The Road to Interzone is the result of a fascination with the works of William S. Burroughs and the literary influence that made his legendary canon of work possible. Here, the raw material of the shaping spirit of the imagination, is analyzed by presenting quotes and selections from Burroughs works (novels, interviews, criticism, etc.) alongside the primary literary sources that influenced him. Also contained herein are listings from the recorded archives of the books Burroughs read through most of his lifetime. Redacted from university archives and WSB s personal libraries, these listings attempt to catalog the source materials of what was to become Burroughs literary legacy. The Road to Interzone provides the skeleton for an interpretation of the operational processes of influence and the function of artistic inspiration.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
Michael Stevens has found the right vein, circulating raw material of the mind of visionary genius in post modern literature and art. His exhaustive compendia and matrix is like the fractal's pattern bringing similarities that could reveal whole equation. He has provided the reader with the sources of allusion, influences, critiques, and the spirit of scatological obsessions of the late William S. Burroughs, the well-read innovator, inventor, and investigator in literature, art, culture and cosmology. Ezra Pound once advised readers who thought the Cantos too obscure, to just think of them as people throughout history sitting around talking. This book allows me the conversations with Uncle Bill that I unfortunately neglected in his presence. --Charles Plymell
To scan Michael Stevens' bibliography is to dream of entering into William Burroughs' head from a new angle -- not from his writings but from his readings. You can't live Burroughs' life but you can read the books he read. You can infect yourself with the same word virus he picked up in writers ranging from Abrahamson (Crime and the Human Mind) to Yeats ( 'cast a cold eye on life, a cold eye on death...' ) Will these get you any closer to the mutations Burroughs performed on the word virus? Doubtless you'll understand the man and his work better. And perhaps, with the help of the creative reading Burroughs espoused, Road to Interzone will even put you in position to subject the same viral sources to a few new mutations of your own. --RealityStudio.org
To scan Michael Stevens' bibliography is to dream of entering into William Burroughs' head from a new angle -- not from his writings but from his readings. You can't live Burroughs' life but you can read the books he read. You can infect yourself with the same word virus he picked up in writers ranging from Abrahamson (Crime and the Human Mind) to Yeats ( 'cast a cold eye on life, a cold eye on death...' ) Will these get you any closer to the mutations Burroughs performed on the word virus? Doubtless you'll understand the man and his work better. And perhaps, with the help of the creative reading Burroughs espoused, Road to Interzone will even put you in position to subject the same viral sources to a few new mutations of your own. --RealityStudio.org
'A fascinating and richly helpful piece of literary archeology, tracing as broadly as possible the sources William Burroughs had available to him as he wrote. Both the title and the method echo the classic Road to Xanadu, John Livingston Lowes excavation of Coleridge s reading: Coleridge, like Burroughs, being more than a little interested in drugs. It is a work for which all Burroughs students should be grateful.' --Larry McMurtry
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More About the Author
Michael Stevens was born in southwest Oklahoma in 1971 and is a graduate of the University of North Texas. For the past decade he has worked primarily as a bookscout. His interests include bibliomaniacism, consciousness expansion, sensory derangement and body modification through the discipline of iron. He currently lives with his beloved family of cats and a kidnapped dog in Archer City, Texas.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Madness of King Burroughs,
This review is from: The Road to Interzone: Reading William S. Burroughs Reading (Paperback)
Mr. Stevens has revealed his genius, or insanity by documenting a comprehensive library of books owned, read, reviewed, or quoted by Beat Godfather William S. Burroughs. On a personal note, if I need a book to read, something discharged from main stream booksellers, I pick up this mad intoxicant, flip through the pages and discover a wealth of diverse literature on subjects I never imagined I'd even look into. The discipline involved, along with tireless research has made this a must own for anyone interested in books, burroughs, or writing. If you hate all three, well then I can't help you.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Invaluable Resource for the Burroughs Scholar,
By WaxNostalgic (Nom De Plume) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Road to Interzone: Reading William S. Burroughs Reading (Paperback)
As more and more books about William Burroughs are being released, the need for a reference like this is readily apparent. Expect to see "The Road To Interzone" cited as a standard source in such books from now on. A detailed map of the rich intellectual history that informed Burroughs' own thought and work (or, at least, kept him entertained), "Road To Interzone" is more than a simple catalog of the Burroughs library. Stevens provides plenty of context on how and where a good number of these books (may) have surfaced in Burroughs' own work, as well biographical information (like his relationships with the authors). There is even a bibliography of the books Burroughs wrote blurbs for. An invaluable resource.
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