The Job: Interviews with William S. Burroughs

Last updated
First English translation BurroughsJob.jpg
First English translation

The Job: Interviews with William S. Burroughs (French : Entretiens Avec William Burroughs) is a book by Daniel Odier built around an extensive series of interviews with Beat Generation author William S. Burroughs which concluded 15 November 1968. [1] The topics range from Scientology to Burroughs' opinions of other writers, views on power, etc.

Contents

As Burroughs explains in a foreword, a series of impromptu interviews was expanded with previously-written material (some published, some not). "The result is interview form presented as a film with fade-outs and flash-back illustrating the answers. [2] Burroughs' replies are hence discursive, extending the usual interview format to incorporate fiction. The contents vary between editions, as outlined below.

Contents

The structure of the book is unorthodox. Here are the contents as present in the most recent (and most complete) Penguin edition.

Editions

Odier, Daniel (1969). Entretiens Avec William Burroughs. Paris: Editions Pierre Belfond.

Odier, Daniel (1970). The Job: Interviews with William Burroughs. New York: Grove Press. 189 pp.
First edition in English, with a printing of 5,000 copies. Hardbound black cloth w/ metallic-green lettering on spine, plus dust jacket. This is sometimes confusingly described as a "Revised and Enlarged Edition" since it has a new (one page) introduction by Burroughs.

Odier, Daniel (1970). The Job: Interview with William Burroughs. London: Jonathan Cape. 192 pp.
First British printing, hardbound. Note the singular "interview" in the title.

Odier, Daniel (1974). The Job: Interviews with William Burroughs. New York: Grove Press. 224 pp.
This is the actual Revised and Enlarged edition, which now includes "Playback from Eden to Watergate" and "Electronic Revolution". These are both taken from the 1970 publication The Electronic Revolution, published by Expanded Media Editions. "Playback from Eden to Watergate" has been rewritten from the original "Feedback from Watergate to the Garden of Eden".

Burroughs, William (1984). The Job: Topical Writings and Interviews. London: John Calder.
Contents unknown.

Odier, Daniel (1989). The Job: Interview with William Burroughs. New York: Penguin. 224 pp.
Contents as given above.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kathy Acker</span> American novelist, playwright, essayist, and poet (1947–1997)

Kathy Acker was an American experimental novelist, playwright, essayist, and postmodernist writer, known for her idiosyncratic and transgressive writing that dealt with themes such as childhood trauma, sexuality and rebellion. She was influenced by the Black Mountain School poets, William S. Burroughs, David Antin, Carolee Schneeman, Eleanor Antin, French critical theory, mysticism, and pornography, as well as classic literature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William S. Burroughs</span> American writer and visual artist (1914–1997)

William Seward Burroughs II was an American writer and visual artist, widely considered a primary figure of the Beat Generation and a major postmodern author who influenced popular culture and literature. Burroughs wrote eighteen novels and novellas, six collections of short stories and four collections of essays, and five books have been published of his interviews and correspondences; he was initially briefly known by the pen name William Lee. He also collaborated on projects and recordings with numerous performers and musicians, made many appearances in films, and created and exhibited thousands of visual artworks, including his celebrated "Shotgun Art".

The Beat Generation was a literary movement started by a group of authors whose work explored and influenced American culture and politics in the post-war era. The bulk of their work was published and popularized by Silent Generationers in the 1950s. The central elements of Beat culture are the rejection of standard narrative values, making a spiritual quest, the exploration of American and Eastern religions, the rejection of economic materialism, explicit portrayals of the human condition, experimentation with psychedelic drugs, and sexual liberation and exploration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel Odier</span>

Daniel Robert Odier, is a Zen master, Chan master, writer, poet, screenwriter and essayist, specialist in Kashmir Shaivism. Praised by Anaïs Nin as "an outstanding writer and a dazzling poet," he is also a spiritual teacher of Eastern religious traditions, especially Tantra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ace Books</span> American specialty publisher of science fiction and fantasy books

Ace Books is a publisher of science fiction (SF) and fantasy books founded in New York City in 1952 by Aaron A. Wyn. It began as a genre publisher of mysteries and westerns, and soon branched out into other genres, publishing its first science fiction title in 1953. This was successful, and science fiction titles outnumbered both mysteries and westerns within a few years. Other genres also made an appearance, including nonfiction, gothic novels, media tie-in novelizations, and romances. Ace became known for the tête-bêche binding format used for many of its early books, although it did not originate the format. Most of the early titles were published in this "Ace Double" format, and Ace continued to issue books in varied genres, bound tête-bêche, until 1973.

