Comments on: What Happened to Cursed from Birth?

By: Daurade

Daurade — Thu, 20 Oct 2022 12:03:50 +0000

I read Speed and Kentucky Ham years ago and found them to be excellent. Billy had a gift. Sadly, he didn’t know how to put the brakes on his self-destructive impulses.

Cursed from birth indeed.

By: Novapolicelee

Novapolicelee — Sun, 07 Apr 2019 02:32:17 +0000

I respect Billy.

By: Jaq Spratt

Jaq Spratt — Fri, 30 Dec 2016 09:05:05 +0000

Just read Cursed from Birth. Disappointing because I sense there is much left on the cutting room floor or stashed forever in boxes, so the status of the father is preserved by his admirers! Some bits of bio stop short of what you might read in the the wonderful Morgan biog of WSB2. (the ‘what’s a bodhisatva?’ story) If there are people who want to preserve privacy that’s OK by me but this is info already in public domain since Literary Outlaw came out. I’d have liked more of WSB3’s astute comments on 2 and his work and his poetry. When you do read 3’s 2 books and the words in this concoction they are sharp and impressive. This concoction only makes it too easy to write him off as a fuck up with only himself to blame for a “cursed” life. Hell’s bells how much more cursed would you want to get? And still write so well and precisely. And attract 4 or 5 beautiful, strong women. Lacked interest in guns or boys – how odd. Best bits were the snaps of down and out life in Boulder. I’d have loved to hear more from those people.

By: Erni Bär

Erni Bär — Mon, 19 Sep 2016 14:41:47 +0000

I have to join Dave B. here and also say GOOD STUFF. I found Billy Junior’s life always interesting enough to check out all information I could get. Of course I got the Soft Skull edition. My personal tip is to read Sam Kashner’s fascinating memoir “When I Was Cool” about his time as first poetry apprentice at the Jack Kerouac Schoolof Disembodied Poetics at Naropa, Boulder, CO. The author met both Burroughses there, father and son. Be cool, enough to get the book. You’ll dig it!

By: Dave Balcer

Dave Balcer — Mon, 04 Apr 2016 13:43:10 +0000

Jr.’s style is more in line with Kerouac and traditional storytelling. Good stuff though. Not as prolific as his father of course.

By: Peter Bailey

Peter Bailey — Thu, 31 Mar 2016 03:54:09 +0000

A great & fascinating reveal of Bill B. Jr…I wonder what on Earth was in the Boroughs DNA for both Sr & Jr to have such Addicted Personality’s that lead Jr to a un-timely demise…I’ve only read Srs work….At some time I’ll get to read Jrs work & see their styles of a writing…