RealityStudio.org

A William S. Burroughs Community
It is currently Wed Jun 19, 2013 12:07 am

All times are UTC - 5 hours




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 7 posts ] 
Author Message
 Post subject: The Missing First Letter
PostPosted: Fri Aug 14, 2009 12:03 pm 
Offline
 WWW  Profile

Joined: Thu Oct 16, 2008 10:27 am
Posts: 354
Location: Canada
Throughout Burroughs 1960's work he consistently used a trope in which he took out the first letter of the name of a city - Ome Oston Ey York Onalulu, etc.

I cannot remember what that's all about. Anyone know the significance behind that?

_________________
Typical Words Leak Out. Read it.


Top
 
 Post subject: Re: The Missing First Letter
PostPosted: Fri Aug 14, 2009 12:27 pm 
Offline
 Profile

Joined: Thu May 07, 2009 2:02 pm
Posts: 55
Isn't this from the first batch of cut-ups in Minutes to Go or somesuch? From a newspaper, possibly a list of city names with a random snip cutting off their first letters.

It sure sounds ominous with repetition.


Top
 
 Post subject: Re: The Missing First Letter
PostPosted: Fri Aug 14, 2009 1:06 pm 
Offline
 WWW  Profile

Joined: Thu Oct 16, 2008 10:27 am
Posts: 354
Location: Canada
It's not in Minutes to Go as far as I can tell. I just checked the Burroughs sections. You begin to see it around '63 or '64 up to about '66, I think.

Something tells me he just thought it was funny.

_________________
Typical Words Leak Out. Read it.


Top
 
 Post subject: Re: The Missing First Letter
PostPosted: Fri Aug 14, 2009 1:53 pm 
Offline
Site Admin
User avatar
 WWW  Profile

Joined: Mon Sep 12, 2005 1:40 pm
Posts: 1706
Location: New York
I know he does that trick in Soft Machine, but I can't remember whether it was in the first Olympia Press edition or was introduced in one of the later revisions.

_________________
Storm the Reality Studio!


Top
 
 Post subject: Re: The Missing First Letter
PostPosted: Fri Aug 14, 2009 2:03 pm 
Offline
 WWW  Profile

Joined: Thu Oct 16, 2008 10:27 am
Posts: 354
Location: Canada
Pretty sure it wasn't in the 1st edition. I think it makes it into the TTE as well. Also, it's in the articles and pieces he published during that time. My Own Mag 12 has it on the second page of his portion.

_________________
Typical Words Leak Out. Read it.


Top
 
 Post subject: Re: The Missing First Letter
PostPosted: Fri Aug 14, 2009 3:16 pm 
Offline
 Profile

Joined: Thu May 07, 2009 2:02 pm
Posts: 55
Wait, I remember. Its a Brion Gysin piece. In MINUTES TO GO and if I'm remembering wrong, THIRD MIND. The section called "First Cut-Ups" Or am I right both ways, and its a MINUTES TO GO piece that's reprinted in THE THIRD MIND in that "First Cut-Ups" section along with pieces by Beiles and WSB?

Gysin does all the city names mentioned plus some other ones. It must be from those early "stanley blade" razor jobs.

I'm not near my books so I can't check, anybody have a Third Mind about? Probably in that Brion Gysin reader too.


Top
 
 Post subject: Re: The Missing First Letter
PostPosted: Fri Aug 14, 2009 7:51 pm 
Offline
 WWW  Profile

Joined: Thu Oct 16, 2008 10:27 am
Posts: 354
Location: Canada
Yes, you're correct, it is first in 3rd Mind. Not a book I know so well and I only know the WSB parts of Minutes to Go.

Now the question is why did WSB keep using that trope?

_________________
Typical Words Leak Out. Read it.


Top
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 7 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 5 hours


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 1 guest


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
cron
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group  
Design By Poker Bandits