Bibliographic Bunker
Beat Critics
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 1 June 2009 |
| Subject | Jed looks at the past of Beat criticism and offers a vision for its future. |
| Link | Beat Critics |
Evergreen Review Archive
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 18 May 2009 |
| Subject | Jed offers a nearly complete archive of Evergreen Review covers, as well as some insights into the role that Evergreen Review played for William Burroughs’ career |
| Link | Evergreen Review Archive |
We Saw the Light
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 27 April 2009 |
| Subject | Jed reviews Daniel Kane’s latest book, We Saw the Light: Conversations between the New American Cinema and Poetry. |
| Link | We Saw the Light |
2009 New York Book Fair
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 13 April 2009 |
| Subject | Jed visits the 2009 Antiquarian Book Fair in New York. |
| Link | 2009 New York Book Fair |
Philip Whalen and the Beats
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 30 March 2009 |
| Subject | Reading Philip Whalen’s Collected Poems, Jed ponders the poet’s relationship with the cut-up, Burroughs, and the Beats |
| Link | Philip Whalen and the Beats |
Interview with Tom Veitch on William S. Burroughs
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 23 March 2009 |
| Subject | Jed interviews Tom Veitch on the experimental writing and writers with which he was involved before gaining renown for his contributions to the the Star Wars comics. |
| Link | Interview with Tom Veitch on William S. Burroughs |
The Letters of Allen Ginsberg
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 9 March 2009 |
| Subject | Jed reviews two new collections of Allen Ginsberg’s letters. |
| Link | The Letters of Allen Ginsberg |
William Burroughs and Andy Warhol
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 2 March 2009 |
| Subject | Screen tests, filmic portraits, cut-ups, amphetamines, heroin — Jed compares the film experiments and the sensibilities of William Burroughs and Andy Warhol |
| Link | William Burroughs and Andy Warhol |
Review of Dope Menace by Stephen J. Gertz
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 18 Feb 2009 |
| Subject | Jed reviews Stephen J. Gertz’s new book Dope Menace |
| Link | Review of Dope Menace by Stephen J. Gertz |
William S. Burroughs and Men’s Magazines
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 16 Feb 2009 |
| Subject | Jed updates his original article on Burroughs in Men’s Mags with a gallery of cover images and a scan of “WORD” as it appeared in a 1961 issue of Swank |
| Link 1 | Burroughs and Beats in Men’s Magazines: Introduction |
| Link 2 | Burroughs in Men’s Magazines |
| Link 3 | William Burroughs Appearances in Adult Men’s Magazines |
| Link 4 | William Burroughs’ Word in Swank |
William S. Burroughs in 1960 Mademoiselle
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 16 Feb 2009 |
| Subject | Jed offers a rare Burroughs text published in the January 1960 of Mademoiselle magazine |
| Link 1 | William Burroughs in Mademoiselle |
| Link 2 | William Burroughs’ Text in January 1960 Mademoiselle |
Richard Seaver and William S. Burroughs
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 21 Jan 2009 |
| Subject | Jed fills in the Burroughs connections and important small-press background that the recent obituaries of publisher Richard Seaver neglected to provide. |
| Link | Richard Seaver and William S. Burroughs |
Rhinozeros Archive
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 4 Jan 2009 |
| Subject | Jed offers an archive of beautiful and provocative covers from the German journal Rhinozeros. He also includes scans of the four Burroughs texts to appear in Rhinozeros. |
| Link | Rhinozeros |
2008
Dead Fingers Talk and Burroughs Proofs
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 15 Dec 2008 |
| Subject | Ruminating on a rare proof copy of Dead Fingers Talk being offered by Ken Lopez Books, Jed offers his view on the collectibility of proofs and review copies. |
| Link | Dead Fingers Talk and Burroughs Proofs |
Buyer Beware
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 14 Dec 2008 |
| Subject | Jed puzzles over a recent spate of auctions featuring low-priced, never-before-heard-of “limited edition” books signed by Burroughs and his collaborators. He also reposts a piece from his now-defunct personal site on William Burrroughs’ signature. |
