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The correspondence includes hundreds of letters, including letters from Burroughs to Brion Gysin, Richard Seaver, Alex Trocchi, Richard Aaron, Mary Beach and Claude Pelieu, Udo Berger, Jan Herman, and others; letters from Gysin to Burroughs; letters from Gysin to Ira Cohen; an original "mylar image" of Burroughs as King of the Cobras taken by Cohen; numerous letters to Burroughs by most of the above individuals, and others. Covered are many common Burroughsian themes: scientology, mind-control, weapons, drugs, dreams and the creative process. The letters also provide a behind-the-scenes look at Burroughs' dealings with agents, publishers and collaborators on both completed works and projects that were never realized. Personal correspondence with close friends gives insight into Burroughs' health and state of mind which was often tested during periods of addiction and financial leanness.
Burroughs writes to Gysin in 1977 about writing songs, a possible collaboration with Patti Smith, and grabbing "a piece of the punk action." Burroughs was also working on early drafts of The Place of Dead Roads, which he refers to as "The Gay Gun." VIEW DETAIL
In a letter to Gysin from 1979, Burroughs describes attending a musical, The Best Little Whore House in Texas, with Frank Zappa, who expressed interest in making a musical based on Naked Lunch. VIEW DETAIL
A series of letters to Brion Gysin documenting the ascent and demise of Burroughs' effort to bring Junky to the big screen. The movie was to be a collaboration between Burroughs, Terry Southern and Dennis Hopper, but the project quickly fell apart amid an atmosphere of drugs and creative disagreement.
Correspondence between Burroughs and Alexander Trocchi, mostly regarding Trocchi's Sigma Project, an organized collective of international underground movements.
Burroughs often exchanged letters and manuscripts with the artists Claude Pelieu and Mary Beach. Of Pelieu, Burroughs stated, "I feel that we are sharing a common source of literary material and a common source of thought..." Burroughs' letter at left, written in 1969 while Pelieu and Beach were living at the Chelsea Hotel, includes a 10 page typescript essay on scientology, intended for publication in RAT. Burroughs' growing disenchantment with Hubbard's church is apparent and the letter is appended, "Please be very careful about showing this material."
The archive contains a few pieces of correspondence between Gysin and Ira Cohen, but most notable is the inclusion of one of Cohen's "mylar images" of Burroughs as King of the Cobras. VIEW DETAIL
Burroughs' relationship with small press publishers is documented by correspondence with figures such as Jan Herman, Udo Breger, Alan Rinzler and Jim Pennington. Here, Udo Breger says hello to "Uncle Lee & Cousin Brion" with a poem. VIEW DETAIL
A 1974 letter from Terry Southern proposes an idea for an advice column called "Ask Dr. Benway," where Southern would write the questions, and Burroughs the answers. Southern provides a typically ribald example.
A series of letters between Burroughs, Jan Herman, and Burroughs' agent, Peter Matson, discussing the publishing of The Book of Breeething at Herman's Something Else Press. The press folded before the project could be completed.
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© 2011 Ken Lopez Bookseller