Literary Outlaw; The Life and Time of William S. Burroughs: The Life and Times of William S. Burroughs

The late William S. Burroughs was one of the most compelling and frustrating writers of our times. For every work of dryly humorous genius like Junky and Naked Lunch, there were dozens of frustrating, obscure works that seemed to be more the product of Burroughs' infamous heroin addiction than his own imagination. As others have stated, to truly understand much of Burroughs' work, one has to first understand the man himself and, to my knowledge, there is no better resource than Ted Morgan's long, detailed, but never boring biography. In Literary Outlaw, we get the details of Burroughs' seminal friendships with such future literary icons as Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac and we also explore the most controversial aspect of the man's life -- the shooting death of his wife, Joan. (After shooting her in the head, Burroughs claimed they were simply playing a game of "William Tell.")If just for this information, this book would be a valuable resource but Morgan goes further. He details Burroughs' life after his fame as one of the original beat writers faded. He explains what was actually going on in Burroughs'head when he created the later works that left so many readers not only confused but often rather angry at this man they'd previously clutched to their own artistic souls (perhaps a bit too quickly, as Morgan reveals with an unflinching candor). The Burroughs who emerges in this book is neither the decadent bohemian of the literary imagination nor the devil incarnate that so many of his critics imagined him to be. Instead, William S. Burroughs comes across as nothing less than the Forrest Gump of modern literature. Somehow, this quiet, rather reserved midwesterner manages to pop up at just about every important underground cultural event of recent history -- often, it seems, just by chance. In Literary Outlaw, Morgan not only gives us a revealing look at the usual suspects -- Kerouac, Ginsberg, Corso, and the other Beats -- but also draws sharp portraits of figures ranging from Terry Southern to Dennis Hopper to James Baldwin to John Houston to thousands of others. Some are famous, some obscure, but all prove to be as fascinating as Burroughs himself.This is an amazing book, a must for anyone with any interest in the Beats, American literature, world history, or who just wants a chance to relive a truly fascinating life. Be warned though -- Burroughs was both very open about his homosexuality and his drug addictions. Morgan, to his credit, doesn't shy away from detailing these aspects of Burroughs' life. Also to his credit, Morgan neither condemns nor celebrates. In short, prudes need not apply. For the rest of us though, this is a valuable book to be cherished.

Burroughs writings are among the most fascinating in recent literary history, but also quite inaccessible (though few of his readers are willing to admit it). His themes are so personal and idiosyncratically formulated you'd have to be both psychic and a genius to understand what he's on about. This book explains it all. Read this, then go back and read any of his fiction work that happens to be on your shelf. I guarantee your understanding, and your enjoyment, will increase tremendously.

I was shocked to click on this page to find that this book was out of print and only had one other reviewer. This was not only one of the best literary biographies I've ever read but also one of the best biographies in general. I actually found this biography to be more interesting than William S. Burrough's writing. Not only does the book gives a detailed account of Burrough's life as well as the lives of other beat luminaries, but it also captures the era in which they created. First rate writing- pick up this book if you can find it.

Out of print! Why? From St, Louis to Lawrence, Kansas, Morgan provides a rich, compelling, factual and entertaining look at Burroughs'unconventional lifestyle. A must for readers interested in Burroughs and post World war II literature.