| Link 1 | Buyer Beware |
| Link 2 | William Burroughs’ Signature |
And the Hippos Were Boiled in Their Tanks
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 5 Nov 2008 |
| Subject | Jed reviews the newly released And the Hippos Were Boiled in Their Tanks and finds that something may be hiding in plain sight, an act of self-censorship with dramatic consequences to the text and the real-world characters on whom it is based. |
| Link | And the Hippos Were Boiled in Their Tanks |
Mailbag: Process, Damn the Caesars, and Delaware Memoranda
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 3 Nov 2008 |
| Subject | Jed opens his mail to discover some fascinating new printed matter: Jon Beacham’s Process Number Two, Richard Owens’ little mag Damn the Caesars, and Richard Owens’ book Delaware Memoranda. |
| Link | Mailbag: Process, Damn the Caesars, and Delaware Memoranda |
Yay!: A Moving Times Supplement (An In-Depth Examination of My Own Mag)
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 20 Oct 2008 |
| Subject | Jed returns to Jeff Nuttall’s My Own Mag for an in-depth analysis of the mimeo zine that meant so much to Burroughs and the evolution of the cut-up. |
| Link | Yay!: A Moving Times Supplement (Be sure also to see the lead page featuring links to all the My Own Mag texts and images.) |
Megalisters
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 29 Sept 2008 |
| Subject | Ever wonder about some of the crazy prices you see listed for rare and used books? Jed has the scoop on the megalisters racket. |
| Link | Megalisters |
APO-33 Archive / Apomorphine and Naked Lunch
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 8 Sept 2008 |
| Subject | With a renewed enthusiasm for APO-33: A Metabolic Regulator, Jed refreshes his 2006 article with an archive of the complete APO-33 and offers a new analysis showing how Burroughs’ cut-up serves as a détournement of pharmaceutical propaganda. Expect another installment on apomorphine and Naked Lunch soon. |
| Link 1 | APO-33 Archive |
| Link 2 | Speed, Apomorphine, Mimeo, and the Cut-Up |
| Link 3 | Apomorphine and Naked Lunch |
New England Bookstores and the Hermitage Beacon
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 11 Aug 2008 |
| Subject | Jed takes the pulse of the bookstores in New England and discovers a new gem, the Hermitage Beacon Bookstore in Beacon, New York. |
| Link | New England Bookstores and the Hermitage Beacon |
The Naked Express: William Burroughs and Tom Veitch
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 14 July 2008 |
| Subject | Jed discovers a single sheet of paper that links William Burroughs, underground comix legend Tom Veitch, and the Lower East Side mimeo scene of the mid-1960s. |
| Link | The Naked Express: William Burroughs and Tom Veitch |
The Burroughs Market in a Down Economy
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 30 Jun 2008 |
| Subject | Jed offers a timely series of interviews with an economist, a collector, and a bookseller to assess how the sagging economy affects the Burroughs and rare-book market. |
| Link | The Burroughs Market in a Down Economy |
Charles Plymell and NOW
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 16 Jun 2008 |
| Subject | Jed gives the history of another little mag that featured Burroughs: Charles Plymell’s NOW. |
| Link | Charles Plymell and NOW |
John Ciardi: From Doodle Soup to Naked Lunch and Back Again
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 9 Jun 2008 |
| Subject | Doodle Soup on the Big Table at the Naked Lunch? Jed takes a look at the early role played by John Ciardi in according literary stature to William Burroughs. |
| Link | John Ciardi: From Doodle Soup to Naked Lunch and Back Again |
Jonathan Williams, William Burroughs, and England
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 19 May 2008 |
| Subject | Introducing an assemblage by RealityStudio’s European correspondent Robert Bank, Jed contemplates the visions of England produced by Burroughs and by the recently deceased poet Jonathan Williams. |
| Link | Jonathan Williams, William Burroughs, and England |
Brian Cassidy on Early Photos and Collages by Burroughs
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 7 May 2008 |
| Subject | Jed interviews bookseller Brian Cassidy on a unique set of early photos and collages created by William S. Burroughs. |
