James Grauerholz
Encyclopedia
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. By his own admission, he was fascinated with Beat Generation
literature and authors.
Grauerholz became acquainted with Burroughs in the 1970s while befriending Allen Ginsberg
in New York City
. Ginsberg recommended Grauerholz to Burroughs as a possible assistant and their working relationship began in this simple manner, yet grew to be a major factor in the popularization of Burroughs and his works. Grauerholz became Burroughs' friend and business manager until the author's death in 1997.
His influence on Burroughs' later work is significant as he helped edit a trilogy of novels — Cities of the Red Night
(1981), The Place of Dead Roads
(1985) and The Western Lands
(1987) — as well as act as his business manager. He spearheaded the author reading tours Burroughs often gave to audiences in the 1980s and 1990s and wrote editorial copy for a compilation of stories Interzone
. He quit working for Burroughs and returned to Kansas in the early 1980s, and this quickly led Burroughs to relocate to the Midwestern university town of Lawrence, Kansas
, to work more closely with Grauerholz again. Up until Burroughs' death in 1997, Grauerholz supported him, getting him reading engagements, commercial advertisements (Nike
shoes), parts in films (Drugstore Cowboy
) as well as recording Burroughs readings. He looked after William's physical needs as well, taking him to a methadone
clinic in Kansas City
weekly, as well as providing him with companionship and acting as a kind of social seceretary to the many people that came to Kansas to meet Burroughs.
Grauerholz wrote biographical sketches to a Burroughs reader Word Virus, and edited a posthumous release of Burroughs diaries Last Words: The Final Journals of William S. Burroughs
. Reportedly, he is working on a full length biography, with Barry Miles
added to the project in March 2010.
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and editor
Editor in chief
An editor-in-chief is a publication's primary editor, having final responsibility for the operations and policies. Additionally, the editor-in-chief is held accountable for delegating tasks to staff members as well as keeping up with the time it takes them to complete their task...
. He is most famous as the bibliographer
Bibliographer
"A bibliographer is a person who describes and lists books and other publications, with particular attention to such characteristics as authorship, publication date, edition, typography, etc. The result of this endeavor is a bibliography...
and literary executor
Literary executor
A literary executor is a person with decision-making power in respect of a literary estate. According to Wills, Administration and Taxation: a practical guide "A will may appoint different executors to deal with different parts of the estate...
of the estate of William S. Burroughs
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...
. He was born in Kansas and attended the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
for a year before dropping out and traveling to New York City. By his own admission, he was fascinated with Beat Generation
Beat generation
The Beat Generation refers to a group of American post-WWII writers who came to prominence in the 1950s, as well as the cultural phenomena that they both documented and inspired...
literature and authors.
Grauerholz became acquainted with Burroughs in the 1970s while befriending Allen Ginsberg
Allen Ginsberg
Irwin 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...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Ginsberg recommended Grauerholz to Burroughs as a possible assistant and their working relationship began in this simple manner, yet grew to be a major factor in the popularization of Burroughs and his works. Grauerholz became Burroughs' friend and business manager until the author's death in 1997.
His influence on Burroughs' later work is significant as he helped edit a trilogy of novels — Cities of the Red Night
Cities of the Red Night
Cities of the Red Night is a novel by American author William S. Burroughs. It is part of his final trilogy of novels, known as The Red Night Trilogy, followed by The Place of Dead Roads and The Western Lands, and was first published in 1981. It was his first full-length novel since The Wild Boys a...
(1981), The Place of Dead Roads
The Place of Dead Roads
The Place of Dead Roads by William S. Burroughs, published in 1983, is the second book of the trilogy that begins with Cities of the Red Night and concludes with The Western Lands...
(1985) and The Western Lands
The Western Lands
The Western Lands by William S. Burroughs, published in 1987, is a novel which is the final part of the trilogy that begins with Cities of the Red Night and The Place of Dead Roads. The title refers to the western bank of the Nile River, which in Egyptian mythology is the Land of the Dead...
(1987) — as well as act as his business manager. He spearheaded the author reading tours Burroughs often gave to audiences in the 1980s and 1990s and wrote editorial copy for a compilation of stories Interzone
Interzone (book)
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...
. He quit working for Burroughs and returned to Kansas in the early 1980s, and this quickly led Burroughs to relocate to the Midwestern university town of Lawrence, Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas
Lawrence is the sixth largest city in the U.S. State of Kansas and the county seat of Douglas County. Located in northeastern Kansas, Lawrence is the anchor city of the Lawrence, Kansas, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Douglas County...
