The turbulent life of William S. Burroughs: groundbreaking author behind Luca Guadagnino’s Queer
William S. Burroughs’ novel is the basis of the new film Queer. (Getty/MUBI)
The late American novelist William S. Burroughs is back in the news ahead of Luca Guadagnino’s Queer, a film based on his 1985 short novel. But what do we know about Burroughs? Here are some key facts.
William Seward Burroughs II, widely known as William S. Burroughs, moved to New York City in 1943 where he befriended Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg and began a wild journey with drug use that would inform much of his writing.
Burroughs’ name is back in mainstream discourse as his short novel Queer is the basis for Guadagnino’s upcoming gay drama, starring Daniel Craig. Early reports said the film featured some of Craig’s best work.
Furthermore, Andrew Garfield has described the former Bond star’s blowjob scene as “genuinely beautiful”.
Craig stars alongside Hunger Games actor Jason Schwartzman, Love, Simon‘s Drew Starkey and gay singer-songwriter Omar Apollo.
Like the book, the film charts the fraught existence of Lee (Craig) an outcast American expat who becomes infatuated with a younger man named Allerton (Starkey) in 1940s Mexico City.
What was William S. Burroughs known for?
Throughout his writing career, Burroughs wrote 18 novels and novellas, six collections of short stories and four collections of essays, and five books have been published of his interviews.
Burroughs is considered a core figure in the Beat Generation literary subculture movement, which saw authors explore American culture and politics in the post-World War II era.
In particular, Burroughs pushed the boundaries with his non-traditional approach and depiction of drug culture.
Famously in his book Naked Lunch, which is structured as a series of loosely connected vignettes, Burroughs presents an evocative and erratic journey through addiction.
His prose was regularly explicit and frank, detailing the experiences of drug addiction and queer desire with unapologetic brazenness.
Now, Queer is fast becoming one of Burroughs’ most popular works. The book is a sequel to the writer’s 1953 novel Junky.
Burroughs wrote of Queer, in the 1985 introduction: “My motivations to write Queer were more complex, and are not clear to me at the present time.
“Why should I wish to chronicle so carefully these extremely painful and unpleasant and lacerating memories? While it was I who wrote Junky, I feel that I was being written in Queer.”
Was William S. Burroughs gay?
Burroughs’s sexuality has been the topic of continued debate, some asserting that he never identified as gay while others noting that it was a well-known fact that Burroughs was gay.
While studying at Harvard, Burroughs is said to have been a part of the gay subculture in New York City and that he had affairs with men.
Queer is said to be evidence of Burroughs’ queerness as the short novel is a semi-autobiographical account that chronicles an erotic gay experience.
Despite this, more widely, Burroughs’ work is rarely placed in a queer literary canon. However, his prose that waxed poetic about the gay experience seems to say otherwise.
What is William Burroughs’ most famous quote?
From Burroughs’ works, many quotes have been deemed famous. Here are some of his most-quoted lines:
“Language is a virus from outer space.”
“In the US, you have to be a deviant or die of boredom.”
“A functioning police state needs no police.”
“Modern man has lost the option of silence.”
Did William S. Burroughs write poetry?
Burroughs did not write poetry in the conventional sense.
Instead, the writer’s work is often described as poetic as it pushes the traditional boundaries of the form.
Also, throughout his career Burroughs engaged in poetry readings and did seem to have an appreciation of the writing style.
Whether they are poems or “cut up novels”, Burroughs penned powerful prose that still resonates with readers.
Did William S. Burroughs have children?
In his 83 years of life (1914-1997), Burroughs had one child, William S. Burroughs Jr., also known as William Seward Burroughs III.
Burroughs III, known as Bill, was born in 1947 to Burroughs and Burroughs’ second wife, Joan Vollmer.
In 1951, in Mexico City, William S. Burroughs killed his wife. He claimed it was a drunken accident but later admitted that he had been showing friends his pistol when it fell, hit a table and fired a bullet that killed her.
Her death is said to have haunted him for the rest of his life. After he killed Joan, he threw away all her possessions. Their son, Bill Jr., never saw a photograph of her.
The UK release date for Queer is October 17, 2024 at the BFI London Film Festival. Streaming service Mubi acquired the rights to the film in the UK, Ireland, and other countries, but it will not be released in theaters.
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