| Link | Brian Cassidy on Early Photos and Collages by Burroughs |
Beats at Auction, April 2008
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 17 Apr 2008 |
| Subject | Jed reviews a big-ticket item for sale on ebay and the recent Beat-related sale at PBA Galleries. |
| Link | Beats at Auction, April 2008 |
The Exterminator
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 5 Apr 2008 |
| Subject | Jed appraises The Exterminator, a key work that “presents Burroughs at the dawn of his most radically experimental period.” |
| Link | The Exterminator |
Washington DC Book Fair
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 17 Mar 2008 |
| Subject | Jed maps his favorite bookstores in Washington DC and visits the Washington DC Book Fair in search of Burroughs, Beats, and other rarities. |
| Link | Washington DC Book Fair |
Beat Books Catalogue 48
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 7 Mar 2008 |
| Subject | Jed reviews Beat Books’ latest catalogue, which features a number of Burroughs rarities. |
| Link | Beat Books Catalogue 48 |
The Comstock Collection
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 26 Feb 2008 |
| Subject | Jed finds his “bizarro double” while analyzing the massive collection of the recently murdered collector Rolland L. Comstock. |
| Link | The Comstock Collection |
Interview with Charles Talkoff
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 14 Feb 2008 |
| Subject | Jed befriends a stranger on a train, and the stranger turns out to be a young writer full of ideas about some Burroughsian subjects. |
| Link | Interview with Charles Talkoff |
Beatific Soul: Jack Kerouac On the Road
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 29 Jan 2008 |
| Subject | Jed shares his enthusiasm for the exhibit Beatific Soul: Jack Kerouac On the Road, currently on view at the New York Public Library. |
| Link | Beatific Soul: Jack Kerouac On the Road |
The 1962 International Writers Conference at Edinburgh
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 21 Jan 2008 |
| Subject | Jed and contributor Chris Hughes unearth some printed ephemera from the 1962 International Writers Conference that launched William S. Burroughs’ career. |
| Link 1 | 1962 International Writers Conference |
| Link 2 | text of Burroughs’ Statements at the 1962 International Writers Conference |
C Press Archive and The Complete Time
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 9 Jan 2008 |
| Subject | Jed digs into his collection to present an archive of C Press that includes C Journal, C Comic, and a complete version of Burroughs’ Time. |
| Link 1 | C Press Archive |
| Link 2 | Time |
The Third Mind Exhibit
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 1 Jan 2008 |
| Subject | Jed offers some thoughts about The Third Mind to accompany photos of the Third Mind Exhibit in Paris. (Thanks to Michele Foster for the photos.) |
| Link | The Third Mind Exhibit |
2007
The Laws of Internet Collecting
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 24 Dec 2007 |
| Subject | Reviewing Burroughs items that appeared on eBay during December 2007, Jed formulates some laws of online book-collecting. |
| Link | The Laws of Internet Collecting |
New Departures
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 12 Dec 2007 |
| Subject | Jed surveys the important vanguard periodical New Departures, which began publishing Burroughs as early as summer 1959. |
| Link | New Departures |
John Ashbery at the Folger Library
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 26 Nov 2007 |
| Subject | Jed goes to see “MTV Poet Laureate” John Ashbery read at the Folger Library in Washington DC. |
| Link | John Ashbery at the Folger Library |
Interview with Book Dealer Dan Gregory, Part 2
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 20 Nov 2007 |
| Subject | Jed completes a fascinating interview on bookselling in the Information Age with Between the Covers’ Dan Gregory. |
| Link | Interview with Book Dealer Dan Gregory, Part 2 |
Interview with Artist Jim Dine
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 14 Nov 2007 |
| Subject | Jed interviews Jim Dine in conjunction with an exhibit of the artist’s recent books and livres d’artiste. Burroughs, Frank O’Hara, the New York School — Dine shares with Jed the opinions and insights gleaned over the course of his estimable career. |
| Link | Interview with Jim Dine |
The David Oakey Collection of Gary Snyder
