William S. Burroughs
For book lovers and aficionados, the
name William S Burroughs needs no introduction of sorts. For the rest,
Burroughs was one of the seminal writers of the Beat generation, his
works being culturally influential and politically insightful. In his
lifetime, he wrote 18 novels and novellas, six collections of short
stories and four collections of essays, which have left a deep impact
and influenced popular cultures and literature. Interestingly, most of
his works are semi-autobiographical in nature, wherein he gives an
account of his personal experiences of heroin addiction. Right from his
debut novel, ‘Junkie’ he tasted success. His third novel ‘Naked Lunch’
catapulted his position in the literary circles. However, it created a
lot of controversy as well and was the last major book to be prosecuted
for obscenity in the United States. Over the years, he has not only been
an influential novelist for budding writers but a prominent personality
for musicians such as Roger Waters, Patti Smith, Genesis P-Orridge, Ian
Curtis, Lou Reed, Laurie Anderson, Tom Waits and Kurt Cobain. In 1983,
he was elected to the American Academy and Institute of Arts and
Letters, and a year later was awarded the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
by France.
Childhood & Early life
- William S. Burroughs was born on February 5, 1914 to Mortimer Perry Burroughs and Laura Hammon Lee in St Louis, Missouri, United States. He was the youngest son of the couple. While his father was an antique and gift shop owner, his mother came from a prestigious family and was daughter of a minister.
- Academically, he first attended John Burroughs School, later on moving to Los Alamos Ranch School in New Mexico, finally completing his high school degree from Taylor School in Clayton, Missouri.
- It was while at John Burroughs School that he wrote his first ever essay, titled ‘Personal Magnetism’ which was published in John Burroughs Review in 1929
- In 1932, he enrolled at the Harvard University to pursue a degree in arts. During his summer vacation, he took up the job of a cub reporter for the city newspaper, St Louis Post-Dispatch, covering police docket. He graduated in 1936.
- During his years at the Harvard, he made frequent trips to New York City. It were these voyages that opened gateways of the city’s gay subculture, lesbian joints and underground homosexual clubs.
- With a guaranteed allowance of $200 coming from his parents, he was free from the pressure of earning for a living. The allowance allowed him to forgo employment and live life according to his own wish.
- Awards & Achievements
- In 1983, he was elected to the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters.
- In 1984, he was the proud recipient of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by France.
Personal life & legacy- He married Ilse Klapper, a Jewish woman much against his parents’ wishes. However, the alliance was basically intended to provide her with a US visa. Eventually, the two separated and remained lifelong friends.
- In 1944, he was in a relationship with Joan Vollmer Adams. Three years later, he was blessed with a son William S Burroughs Jr (Billy) from her. Vollmer was accidentally murdered in 1951.
- An alcoholic, Billy was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis and underwent a liver transplant operation. However, he continued taking alcohol and breathed his last in 1981.
- Burroughs Sr. spent the better part of his life battling with drug addiction. Despite undergoing several rehabilitation programs and treatment, his addiction relapsed.
- He breathed his last on August 2, 1997, from complications of a heart attack. He was buried in the family plot in Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri.TriviaHe was a seminal writer of Beat generation who authored the much-controversial novel, ‘Naked Lunch’.
