bob@cadovax.UUCP (Bob "Kat" Kaplan) (03/13/85)
William S. Burroughs wrote "Junkie" in 1953, and he wrote "Naked Lunch" in 1959. These two books catapulted him to instant fame (or notoriety). It seems like every 10 years or so, some new group claims Burroughs as a spokesman. In 1967, the hippie movement was quick to bring Burroughs back into the limelight, where he stayed for a while before drifting back into obscurity. Then, in 1976, when the punk rock scene was happening, Burroughs was again popular for a while. Now he's back again. Actually, for the past five years or so, he's enjoyed a fair amount of popularity. About five or so years ago, I saw Burroughs read live a couple of times. He's really a joy to listen to. I also have a few recordings of his live readings which are also enjoyable. The problem is that everytime I hear him read, I enjoy it so much that I forget how much I hate reading his books. His books are so unpleasant to read that I usually have to force myself through them. He can read the same passage aloud and it'll sound better. The humor is so dark that you can't tell it's there by just reading the book. He has to read aloud for the humor to be detected. -- Bob Kaplan "Where is it written that we must destroy ourselves?"