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Don't Hide the Madness

William S. Burroughs in Conversation with Allen Ginsberg
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( 90 ratings, 10 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Don't Hide the Madness is a captivating look into a dialogue between William S. Burroughs and his fellow Beat Generation icon, Allen Ginsberg. Set in the autumn of 1992, it captures their candid conversations about topics ranging from literature and drugs to cats and magic, giving readers an intimate glimpse into the minds of these legendary cultural figures.
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Format: Hardback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're fascinated by the life of iconic Beat Generation figure William S. Burroughs. This memoir offers a candid glimpse into his unfiltered conversations, showcasing his wit and the unique perspectives that made him a literary legend. Ideal for those interested in countercultural history and the vibrant personalities behind it.

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An intense, compelling conversation between legendary Beat icons William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, featuring photos by Ginsberg, and details of Burroughs' shamanic exorcism of the demon that led him to shoot his wife and drove his work as a writer.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Two seminal figures of the Beat movement, Allen Ginsberg and William S. Burroughs, discuss literary influences and personal history in a never-before-published three-day conversation following the release of the David Cronenberg film of Burroughs' classic novel Naked Lunch.

The visit coincided with the shamanic exorcism of the demon that Burroughs believed had caused him to fatally shoot his common law wife, Joan Vollmer Burroughs, in 1951 – the event that Burroughs believed had driven his work as a writer.

The conversation is interspersed with photographs by Ginsberg revealing Burroughs' daily activities from his painting studio to the shooting range.

Don't Hide the Madness presents an important, hitherto unpublished primary document of the Beat Generation.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Don't Hide the Madness receives high praise for its intimate and engaging portrayal of conversations between William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg. Critics describe it as a must-read for Beat Generation enthusiasts, offering rare insight and a genuine sense of connection with its legendary subjects. The book is lauded for its candid dialogue and unfiltered glimpse into the minds of two literary icons, making it a valuable addition to the study of American literature and culture.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781941110706

Publisher: Three Rooms Press

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 29 November 2018

Country: United States

Imprint: Three Rooms Press

Illustration: Illustrations

Contributors:

  • Edited by Steven Taylor
  • (Various roles Allen Ginsberg

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 152.0mm

Height: 228.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 364

About the Author

William S. Burroughs was a primary figure of the Beat Generation and a major postmodernist author whose influence is considered to have affected a range of popular culture as well as literature. Burroughs wrote eighteen novels and novellas, including Naked Lunch, Junky, and Queer. Naked Lunch was adapted for the screen in the 1991 award-winning film directed by David Cronenberg. American poet, philosopher, and photographer Allen Ginsberg is considered to be one of the leading figures of both the Beat Generation during the 1950s and the counterculture that soon followed. Among his many published poetry collections, he is best known for Howl and Other Poems, Kaddish and Other Poems, and Collected Poems, 1947-1997. Poet, musician, and ethnomusicologist Steven Taylor toured extensively with Allen Ginsberg from 1976 to 1996, collaborating on music and poetry works. Taylor is a member of the seminal underground rock band The Fugs, and is author of two books of poems and the musical ethnography, False Prophet: Field Notes from the Punk Underground. From 1990 to 2008 he was on the faculty at the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics at Naropa University. Currently, he is senior editor at Reality Sandwich. He lives in Brooklyn, NY.

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