Last Words: The Final Journals of William S. Burroughs
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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. The collection was first published in hardcover by Grove Press
in 2000 and was edited by Burroughs' longtime assistant, James Grauerholz
.
This final collection of writings by Burroughs was transcribed from mostly hand-written journal entries that were often difficult to decipher. Burroughs chronicles his thoughts about his approaching mortality, particularly in the wake of the death of his longtime friend Allen Ginsberg
on April 5, 1997, and the passing of several beloved pets. He also expresses his feelings about political issues of the day such as the War on Drugs
, and mentions being wryly amused at living in one of the cities destroyed by nuclear weapons in the TV movie The Day After
(1983).
His final entry describes love as "the most natural painkiller what there is."
The book concludes with a section of annotations by Grauerholz describing events in Burroughs' life at the time of the journal entries, along with explanations for some references and people mentioned in the entries.
Several of these journal entries, including his last one, were initially published in a 1998 issue of The New Yorker
.
Grove Press, the publishers of the book, had a long history with Burroughs dating back to the early 1960s when they published the first North American edition of Naked Lunch
, sparking a landmark obscenity case.
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...
author 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...
between November 16, 1996 and July 30, 1997, only a few days before his death on August 2 at the age of 83. The collection was first published in hardcover by Grove Press
Grove Press
Grove 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...
in 2000 and was edited by Burroughs' longtime assistant, 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...
.
This final collection of writings by Burroughs was transcribed from mostly hand-written journal entries that were often difficult to decipher. Burroughs chronicles his thoughts about his approaching mortality, particularly in the wake of the death of his longtime friend 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...
on April 5, 1997, and the passing of several beloved pets. He also expresses his feelings about political issues of the day such as the War on Drugs
War on Drugs
The War on Drugs is a campaign of prohibition and foreign military aid and military intervention being undertaken by the United States government, with the assistance of participating countries, intended to both define and reduce the illegal drug trade...
, and mentions being wryly amused at living in one of the cities destroyed by nuclear weapons in the TV movie The Day After
The Day After
The Day After is a 1983 American television movie which aired on November 20, 1983, on the ABC television network. It was seen by more than 100 million people during its initial broadcast....
(1983).
His final entry describes love as "the most natural painkiller what there is."
The book concludes with a section of annotations by Grauerholz describing events in Burroughs' life at the time of the journal entries, along with explanations for some references and people mentioned in the entries.
Several of these journal entries, including his last one, were initially published in a 1998 issue of The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
.
Grove Press, the publishers of the book, had a long history with Burroughs dating back to the early 1960s when they published the first North American edition of 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...
, sparking a landmark obscenity case.