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 22 Oct 2007 |
| Subject | Should notable book collections be sold or donated to institutions? Jed ponders the question while reviewing the recent auction of David Oakey’s collection of works by Gary Snyder. |
| Link | The David Oakey Collection of Gary Snyder |
Interview with Book Dealer Dan Gregory
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 13 Oct 2007 |
| Subject | Jed offers the first installment of a two-part interview with book dealer Dan Gregory, force behind the innovative web site of Between the Covers Rare Books |
| Link | Interview with Book Dealer Dan Gregory |
Eureka: Locus Solus V
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 4 Oct 2007 |
| Subject | Jed obtains a copy of hard-to-find Locus Solus V and reflects on the distinctions between buying online and offline. |
| Link | Eureka: Locus Solus V |
The Baltimore Antique Show
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 12 Sept 2007 |
| Subject | Jed looks for the personal touch and the rare find among the book stalls at the Baltimore Antique Show. |
| Link | The Baltimore Antique Show |
Summer of Love / Fuck for Peace
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 31 Aug 2007 |
| Subject | Finishing his summer travelogue, Jed reviews two exhibits about the 1960s in New York. |
| Link | Summer of Love / Fuck for Peace |
Rue Cottage Books
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 21 Aug 2007 |
| Subject | Continuing his summer travelogue, Jed visits Rue Cottage Books in Maine and offers some thoughts about the role of bookstores in the digital age. |
| Link | Rue Cottage Books |
Interview with Photographer Charles Rotmil
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 14 Aug 2007 |
| Subject | Adding again to the collection of Bunker Interviews, Jed asks photographer Charles Rotmil about the Beats, the Cedar Tavern, the photographers with whom he has worked, and his famous photo of Bob Thompson for the cover of Kulchur. |
| Link | Interview with Photographer Charles Rotmil |
Interview with Brown Paper’s Daniel Lauffer
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 25 May 2007 |
| Subject | Adding to the collection of Bunker Interviews, Jed discusses the beautifully produced journal Brown Paper with its founder Daniel Lauffer. |
| Link | Interview with Brown Paper’s Daniel Lauffer |
A Trip to Charles Olson’s Gloucester
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 1 Aug 2007 |
| Subject | Jed describes a summer trip to Charles Olson’s Gloucester and offers some reflections about Burroughs along the way. |
| Link | A Trip to Charles Olson’s Gloucester |
d.a. levy and William S. Burroughs
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 13 July 2007 |
| Subject | Offering the second installment of his essay on d.a. levy, Jed examines the poet’s relationship with William Burroughs. |
| Link | d.a. levy and William S. Burroughs |
Simon Finch and a High-Priced Naked Lunch
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 6 July 2007 |
| Subject | Beginning with a special edition of Naked Lunch offered by bookseller Simon Finch, Jed offers some thoughts about the high end of the market for Burroughs books. |
| Link | Simon Finch and a High-Priced Naked Lunch |
d.a. levy
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 25 June 2007 |
| Subject | Jed offers the first installment of an essay on Cleveland-based poet and artist d.a. levy. The second installment will focus on levy and his ambivalent relationship with William Burroughs. |
| Link | d.a. levy |
Don’t Ever Get Famous
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 18 June 2007 |
| Subject | Jed casts a revisionist eye on the New York School writers while reviewing Daniel Kane’s new book, Don’t Ever Get Famous. |
| Link | Don’t Ever Get Famous |
The Groff Auction of Bukowski and the Ronan Sale of Beat Literature
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 11 Jun 2007 |
| Subject | Contemplating some relatively disappointing results at a recent auction, Jed formulates some ideas about what does or doesn’t distinguish a collection of rare books. |
| Link | The Groff Auction of Bukowski and the Ronan Sale of Beat Literature |
Brian Cassidy Bookseller and a Rare Burroughs Letter
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 5 Jun 2007 |
