Last Words: The Final Journals of William S. Burroughs (Amazon.com)
Last Words: The Final Journals of William S. Burroughs (Amazon.co.uk)
“How I hate those who are dedicated to producing conformity”
– Last Words
This tender and moving book, lovingly edited by Burrough’s longtime companion, James Grauerholz, may come as a surprise to those who know Burroughs as a scary old homosexual junky who penned *Naked Lunch*, the man who shot his wife in the head when performing a ‘William Tell routine’ or appeared as the heroin-addicted priest in *Drugstore Cowboy*. More true to life, Burroughs was one of the last true gentlemen, a radical of any era, a painfully sensitive and an untouchable writer.
*Last Words* is collection of his diaries from November 1996, until his death, at the age of 83. Entries often begin with accounts of his dreams, thoughts about his cats, or memories that seep in from his distant past, which Burroughs playfully chops up over a period of days, in a relaxed ‘cut-up’ fashion.
While I wouldn’t recommend this book as a suitable starting point for Burroughs initiates, I would recommend it to those who have read his work, but find it unfathomable, and to thefans who miss the wry drawl of Uncle Bill.
– daev
