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Interzone (book)
Encyclopedia
Interzone is a collection of short stories and other early works by William S. Burroughs
. The collection was first published by Viking Penguin
in 1989, although several of the stories had already been printed elsewhere, including an earlier publication entitled Early Routines. The title Interzone is inspired by the International Zone
in Tangiers, Morocco
, where Burroughs lived for a time and by which he was greatly influenced.
A notable inclusion is "Twilight's Last Gleamings", written in 1938 in collaboration with childhood friend Kells Elvins, and widely thought to be Burroughs' first attempt at fiction. The villain of the piece, one Doctor Benway, was to play a pivotal role in Burroughs' Naked Lunch
. (This story differs from another Burroughs piece titled "Twilight's Last Gleamings," which was published in the 1970s collection, Exterminator!
.)
Interzone features many characters and concepts that would manifest themselves in such better known books as Naked Lunch
, Nova Express
and others. In fact, the title Interzone was at one point considered for Naked Lunch. Moreover, the concluding section entitled "WORD" was part of the original Naked Lunch manuscript but was cut during the editing process (this according to an introduction by the editor of this book, James Grauerholz
). Interzone represents a transitional phase in between the first-person traditional narrative style of the earlier "Junky" and "Queer" and Burroughs' later, more experimental work.
Several of the short pieces in Interzone were adapted into other media. Burroughs recorded versions of the stories "The Junky's Christmas
" and "Spare Ass Annie" which were set to music and released on his album Spare Ass Annie and Other Tales. "Junky's Christmas" was also adapted as an acclaimed animated film in the 1990s.
It has been cited as the inspiration for the Klaxons
song "Atlantis to Interzone
".
It has also been the inspiration for a live happening
in London called 'Interzone' by art collective "Guerrilla Zoo" which combined live art, live music and performance art. The event had installed an Orgone
Accumulator designed by Wilhelm Reich
and several Dreamachine
s, both mentioned by Burroughs repetitively in many of his books and inverviews.
William S. Burroughs
William Seward Burroughs II was an American novelist, poet, essayist and spoken word performer. A primary figure of the Beat Generation and a major postmodernist author, he is considered to be "one of the most politically trenchant, culturally influential, and innovative artists of the 20th...
. The collection was first published by Viking Penguin
Viking Press
Viking Press is an American publishing company owned by the Penguin Group, which has owned the company since 1975. It was founded in New York City on March 1, 1925, by Harold K. Guinzburg and George S. Oppenheim...
in 1989, although several of the stories had already been printed elsewhere, including an earlier publication entitled Early Routines. The title Interzone is inspired by the International Zone
International zone
An international zone is a type of extraterritoriality governed by international law, or similar treaty between two or more nations. They can be found within international airports and can contain duty free shopping. In areas of conflict there may be international zones called green zones that form...
in Tangiers, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, where Burroughs lived for a time and by which he was greatly influenced.
A notable inclusion is "Twilight's Last Gleamings", written in 1938 in collaboration with childhood friend Kells Elvins, and widely thought to be Burroughs' first attempt at fiction. The villain of the piece, one Doctor Benway, was to play a pivotal role in Burroughs' Naked Lunch
Naked Lunch
Naked Lunch is a novel by William S. Burroughs originally published in 1959. The book is structured as a series of loosely-connected vignettes. Burroughs stated that the chapters are intended to be read in any order...
. (This story differs from another Burroughs piece titled "Twilight's Last Gleamings," which was published in the 1970s collection, Exterminator!
Exterminator!
Exterminator! is a short story collection written by William S. Burroughs and first published in 1973. Early editions label the book a novel)....
.)
Interzone features many characters and concepts that would manifest themselves in such better known books as Naked Lunch
Naked Lunch
Naked Lunch is a novel by William S. Burroughs originally published in 1959. The book is structured as a series of loosely-connected vignettes. Burroughs stated that the chapters are intended to be read in any order...
