Criticism
Classic Works of Criticism
Notes on Burroughs
| Author | Marshall McLuhan |
| Date | 1964 |
| Subject | An early and one of the most famous reviews of Burroughs’ work. |
| Link | Notes on Burroughs |
A New Literature for the Space Age
The Cosmic Satirist
| Author | Michael Moorcock |
| Date | 1965 |
| Subject | Moorcock’s review, written under the pseudonym James Colvin, of Naked Lunch |
| Link | The Cosmic Satirist |
Wired for Shock Treatments
| Author | Joan Didion |
| Date | 1966 |
| Subject | A rare and insightful review of The Soft Machine |
| Link | Wired for Shock Treatments |
Terry Southern on Naked Lunch
| Author | Terry Southern |
| Date | 1962 |
| Subject | A text included in Grove Press’ original promotional pamphlet for Naked Lunch |
| Link | Terry Southern on Naked Lunch |
Roundup at the O.P. Corral
Recent Criticism
The Mouth Inside: The Voices of Naked Lunch
| Author | Ian MacFadyen |
| Date | 7 Dec 2009 |
| Subject | Ian MacFadyen offers a brilliant meditation on the role of the voice and the mouth in William Burroughs’ magnum opus. Accompanying the text are paintings from Phil Wood’s “Postcards from Purgatory.” |
| Link | The Mouth Inside: The Voices of Naked Lunch |
This Beautiful Corrosion — William S. Burroughs at the ZKM
| Author | Ian MacFadyen |
| Date | 27 Feb 2013 |
| Subject | Ian MacFadyen offers a review of the name is BURROUGHS — Expanded Media, the large exhibit of artwork by William Burroughs and the many other artists inspired by him. |
| Link | This Beautiful Corrosion — William S. Burroughs at the ZKM |
The Blade Runner and the Shootist
| Author | Michael Stevens |
| Date | 17 Feb 2010 |
| Subject | Michael Stevens, author of The Road to Interzone, offers two entries deleted from the forthcoming second edition of the book. In an analysis of Tornado Alley and Blade Runner: A Movie, the entries look at the “influence, use, and appropriation of other authors’ works in the writing of William S. Burroughs.” |
| Link | The Blade Runner and the Shootist |
The Soft Machines
| Author | Dave Teeuwen |
| Date | 17 Nov 2009 |
| Subject | Dave offers an overview of the three different editions of William S. Burroughs’ cut-up novel The Soft Machine. |
| Link | The Soft Machines |
Review of Malcom Mc Neill’s Memoir of William S. Burroughs
| Author | Jan Herman |
| Date | 23 Dec 2012 |
| Subject | Jan Herman reviews Malcolm Mc Neill’s newly published memoir, Observed While Falling: Bill Burroughs, Ah Pook, and Me. |
| Link | Review of Malcom Mc Neill’s Memoir of William S. Burroughs |
The Lost Years of William S. Burroughs
| Author | RealityStudio |
| Date | August 2006 |
| Subject | RealityStudio reviews Rob Johnson’s book, The Lost Years of William S. Burroughs: Beats in South Texas |
| Link | The Lost Years of William S. Burroughs |
William S. Burroughs: A Man Within
| Author | Graham Rae |
| Date | 23 April 2010 |
| Subject | Graham Rae reviews Yony Leyser’s new documentary film about the life of William S. Burroughs. |
| Link | William S. Burroughs: A Man Within |
FLiCKeR DVD Review
| Author | Graham Rae |
| Date | August 2008 |
| Subject | Review of FLiCKeR, the 2008 DVD directed by Nik Sheehan |
| Link | FLiCKeR DVD Review |
The Junky’s Christmas
| Author | RealityStudio |
| Date | December 2006 |
| Subject | Review of DVD featuring animated short of Burroughs’ “The Junky’s Christmas.” |
| Link | The Junky’s Christmas |
Yage Letters Redux
| Author | RealityStudio |
| Date | April 2006 |
| Subject | Review of Yage Redux, Oliver Harris’ new edition of Burroughs’ famous letters on yage |
| Link | Yage Letters Redux |
Dead Aim: The Unseen Art of William S. Burroughs
| Author | Paul Pieroni |
| Date | 2006 |
| Subject | Reflections on the later artwork of William Burroughs |
| Link | Dead Aim: The Unseen Art of William S. Burroughs |
Cursed from Birth: The Short, Unhappy Life of William S. Burroughs Jr.
| Author | Tom Bowden |
| Date | 2004 |
| Subject | Review of a proof copy of the aborted Grove Press edition of Cursed from Birth |
| Link | Cursed from Birth: The Short, Unhappy Life of William S. Burroughs Jr. |