critical part of his oeuvre.
Finding success with his confessional first novel, junkie 1953, burroughs is perhaps best known for his third novel naked lunch 1959. Burroughs wrote junk, his first book, a candid, eyewitness account of times and places that are now long gone. 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. 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. Junky is burroughs s first book and is written in a very straightforward, almost journalistic, style. Contributor internet archive language english originally published as junkie under the pen name of william lee. Junkie by william burroughs, first edition abebooks. 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. In 1953, at the height of american conformism and anticommunist hysteria, william s. It is partially a sequel to his earlier novel, junkie, which ends with the stated ambition of finding a drug called yage. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets.
Publication date 1977 topics drug addicts, heroin abuse, fiction in english american writers, 1945. This detailed literature summary also contains topics for discussion and a free quiz on junky by william s. The first edition of the novel was published in april 15th 1953, and was written by william s. Nov 23, 2012 junky, a semiautobiographical novel by william s. Feb 07, 20 jack kerouac conference july 1982 naropa and elsewhere this recording and the entire naropa collection is licensed under a cc byndnc 1. Burroughss nightmarish futuristic tale one step further. Before his 1959 breakthrough, naked lunch, an unknown william s. Burroughs is a bleak take on heroin addicts during the 1940s50s. Burroughs junkie november 10, 2012 june 16, 2015 freshlyworded junkie by influential beat generation writer william s. 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. You will be glad to know that right now junky william s burroughs pdf is available on our online library. Burroughs did, in fact, start using heroin in 1944 and within a year, he was an addict.
The 1953 ace edition was a double volume, with maurice helbrant s narcotic agent included on the reverse. Publication date 1977 topics drug addicts, heroin abuse, fiction in english american writers. In his debut novel, junky, burroughs fictionalized his experiences using and peddling. They jerk around like puppets on invisible strings, galvanized into hideous activity that. His first published novel was the largely autobiographical junky, which remains a classic depiction of the constant cycle of drug dependency, cures and relapses he was victim to for most of his life. Burroughs first novel, a largely autobiographical account of the constant cycle of drug dependency, cures and relapses, remains the most unflinching, unsentimental account of. Junkie read by wsb online for free august 7, 2012 8. This novel tells stories of lurid adventures and serious drug abuseall from the junkies point of view. The definitive text of junk kindle edition by burroughs. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. Junky is an unabashedly honest account of the ghostly and extraordinary world of the heroin addict.
Its a very straightforward, nononsense and notearjerker experience as burroughs writes of lees addictions, faltering friendships, his fleeting meets with people while trying to attain drugs as quickly as possible, at times doing anything for it. Junky by william s burroughs penguin books australia. 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. 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. It is a candid eyewitness account of times and places that are now long gone, an unvarnished field report from the american postwar underground. Queer is an early short novel written between 1951 and 1953, published in 1985 by william s. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read naked lunch. Junky and william burroughs oblique moral vision books the. Burroughs published junky, an irresistible strungout ode to the joys and perversities of drug addiction. Burroughs first novel, a largely autobiographical account of the constant cycle of drug dependency.
Read junky the definitive text of junk by william s. 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. Burroughss first novel describes the relentless travels of william lee through the dizzying, drugaddled neighborhoods of 1940s new york, new orleans, and mexico city. Jack kerouac conference july 1982 naropa and elsewhere this recording and the entire naropa collection is licensed under a cc. Like his face with lined with suffering in which his eyes did not participate. In 1951, in a drunken william tell stunt, he accidentally shot and killed his commonlaw wife. Burroughs reads his first novel, junky open culture.
Junkie alternately titled junky is a 1953 semiautobiographical novel by william s. Junky and william burroughs oblique moral vision books. Burroughs, 9780241956786, download free ebooks, download free pdf epub ebook. It is a way of life william burroughs, legendary drug addict, founder member of the beats and author of naked lunch, relates with unflinching realism the addict s life. Junky by william s burroughs and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. If public schools really wanted kids to abstain from injecting needles in their arms they should drop d. 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. After many rejections, burroughs kind of gave up on the idea of seeing this book in print. The first issue of 1953 ace books was published under the penname william lee.