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Literary Outlaw: The Life and Times of William S.Burroughs

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Literary Outlaw: The Life and Times of William S.Burroughs (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)

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Formats		Amazon Price	New from	Used from
Hardcover Available from these sellers. Published September 30, 1988	Hardcover, September 30, 1988	--	$154.74	$6.76
Paperback Available from these sellers. Published February 28, 1990	Paperback, February 28, 1990	--	--	$10.08

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Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

In his detailed, highly readable biography, Morgan provides important insights into Burroughs's life and art. He sees the writer as an outlaw, as someone bent on achieving fame even at the cost of becoming infamous. Morgan closely examines Burroughs's life in light of his relationships with family, lovers, and friends, including fellow Beats Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg. In fact, if the book has a fault, it is that in its coverage of other Beat figures, the focus occasionally slips off Burroughs. While not a definitive portrait, Morgan's book is an accurate and serviceable biography of one of America's foremost authors. Essential reading for anyone interested in Burroughs, it belongs in all serious literature collections. William Gargan, Brooklyn Coll. Lib., CUNY
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

Literary Outlaw is a wild ride through the life of a man who became an icon for the counterculture and whose perverse and decadent life mirrors his remarkable art. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

Hardcover: 659 pages
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co; 1st edition (October 1988)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0805009019
ISBN-13: 978-0805009019
Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 2 inches
Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds

Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #414,704 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
Popular in these categories: (What's this?)
#11 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( W ) > Williams, Ted
#64 in Books > Literature & Fiction > History & Criticism > Movements & Periods > Beat Generation

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	91% buy the item featured on this page: Literary Outlaw: The Life and Times of William S.Burroughs 5.0 out of 5 stars (11)
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	3% buy Cities of the Red Night: A Novel 4.3 out of 5 stars (28) $10.88
	2% buy The Job: Interviews with William S. Burroughs 4.8 out of 5 stars (9) $11.90

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Customer Reviews

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The amazing life of a junkie genius, September 18, 2001

By	Jeffrey Ellis "bored recluse" (Richardson, Texas United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Literary Outlaw: The Life and Times of William S. Burroughs (Paperback)

The late William S. Burroughs was one of the most compelling and frustrating writers of our times. For every work of dryly humorous genius like Junky and Naked Lunch, there were dozens of frustrating, obscure works that seemed to be more the product of Burroughs' infamous heroin addiction than his own imagination. As others have stated, to truly understand much of Burroughs' work, one has to first understand the man himself and, to my knowledge, there is no better resource than Ted Morgan's long, detailed, but never boring biography. In Literary Outlaw, we get the details of Burroughs' seminal friendships with such future literary icons as Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac and we also explore the most controversial aspect of the man's life -- the shooting death of his wife, Joan. (After shooting her in the head, Burroughs claimed they were simply playing a game of "William Tell.")

If just for this information, this book would be a valuable resource but Morgan goes further. He details Burroughs' life after his fame as one of the original beat writers faded. He explains what was actually going on in Burroughs'head when he created the later works that left so many readers not only confused but often rather angry at this man they'd previously clutched to their own artistic souls (perhaps a bit too quickly, as Morgan reveals with an unflinching candor).

The Burroughs who emerges in this book is neither the decadent bohemian of the literary imagination nor the devil incarnate that so many of his critics imagined him to be. Instead, William S. Burroughs comes across as nothing less than the Forrest Gump of modern literature. Somehow, this quiet, rather reserved midwesterner manages to pop up at just about every important underground cultural event of recent history -- often, it seems, just by chance. In Literary Outlaw, Morgan not only gives us a revealing look at the usual suspects -- Kerouac, Ginsberg, Corso, and the other Beats -- but also draws sharp portraits of figures ranging from Terry Southern to Dennis Hopper to James Baldwin to John Houston to thousands of others. Some are famous, some obscure, but all prove to be as fascinating as Burroughs himself.

This is an amazing book, a must for anyone with any interest in the Beats, American literature, world history, or who just wants a chance to relive a truly fascinating life. Be warned though -- Burroughs was both very open about his homosexuality and his drug addictions. Morgan, to his credit, doesn't shy away from detailing these aspects of Burroughs' life. Also to his credit, Morgan neither condemns nor celebrates. In short, prudes need not apply. For the rest of us though, this is a valuable book to be cherished.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Biography, May 3, 2000

By	Chad Bagley naughtypuppet@netscape.net (Shanghai, China) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Literary Outlaw: The Life and Times of William S. Burroughs (Paperback)

I was shocked to click on this page to find that this book was out of print and only had one other reviewer. This was not only one of the best literary biographies I've ever read but also one of the best biographies in general. I actually found this biography to be more interesting than William S. Burrough's writing. Not only does the book gives a detailed account of Burrough's life as well as the lives of other beat luminaries, but it also captures the era in which they created.

First rate writing- pick up this book if you can find it.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Burroughs decoded., January 31, 2001

By	"turboff" (New York City, NY, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Literary Outlaw: The Life and Times of William S. Burroughs (Paperback)

Burroughs writings are among the most fascinating in recent literary history, but also quite inaccessible (though few of his readers are willing to admit it). His themes are so personal and idiosyncratically formulated you'd have to be both psychic and a genius to understand what he's on about. This book explains it all. Read this, then go back and read any of his fiction work that happens to be on your shelf. I guarantee your understanding, and your enjoyment, will increase tremendously.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars good bio
Read On the Road years ago then a while back read Dharma Bums. Got me interested in K, and then the rest of the Beats. This book will come back in print someday. Read more

Published 9 months ago by Tayter Bill

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding
Not much to say. You should be a Burroughs fan, and somewhat aware of his writings an lifestyle in order to understand. Read more

Published 15 months ago by Alexander Costeines

5.0 out of 5 stars best overall biography; best biography of a writer
I have never written a review for amazon.com before but I had to add my two cents to the few reviews listed here. This book changed my life. Read more

Published on June 7, 2004 by J. Miller

5.0 out of 5 stars The World of William Burroughs
After a failed attempt to read "Naked Lunch" I turned to this book to gain some insight into William Burroughs that might aid me with future reading. Read more

Published on November 20, 2002 by Thomas M. Seay

5.0 out of 5 stars FIND THIS BOOK!
When I read this book in 1990, or thereabouts, I had only read William Burroughs' book Junky, and I had read nothing by Jack Kerouac or Allen Ginsberg. Read more

Published on January 11, 2002 by W. K. Miller

5.0 out of 5 stars Burroughs Explained
The only book of, or by, William Burroughs that I have read twice. His life was stranger than his fiction.

Published on November 3, 2001 by Thor Oxnard

5.0 out of 5 stars engrossing biography
I recently finished this biography and I must say it was one of the most interesting ones I have read. Read more

Published on January 9, 2001 by nusandman

5.0 out of 5 stars dig deep, the ugly spirit will fly
Out of print! Why? From St, Louis to Lawrence, Kansas, Morgan provides a rich, compelling, factual and entertaining look at Burroughs'unconventional lifestyle. Read more

Published on June 11, 1999

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