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.

Related Topics:
February 5 - 1914 - August 2 - 1997 - American - Opiate - Satirical

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His early writing is often associated with the Beat Generation. Burroughs was close friends with beat authors Allen Ginsberg, Gregory Corso, Jack Kerouac, and Herbert Huncke, but Burroughs? influence extends beyond this movement and even beyond literature in general. His work has been influential to several subsequent countercultural literary, music and art movements. For a short period of time Burroughs and Ginsberg were also lovers.

Related Topics:
Beat Generation - Allen Ginsberg - Gregory Corso - Jack Kerouac - Herbert Huncke - Countercultural

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Burroughs?s work has been quite controversial, especially during his lifetime. His most famous novel Naked Lunch was the subject of a landmark 1966 Massachusetts Supreme Court case that loosened obscenity laws to allow for artistic merit.

Related Topics:
Novel - Naked Lunch - 1966 - Massachusetts Supreme Court - Obscenity

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Burroughs produced a sizable amount of literature in over forty years of international publication. He was inducted into the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters in 1983.

Related Topics:
American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters - 1983

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