William S. Burroughs - Classes & Readings

William S. Burroughs - Classes & Readings

MP3 64 kbps

1980-08-11 lecture on public discourse
A lecture by William S. Burroughs on public discourse, with an introduction by Allen Ginsberg. Topics included are nuclear weapons, disarmament, the Equal Rights Amendment, aliens, dreams, function of the artist, mind-altering drugs, reincarnation, space travel, television, and economics.

1984-07-04 Allen Ginsberg and William Burroughs class
Allen Ginsberg class with William Burroughs. Ginsberg begins by reading from Burroughs's work, including his book Nova Express. Burroughs arrives and discusses writing techniques, including the idea that "Life is a cut up." He also talks about why he became a writer, Laurie Anderson, rolling drunks, biological warfare, weapons and retreats. The class learns some exercises for observing details while walking down the street.

1985-07-28 - William S. Burroughs reading.
William S. Burroughs reads from "The Place of Dead Roads" and "The Cat Inside."

1986-06-25 class on the technology and ethic of wishing - Part 1
First half of a class by William S. Burroughs on the technology and the ethics of wishing. The discussion includes rules for wishing, the dogma of science, L. Ron Hubbard, The Big Lie, and sympathetic magic. The class also includes a question and answer session covering subjects such as memory, Henry Miller, dreams in writing, and defining the soul.

1986-06-25 class on the technology and ethic of wishing - Part 2
Second half of a class by William S. Burroughs on the technology and the ethics of wishing. This half contains additional commentary by Anne Waldman and Allen Ginsberg. Included is a question and answer session that covers the space shuttle Challenger explosion, lucid dreaming, yoga, feminine energy, DNA, the Dalai Lama, and music. Waldman also discusses the ego, rituals, science and why questions, death, birth, mortality, and the bodhisattva.

1989-07-22 William Burroughs reading, Art now: A day of contemporary art
A William S. Burroughs reading compiled from a number of works. Burroughs covers topics from miracles and magic to the Titanic, narcotics, the supernatural and hospitals.