, Nova Express
Nova Express
Nova Express is a 1964 novel by William S. Burroughs. It was written using the cut-up method, developed by Burroughs with Brion Gysin, of enfolding snippets of different texts into the novel. It is the third book in The Nova Trilogy, preceded by The Soft Machine and The Ticket That Exploded...
and others. In fact, the title Interzone was at one point considered for Naked Lunch. Moreover, the concluding section entitled "WORD" was part of the original Naked Lunch manuscript but was cut during the editing process (this according to an introduction by the editor of this book, James Grauerholz
James Grauerholz
James Grauerholz is a writer and editor. He is most famous as the bibliographer and literary executor of the estate of William S. Burroughs. He was born in Kansas and attended the University of Kansas for a year before dropping out and traveling to New York City...
). Interzone represents a transitional phase in between the first-person traditional narrative style of the earlier "Junky" and "Queer" and Burroughs' later, more experimental work.
Several of the short pieces in Interzone were adapted into other media. Burroughs recorded versions of the stories "The Junky's Christmas
The Junky's Christmas
The Junky's Christmas is a story by William S. Burroughs. It appears in the 1989 collection Interzone and on the 1993 album Spare Ass Annie and Other Tales. It was also made into a 1993 short claymation film directed by Nick Donkin and Melodie McDaniel. The film was produced by Francis Ford Coppola...
" and "Spare Ass Annie" which were set to music and released on his album Spare Ass Annie and Other Tales. "Junky's Christmas" was also adapted as an acclaimed animated film in the 1990s.
It has been cited as the inspiration for the Klaxons
Klaxons
Klaxons are a British indie rock band, based in London. Following the release of numerous 7-inch singles on different independent record labels, as well as the success of previous singles "Magick" and "Golden Skans", the band released their debut album, Myths of the Near Future on 29 January 2007....
song "Atlantis to Interzone
Atlantis to Interzone
"Atlantis to Interzone" is a song by British indie electro act Klaxons. The song references the mythical lost city of Atlantis and the short story collection Interzone by William S. Burroughs, which is itself Burroughs' concept of a "metaphorical stateless city"...
".
It has also been the inspiration for a live happening
Happening
A happening is a performance, event or situation meant to be considered art, usually as performance art. Happenings take place anywhere , are often multi-disciplinary, with a nonlinear narrative and the active participation of the audience...
in London called 'Interzone' by art collective "Guerrilla Zoo" which combined live art, live music and performance art. The event had installed an Orgone
Orgone
Orgone energy is a theory originally proposed in the 1930s by Wilhelm Reich. Reich, originally part of Sigmund Freud's Vienna circle, extrapolated the Freudian concept of libido first as a biophysical and later as a universal life force...
Accumulator designed by Wilhelm Reich
Wilhelm Reich
Wilhelm Reich was an Austrian-American psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, known as one of the most radical figures in the history of psychiatry...
and several Dreamachine
Dreamachine
The dreamachine is a stroboscopic flicker device that produces visual stimuli. Artist Brion Gysin and William S. Burroughs's "systems adviser" Ian Sommerville created the dreamachine after reading William Grey Walter's book, The Living Brain.-History:In the dreamachine's original form, a...
s, both mentioned by Burroughs repetitively in many of his books and inverviews.
Part 1: Stories
- Twilight's Last Gleamings (a different piece from the one in the earlier collection, Exterminator!Exterminator!Exterminator! is a short story collection written by William S. Burroughs and first published in 1973. Early editions label the book a novel)....
) - The Finger
- Driving Lesson
- The Junky's Christmas
- Lee and the Boys
- In the Cafe Central
- Dream of the Penal Colony
- International Zone
Part 2: Lee's Journals
- Lee's Journals
- An Advertising Short for Television
- Antonio the Portuguese Mooch
- Displaced Fuzz
- Spare Ass Annie
- The Dream Cops
- The Conspiracy
- Iron Wrack Dream
- Ginsberg Notes (a reference to Allen GinsbergAllen GinsbergIrwin Allen Ginsberg was an American poet and one of the leading figures of the Beat Generation in the 1950s. He vigorously opposed militarism, materialism and sexual repression...
)