| Subject | Jed praises the catalogue of a new bookseller and discusses its listing for an extremely rare letter from William Burroughs to Allen Ginsberg. |
| Link | Brian Cassidy Bookseller and a Rare Burroughs Letter |
Bunker Interviews
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 25 May 2007 |
| Subject | Jed launches a new interview series called Bunker Interviews. These interviews will focus on the concerns of his Bibliographic Bunker column: Burroughs, collecting, small press, little mags, etc. First up: an analysis of the role of interviews in Burroughs’ career, an interview with Jed Irwin on the Insect Trust Gazette, and an interview with Anthony Linick on Nomad. |
| Link | Bunker Interviews |
Burroughs and Bookstores
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 11 May 2007 |
| Subject | Jed discusses the role of the bookstore — as community, publisher, source of money and inspiration — in the life of writers, with particular reference to Burroughs and Minutes to Go. |
| Link | Burroughs and Bookstores |
New York Book Fair (2007)
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 3 May 2007 |
| Subject | Jed takes the Chinatown bus for the New York Book Fair, where he discovers amazing rarities — and a sore neck. |
| Link | New York Book Fair (2007) |
Burroughs Readings
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 24 Apr 2007 |
| Subject | Jed contemplates the important role played by readings — including the Nova Convention and Saturday Night Live — in the career of Burroughs. |
| Link | Burroughs Readings |
The My Own Mag Community
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 13 Apr 2007 |
| Subject | Expanding on the My Own Mag archive, Jed introduces a new set of texts that focus on the literary community surrounding Jeff Nuttall’s important periodical. |
| Link | The My Own Mag Community |
Semina Culture
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 26 Mar 2007 |
| Subject | Jed reviews the “Semina Culture” exhibit in New York and discusses Burroughs in the context of Wallace Berman’s influential journal Semina. |
| Link | Semina Culture |
John Calder and William S. Burroughs
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 12 Mar 2007 |
| Subject | Reacting to the news that British publisher John Calder may close its doors, Jed reviews Calder’s importance in Burroughs’ publication history. |
| Link | John Calder and William S. Burroughs |
My Own Mag
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 28 Feb 2007 |
| Subject | Jed presents a comprehensive new archive of Jeff Nuttall’s influential zine My Own Mag. Prepared with Robert Bank, curator of jeff-nuttall.co.uk, this archive features documentation, analysis, and every page of every issue of one of the key “little mags” in Burroughs’ career. |
| Link | My Own Mag |
Kulchur 4
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 15 Feb 2007 |
| Subject | In this fourth installment on Kulchur, Jed ruminates on the cover of Kulchur 4, a photo of Burroughs and Kerouac at Columbia University. |
| Link | Kulchur 4 |
Kulchur 3
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 9 Feb 2007 |
| Subject | In this third installment on Kulchur, Jed analyzes Kulchur 3, the Beat-est issue featuring Burroughs, Kerouac, Ginsberg, Huncke, Corso, and Snyder. Next up: Kulchur 4. |
| Link | Kulchur 3 |
Kulchur and “The Conspiracy”
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 5 Feb 2007 |
| Subject | In this second installment on Kulchur, Jed considers “The Conspiracy,” a text Burroughs excised from Naked Lunch and published in the little mag instead. Next up: Jed focuses on the Beat-est issue, Kulchur 3. |
| Link | Kulchur and “The Conspiracy” |
Kulchur Archive
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 1 Feb 2007 |
| Subject | Jed inaugurates a series on the little mag Kulchur with an archive of covers. Next up: A consideration of Kulchur and “The Conspiracy,” a text Burroughs excised from Naked Lunch. |
| Link | Kulchur Archive |
A Controversy of Poets
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 23 Jan 2007 |
| Subject | Jed sets aside Burroughs to ruminate on the poet Charles Olson — and a cigarette burn. |
| Link | A Controversy of Poets |
Burroughs, Berrigan, and The Ticket That Exploded
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 10 Jan 2007 |
| Subject | Starting with an association copy of The Ticket That Exploded that Burroughs signed for poet Ted Berrigan, Jed shows how Burroughs became the “shark” of the international avant-garde. He also offers a related chronology of Burroughs’ trip to New York in 1964-1965. |
