RealityStudio.org

“Naked Lunch” is filled with sex, drugs and bad language. The novel was first published in Paris in 1959 by a Lawrence resident, William S. Burroughs, and was banned in 1962 by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Three Lawrence residents sat as a panel last night at the Lawrence Public Library to discuss censorship in the ‘60s and today.

“It’s thought that these books will sweep people away, but these people are already swept away,” said local artist and Burroughs’ companion, Wayne Propst. “When they encounter a book like this they say, ‘Ah, it’s great to meet a fellow traveler.’”