, to work more closely with Grauerholz again. Up until Burroughs' death in 1997, Grauerholz supported him, getting him reading engagements, commercial advertisements (Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
shoes), parts in films (Drugstore Cowboy
Drugstore Cowboy
Drugstore Cowboy is a 1989 crime drama directed by Gus Van Sant and written by Van Sant and Daniel Yost, based on a novel by James Fogle. Matt Dillon stars in the title role, and Kelly Lynch, Heather Graham, and William S. Burroughs are also featured. Drugstore Cowboy was filmed mainly around...
) as well as recording Burroughs readings. He looked after William's physical needs as well, taking him to a methadone
Methadone
Methadone is a synthetic opioid, used medically as an analgesic and a maintenance anti-addictive for use in patients with opioid dependency. It was developed in Germany in 1937...
clinic in Kansas City
Kansas City Metropolitan Area
The Kansas City Metropolitan Area is a fifteen-county metropolitan area that is anchored by Kansas City, Missouri and is bisected by the border between the states of Missouri and Kansas. As of the 2010 Census, the metropolitan area has a population of 2,035,334. The metropolitan area is the...
weekly, as well as providing him with companionship and acting as a kind of social seceretary to the many people that came to Kansas to meet Burroughs.
Grauerholz wrote biographical sketches to a Burroughs reader Word Virus, and edited a posthumous release of Burroughs diaries Last Words: The Final Journals of William S. Burroughs
Last Words: The Final Journals of William S. Burroughs
Last Words: The Final Journals of William S. Burroughs is a collection of diary entries made by Beat Generation author William S. Burroughs between November 16, 1996 and July 30, 1997, only a few days before his death on August 2 at the age of 83...
. Reportedly, he is working on a full length biography, with Barry Miles
Barry Miles
Barry Miles is an English author known for his participation in and writing on the subject of the 1960s London underground. He has written numerous books and his work has also regularly appeared in left-wing papers such as The Guardian...
added to the project in March 2010.
Works as editor or co-editor
- Burroughs, William, Cities of the Red NightCities of the Red NightCities of the Red Night is a novel by American author William S. Burroughs. It is part of his final trilogy of novels, known as The Red Night Trilogy, followed by The Place of Dead Roads and The Western Lands, and was first published in 1981. It was his first full-length novel since The Wild Boys a...
, 1981 - Burroughs, William, The Place of Dead RoadsThe Place of Dead RoadsThe Place of Dead Roads by William S. Burroughs, published in 1983, is the second book of the trilogy that begins with Cities of the Red Night and concludes with The Western Lands...
, 1985 - Burroughs, William, The Western LandsThe Western LandsThe Western Lands by William S. Burroughs, published in 1987, is a novel which is the final part of the trilogy that begins with Cities of the Red Night and The Place of Dead Roads. The title refers to the western bank of the Nile River, which in Egyptian mythology is the Land of the Dead...
, 1987 - Burroughs, William, My Education: A Book of DreamsMy Education: A Book of DreamsMy Education: A Book of Dreams is the final novel by William S. Burroughs to be published before his death in 1997. It is a collection of dreams, taken from various decades, along with a few comments about the War on Drugs and paragraphs created with the cut-up technique...
, 1995 - Burroughs, William, InterzoneInterzone (book)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...
, 1985 - Burroughs, William, Last Words: The Final Journals of William S. BurroughsLast Words: The Final Journals of William S. BurroughsLast Words: The Final Journals of William S. Burroughs is a collection of diary entries made by Beat Generation author William S. Burroughs between November 16, 1996 and July 30, 1997, only a few days before his death on August 2 at the age of 83...
., 2000.
Works as author
- Grauerholz, James and Ira SilverbergIra SilverbergIra Silverberg is an influential literary agent and editor in the New York publishing business. Silverberg worked as a literary agent at Donadio & Ashworth, as Editor-in-Chief at Grove/Atlantic Press, and as editorial and publishing director at Serpent's Tail's U.S. projects, High Risk Books and...
. (2000) Word Virus: The William S. Burroughs Reader. Grove PressGrove PressGrove Press is an American publishing imprint that was founded in 1951. Imprints include: Black Cat, Evergreen, Venus Library, Zebra. Barney Rosset purchased the company in 1951 and turned it into an alternative book press in the United States. The Atlantic Monthly Press, under the aegis of its...
. (Editor and author of biographical sketches preceding each chapter). - Grauerholz, James. The Death of Joan Vollmer Burroughs: What Really Happened?. American Studies Department, University of Kansas. Online.
External links
- Shooting Joan Burroughs at Beats In Kansas. William Burroughs and James Grauerholz, his editor, heir and adopted son, at Burroughs' Lawrence, KS home in 1997, the last year of Burroughs' life.
- Author Barry Miles recalls relationships with Beatles, Burroughs and Swinging London March 2010