| Link 1 | Burroughs, Berrigan, and The Ticket That Exploded |
| Link 2 | William Burroughs in New York City 1964-1965 |
2006
Velvet Underground Acetate
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 11 Dec 2006 |
| Subject | Jed discusses the recent ebay auction for an incredibly rare Velvet Underground acetate and draws some comparisons to literary rarities. |
| Link | Velvet Underground Acetate |
Baird Bryant
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 1 Dec 2006 |
| Subject | Inspired by a middle-of-the-night conversation, Jed reviews the career of Baird Bryant. |
| Link | Baird Bryant |
David Meltzer and Nomad
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 20 Nov 2006 |
| Subject | Beginning with a consideration of Burroughs correspondence, Jed describes his mini-archive of letters by David Meltzer and then moves on to describe Nomad magazine. |
| Link 1 | David Meltzer and Nomad |
| Link 2 | David Meltzer Archive: A Partial Index |
Association Copies
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 12 Nov 2006 |
| Subject | Jed talks about association copies, the distinction between signed and inscribed books, and describes some of his own Burroughs association copies. |
| Link | Association Copies |
Burroughs Ephemera: Naked Lunch Prospectus Letter
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 2 Nov 2006 |
| Subject | Offering a coda to his series on Burroughs ephemera, Jed discusses the 1959 Olympia Catalog (provided by BigTable) and the letter that Grove Press included with the Naked Lunch Prospectus (provided by bibliographer Eric Shoaf). |
| Link | Naked Lunch Prospectus Letter |
Eighth Street Bookshop
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 26 Oct 2006 |
| Subject | This special installment of the Bibliographic Bunker presents an expanded version of a chapter from Bill Reed’s memoir Early Plastic. “Positively Eighth Street” recalls Mr. Reed’s years at the Eighth Street Bookshop, an independent Greenwich Village bookstore that served as a focal point for the 1960s and 1970s counterculture. To set the stage, Jed describes the bookstore, its press, and a peek over William Burroughs’ shoulder as he was reading. |
| Link 1 | Bill Reed’s “Positively Eighth Street” |
| Link 2 | Jed’s Eighth Street Bookshop |
Burroughs Ephemera: Naked Lunch Prospectus
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 19 Oct 2006 |
| Subject | Jed completes his two-part essay on Burroughs ephemera with a look at the Naked Lunch Prospectus issued by Grove Press to promote the American publication of Burroughs’ masterpiece. |
| Link | Naked Lunch Prospectus |
Burroughs Ephemera: Olympia Press Catalog
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 12 Oct 2006 |
| Subject | Jed begins a two-part essay on Burroughs ephemera with an overview of the Olympia Press catalog featuring Naked Lunch. |
| Link | Olympia Press Catalog |
Floating Bear
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 3 Oct 2006 |
| Subject | Jed overviews an entire run of Floating Bear and presents an amazing archive of rare Floating Bear covers. |
| Link 1 | Floating Bear |
| Link 2 | Floating Bear Archive |
At the Kerouac Fest
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 15 Sept 2006 |
| Subject | Jed offers the presentation he gave at the 2006 Kerouac Fest. |
| Link | At the Kerouac Fest |
Burroughs in Men’s Magazines
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 11 Sept 2006 |
| Subject | Jed reviews the role that men’s magazines played in publishing Burroughs and the other Beats |
| Link 1 | Burroughs and Beats in Men’s Magazines: Introduction |
| Link 2 | Burroughs and Beats in Men’s Magazines: Burroughs |
| Link 1 | William Burroughs Appearances in Adult Men’s Magazines |
Ten San Francisco Poets
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 18 Aug 2006 |
| Subject | Jed uses Beat vinyl to discuss the formation of the San Francisco poetry scene. |
| Link | Ten San Francisco Poets |
My Own Mag Archive
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 11 Aug 2006 |
| Subject | Jed offers this work-in-progress archive of My Own Mag in anticipation of a future column on the little magazine. |
| Link | My Own Mag Archive |
Double Fold
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 9 Aug 2006 |
