William S. Burroughs

William Seward Burroughs (February 5, 1914 – August 2, 1997) was an American novelist, essayist, social critic and spoken word performer. Much of Burroughs' work is semi-autobiographical, drawn from his experiences as an opiate addict, which he often distored using surreal or graphic imagery, experimental structures, and a strong satirical voice. Burroughs stated that he saw all his writing as a single, vast book; indeed, the same characters and themes often reappear intermittently throughout his oeuvre.

Postgraduate travel

After leaving Harvard, Burroughs traveled to Europe for many months, as was the common practice for men of his social standing. He had become aware of underground gay communities while at Harvard and had his first same-sex experiences in Europe. He also contracted syphilis.

Related Topics:
Europe - Syphilis

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While in Austria, Burroughs met Ilse Klapper, a Jewish woman fleeing the country?s Nazi government. The two were not romantically attached, but Burroughs married her in Croatia to allow her to gain a United States Visa. She made her way to New York City, and eventually divorced Burroughs, although they remained friends for many years.

Related Topics:
Austria - Nazi - Croatia - New York City

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Drifting from one interest to another, Burroughs enrolled as a graduate student of Anthropology at Harvard and later enrolled at Medical School in Vienna, Austria. He was enlisted briefly in the U.S Army in 1941 but was soon discharged for psychological reasons. Burroughs has stated that he was glad his tenure in the army was short.

Related Topics:
Anthropology - Vienna - 1941

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Shortly afterwards he cut off part of his finger to impress a former boyfriend after the affair went awry. The short story The Finger recounts this event.

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