William S. Burroughs’ Class on Writing Sources (1976)

Image by Christiaan Tonnis, via Wikimedia Commons

These lectures were recorded in July 1976 at Naropa University in Boulder, CO.

The first half of a class with William S. Burroughs discusses various sources for writing, including dreams, voices (external and internal), and cut-up, giving examples from his own work. Burroughs emphasizes the importance of egolessness to the writer and presents his sources as a means to that end. In the course of the discussion, Burroughs airs many of his ideas about consciousness. There are questions and answers halfway through the session.

End of a class with William S. Burroughs, finishing with a question and answer session with Burroughs responding to remarks about women, non-referential images, non-linear thinking, and telepathy. (Continued from 76p020-021.) Keywords: Beat Movement, Experimental Writing, Aural Poetry, Consciousness and Literature.