| Subject | Jed adds a Burroughs twist to thoughts inspired by Nicholson Baker’s Double Fold: Libraries and the Assault on Paper. |
| Link | Double Fold |
Floating Bear 24
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 26 Jul 2006 |
| Subject | Jed experiences the highs and lows of collecting in his effort to buy the elusive Floating Bear 24. |
| Link | Floating Bear 24 |
Burroughs in Germany and Belgium
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 27 Jun 2006 |
| Subject | Jed speculates about Burroughs’ early appearances in magazines in Germany and Belgium. |
| Link | Burroughs in Germany and Belgium |
Burroughs and Scotland
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 21 Jun 2006 |
| Subject | Jed reviews Burroughs’ relationship with the Edinburgh beat scene and the Scotland vanguard. |
| Link | Burroughs and Scotland |
Bebop Burroughs
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 14 Jun 2006 |
| Subject | Jed offers some provocative thoughts on the relationship of William S. Burroughs and jazz. |
| Link | Bebop Burroughs |
Jan Herman and William S. Burroughs
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 9 Jun 2006 |
| Subject | Jed surveys the avant-garde publications of Jan Herman: the Nova Broadcasts, the San Francisco Earthquake, and his collaborations with William S. Burroughs. |
| Link | Jan Herman and William S. Burroughs |
Book Catalogues Today
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 5 Jun 2006 |
| Subject | Jed talks about collectible book catalogues and how the internet has changed book collecting today. |
| Link | Book Catalogues Today |
Kiss and Couch
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 2 Jun 2006 |
| Subject | Jed riffs on magazine cover images, starting with Rolling Stone and finishing with a comparison of the Warhol covers for Kulchur and Fuck You Magazine. |
| Link | Kiss and Couch |
Locus Solus
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 25 May 2006 |
| Subject | Jed discusses the vanguard journal Locus Solus and the linguistic theories of Burroughs and John Ashbery. |
| Link | Locus Solus |
Broadsides
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 22 May 2006 |
| Subject | Jed explains what a broadside is and discusses some broadsides by Burroughs and other Beats. |
| Link | Broadsides |
Obscenity and the Post Office
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 18 May 2006 |
| Subject | Jed explores the role played by the United States Post Office in obscenity and censorship issues — and thus in forming our perceptions of Beat literature. |
| Link | Obscenity and the Post Office |
Yage Redux and Small Magazines
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 11 May 2006 |
| Subject | Jed reveals how Yage Redux changed his view of early Burroughs and the small magazines he published in. |
| Link | Yage Redux and Small Magazines |
Printing Techniques: Letterpress, Offset, and Mimeo
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 9 May 2006 |
| Subject | Jed offers a three-part series on small-press printing techniques |
| Link 1 | Letterpress |
| Link 2 | Mimeo |
| Link 3 | Offset |
Yugen
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 20 Apr 2006 |
| Subject | Jed gives the history Yugen, one of the key Beat small magazines, and presents a visual archive of all eight Yugen covers. |
| Link | Yugen |
Interpol
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 26 Apr 2006 |
| Subject | Jed reconstructs a small magazine conceived by Burroughs himself. |
| Link | Interpol |
Insect Trust Gazette
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 23 Apr 2006 |
| Subject | Jed recalls a small-press magazine named after a line in one of Burroughs’ novels. |
| Link | Insect Trust Gazette |
Regrets
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 20 Apr 2006 |
| Subject | Jed talks about the regrets of his time collecting Burroughs — the publications that got away, the ones so rare you can’t find them anywhere, etc. |
| Link | Regrets |
William Burroughs in 1981
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 16 Apr 2006 |
| Subject | Jed discusses a watershed year for Burroughs and his collectors. |
| Link | Burroughs in 1981 |
William Burroughs on Cassette
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 11 Apr 2006 |
| Subject | Jed talks about some original recorded cassettes on eBay and their collectibility. |
