One of the most relevant speeches I have listened to in such dire times. Let us pray that he will reincarnate in a sort of Poet hacker pirate and vigilante of our absurdities
No one else besides WSB could read his work, and render the material with the impact of the sadly missed author himself. Anyone here already knows the man shuffled off this mortal coil in August of 1997. Thank the ancient ones that this material is in the hands of James Grauerholz, Bill's devoted and loyal, secretary/manager/friend. William's sardonic, sepulchral, voice; tinged with a snarl and that nasally Midwestern tone draws me to his readings the way a priest is drawn to whiskey. I cannot thank you enough for uploading this material. The "doctor " hopefully is in! At the very least, I try to imagine him decoding ancient Mayan glyphs while sipping a brujo served double shot of yage, someplace in the magical universe.
Stand not upon the order of your going,. But go at once. Burroughs is present. How many can really say that? and who's the poet he mentioned - Rumson? What was the line? Thanks for uploading - tis true - the truth will set you free but it will piss you off first
Yes, Burroughs swallows or elides syllables, so "Robinson" becomes "Rubson/Rumson" and "Borroughs" almost "Brose." Edward Arlington Robinson couldn't get away from Arthurian and related material-"Melin," "Lancelot," "Tristram," "King Jasper."
I don't think this is a bit funny...and yet i can't stop smiling...pony up a mouthful of dollars of yer ill gotten gain and hire the best lawyer who moves like an ocean...and sue me....me and my sand castle opinion..the full moon won't care
While I really admire Burroughs intellect on a lot of things, he was noticeably wrong on two points. 1) Mary's husband's name was Joseph, not John. Minor detail, but for someone who I'm guessing researched Jesus when writing Ghost of Chance (even though research is hardly necessary since Christianity is so heavily ingrained in American culture) that isn't something I'd expect him to get wrong. 2) John Jacob Astor did not say "We are dressed in our best and ready to go down as gentlemen!" That was another wealthy passenger named Benjamin Gugenheim. Normally I wouldn't hold name confusion against someone, but Burroughs was being a dick mocking this line. Gugenheim said that because he and his valvet had given up the option of boarding a life boat because they didn't want to take a seat that could save a woman or child. It was a noble thing to do, one that I doubt many people as rich as him would do then and now and for Burroughs to talk shit about him was lame.
+Jackmonster3231 Well, on the other had, he was scathing in his portrayal of Benway sneaking onto the lifeboat and "seating himself among the women" in "Twighlight's Last Gleaming" . . .
... His Weird is My Kind of Weird.... But What's Weird about It... It's Not Weird at All when 'One' is Amongst the Weird... Weirdly.... Time for Another I Suppose... Greetings from Saturn 🪐... "TICKLE ME AND WILL I NOT LAUGH? "
DANG! What a great reader he was! When I read his stuff, I try to recreate his voice, his diction, etc. in my head as I'm reading. (Q: I don't have access to Ghost of Chance right now, but didn't he actually use Joseph's correct name in the book itself? That "John" might have been a spur-of-the moment mistake or joke of some kind.)
I am fortunate enough to have the same timbre of Uncle Bill's voice and I have for years entertained some of "our crowd" with it. Lately, I have been unable to shake the temptation to put out two broadcasts a month alternating classic routines and the next episode would be an original. See where it ended up on the old proverbial flagpole, wot? I have been haunted by Burroughs' words in one of his entries in "Last Words---The final journals of William S. Burroughs"...he writes (to his devoted readers); "Punch a hole in The Big Lie...Punch a hole for me." A call to battle. From him to US. I love all fellow readers/followers lovers of the writer, the writing and the man. Give me your opinion? I don't ask lightly.
@Definitelynot JosefhKraemer I loved the reading! It wil not go unnoticed by we amateur Burroughs scholars that a few of the readings were in various states of completion; The One God Universe...Words and Advice For Young People...both of these stand out in this regard.Listen to the album (CD) of "Spare Ass Annie And Other Tales" for these pieces in their finest, fully realized state. Also, backed with the Disposable Heroes of Hiphocrisy. It is one classic after another...ending with "The Junky's Christmas". Don't know if you agree, but I found the crowd to be a bit slow on the uptake...like they needed an electric shock to get them to realize they had just heard verbal magic...or magick. There is a reading of the "Do Rights" on RU-vid where the audience really responds, especially the peerles, "Doctor, when I die I wanna be buried right in the same coffin with you..." I nearly piss myself every time. Well, the clock on the wall and my 6 rapid fire sneezes in a row informs me that I am behind my schedule...and may none you be sick---"May I fall down and be paralyzed if I don't mean it." These, of course the words of "Old Ike" from JUNKY. Ok, I must be off...Merry Christmas or what applies to each and every one of you.
"I Can't Be Expected To Work Under Such Conditions" #WilliamSBurroughs #GhostOfChance #Clip William S. Burroughs - Ghost of Chance ru-vid.comUgkxi5HvrPITgcRxu-fiXH_Ic6_EHhlqpMC4 via @RU-vid
This might be a stretch, but I am wondering if anyone here has played Dark Souls/Elden Ring and also read Burroughs. There are several moments in Burroughs that come to mind when I'm playing those games, and I suspect Miyazaki (or someone important at Fromsoft) read Burroughs very closely. For instance, Dung Eater and the middle of the Bradfield bit have close thematic similarities. Or the escape by lifeboat in ladies clothes bit, Godrick snuck away from a battle with the women and children using a mimic veil. And immortality is a main theme of those games, obviously also a main theme for Burroughs. I forget what it was in Dark Souls but I remember when I played it thinking, "holy shit these guys know Burroughs!" Let me know if you happen to have been exposed to both.
Wow. A cautionary tale if ever one. As my dear friend Nancy Reagan used to scream at me into the holding cell. Just say no dear! Just say no! I wish this gentleman could have a friend like her.
That's exactly true about what "Oppie" said, after the atom bomb test proved to be a success - "thank 'god' it wasn't a dud..." he DID NOT say, as so many have attributed to him "now I am shiva, the destroyer of worlds" - some pithy quote from the Tibetan book of the Dead - this was confirmed a long time ago by Oppenheimer's brother (Frank? Was that his name??)...
Oppenheimer said “Now, I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.”, he quoted from the Gita in which the character speaking is Krishna an incarnation of Vishnu as he revealed himself to the young prince. It was about doing one's duty which the prince did want to because of killing his own cousins and family to maintain and keep to his dharma.