| Link | Cassettes |
APO-33
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 9 Apr 2006 |
| Subject | Jed discusses APO-33: The Metabolic Regulator and the cut-up technique. |
| Link | APO-33 |
Dead Fingers Talk
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 5 Apr 2006 |
| Subject | Jed discusses Dead Fingers Talk and the value of early and late Burroughs signatures. |
| Link | Dead Fingers Talk |
Published High and Low: Men’s Magazines, the Pulps and Academic Journals
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 3 Apr 2006 |
| Subject | Jed talks about the strange dichotomy of high and low culture publishers that printed Burroughs’ early work. |
| Link | Published High and Low |
Beatnik Vinyl at Auction
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 31 Mar 2006 |
| Subject | Jed picks the highlights from an amazing auction of vinyl on ebay. |
| Link | Beatnik Vinyl at Auction |
Burroughs’ Cabin
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 29 Mar 2006 |
| Subject | Jed reflects on the collectibility of the cabin that used to belong to William S. Burroughs and is currently being auctioned on ebay. |
| Link | Burroughs’ Cabin |
Digit Junkie
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 27 Mar 2006 |
| Subject | Jed describes the Digit edition of Junkie, one of the rarest of rare Burroughs collectibles. |
| Link | Digit Junkie |
Beat Vinyl
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 22 Mar 2006 |
| Subject | Jed discusses Beat vinyl and a rare Kerouac recording, and takes a brief detour through Niel Young and Rick James. |
| Link | Beat Vinyl |
Time
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 20 Mar 2006 |
| Subject | Jed talks about Time, a striking cut-up, and a possibly forged Burroughs signature. |
| Link | Time |
Fuck You Magazine
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 17 Mar 2006 |
| Subject | Jed discusses the infamous Andy Warhol cover of Fuck You Magazine and presents a visual archive of Fuck You Press publications. |
| Link 1 | Couch |
| Link 2 | Fuck You Press archive |
Edwin Blair Auction
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 13 Mar 2006 |
| Subject | Jed reviews the recent Edwin Blair auction of Beat literature. |
| Link | Edwin Blair Auction |
Burroughs Manuscripts
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 11 Mar 2006 |
| Subject | Jed discusses the recent craze for manuscripts by William S. Burroughs. |
| Link | Burroughs Manuscripts |
Nothing Here Now But the Recordings
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 11 Mar 2006 |
| Subject | Jed talks about a rare copy of Nothing Here Now But the Recordings and about Burroughs vinyl in general. |
| Link | Nothing Here Now But the Recordings |
Burroughs Bibliographies
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 9 Mar 2006 |
| Subject | Jed gives an overview of Burroughs bibliographies and rare-book catalogues that become rare books themselves. |
| Link | Burroughs Bibliographies |
Oliver Harris on Yage
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 9 Mar 2006 |
| Subject | Jed receives an email from Burroughs scholar Oliver Harris. |
| Link | Oliver Harris on Yage |
Collecting the Olympia Edition of Naked Lunch
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 7 Mar 2006 |
| Subject | Jed explains what to look for if you’re looking to buy a true first edition of William S. Burroughs’ masterwork, Naked Lunch. |
| Link | Collecting the Olympia Edition of Naked Lunch |
James Frey and William S. Burroughs
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 7 Mar 2006 |
| Subject | Jed explores his reasons for thinking that William S. Burroughs’ early novel Junky, often cited as an ancestor to James Frey’s controversial memoir, is superior to A Million Little Pieces. |
| Link | James Frey and William S. Burroughs |
The NYPL Acquisition of the Burroughs Archive
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 5 Mar 2006 |
| Subject | Jed explains what the New York Public Library’s acquisition of the Burroughs archive means for fans and collectors of Burroughs. |
| Link | The NYPL Acquisition of the Burroughs Archive |
Introduction
| Author | Jed Birmingham |
| Date | 5 Mar 2006 |
| Subject | Jed Birmingham introduces the reader to Reports from the Bibliographic Bunker, his new column on Burroughs collecting, rare editions, and musings. |
| Link | Introduction |