<i>Junkie</i> (novel) 1953 novel by William S. Burroughs

Junkie: Confessions of an Unredeemed Drug Addict is a novel by American beat generation writer William S. Burroughs, initially published under the pseudonym William Lee in 1953. His first published work, it is semi-autobiographical and focuses on Burroughs' life as a drug user and dealer. It has come to be considered a seminal text on the lifestyle of heroin addicts in the early 1950s.

Grove Press is an American publishing imprint that was founded in 1947. Imprints include: Black Cat, Evergreen, Venus Library, and Zebra. Barney Rosset purchased the company in 1951 and turned it into an alternative book press in the United States. He partnered with Richard Seaver to bring French literature to the United States. The Atlantic Monthly Press, under the aegis of its publisher, Morgan Entrekin, merged with Grove Press in 1991. Grove later became an imprint of the publisher Grove/Atlantic, Inc.

<i>And the Hippos Were Boiled in Their Tanks</i> 1945 novel by Jack Kerouac and William S. Burroughs

And the Hippos Were Boiled in Their Tanks is a novel by Jack Kerouac and William S. Burroughs. It was written in 1945, a full decade before the two authors became famous as leading figures of the Beat Generation, and remained unpublished in complete form until 2008.

<i>Providence</i> (1977 film) 1977 French film

Providence is a 1977 French/Swiss film directed by Alain Resnais from a screenplay by David Mercer. It explores the processes of creativity through a portrayal of an ageing novelist, played by John Gielgud, who imagines scenes for his latest novel which draw upon his past and his relationships with members of his family. The film won the 1978 César Award for Best Film.

<i>Alis Smile</i> Book by William S. Burroughs II

Ali's Smile: Naked Scientology is a collection of essays and a short story by American Beat writer William S. Burroughs (1914–97). First published in 1971 as the short story "Ali's Smile", the book eventually contained a group of previously published newspaper articles as well, all of which address Scientology. Burroughs had been interested in Scientology throughout the 1960s, believing that its methods might help combat a controlling society. He joined the Church of Scientology later in the decade. However, he became disenchanted with the authoritarian nature of the organization. In 1970 Burroughs had published a "considered statement" on Scientology's methods because he felt they were significant enough to warrant commentary. These pieces were later gathered together into Ali's Smile: Naked Scientology, which religious studies scholar Hugh B. Urban describes as a "nonscholarly popular exposé of Scientology". Burroughs's texts argue that while some of Scientology's therapies are worthwhile, the dogmatic nature of the group and its secrecy are harmful.

<i>The Electronic Revolution</i>

The Electronic Revolution is an essay collection by William S. Burroughs that was first published in 1970 by Expanded Media Editions in West Germany. A second edition, published in 1971 in Cambridge, England, contained additional French translation by Henri Chopin.

<i>Inside Scientology: How I Joined Scientology and Became Superhuman</i>

Inside Scientology: How I Joined Scientology and Became Superhuman is a 1972 book by Robert Kaufman, in which the author takes a critical look at the Church of Scientology. It was first published in 1972 by Olympia Press. The book was the first to disclose secret Scientology materials. It was also published in 1972 in German, and was the first extensive critical report on Scientology in German.

This is a bibliography of the works of William S. Burroughs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean Grenier</span> French philosopher and writer (1898–1971)

Jean Grenier was a French philosopher and writer. He taught for a time in Algiers, where he became a significant influence on the young Albert Camus.

<i>Transcendence</i> (Rosenthal book)

Transcendence: Healing and Transformation Through Transcendental Meditation is a book written by psychiatrist and researcher Norman E. Rosenthal, published in 2011 by the Tarcher imprint of the Penguin Group. It presents the author's personal experiences and professional views on Transcendental Meditation research, as well as interviews with celebrity practitioners. The book contains a foreword by Mehmet Oz and four main sections entitled: "Transcendence", "Healing", "Transformation", and "Harmony."

<i>Sisterhood Is Global</i> 1984 anthology of feminist writings

Sisterhood Is Global: The International Women's Movement Anthology is a 1984 anthology of feminist writings edited by Robin Morgan, published by Anchor Press/Doubleday. It is the follow-up to Sisterhood Is Powerful: An Anthology of Writings from the Women's Liberation Movement (1970). After Sisterhood Is Global came its follow-up, Sisterhood Is Forever: The Women's Anthology for a New Millennium (2003).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Playback (technique)</span> Technique in chaos magic

In chaos magic, playback is a magical technique developed by William S. Burroughs, primarily as a way of placing curses on people or places. Burroughs was a part of the chaos magic movement, and this technique – along with others such as the cut-up technique – were further developed and commented on by later chaos magicians such as Genesis P-Orridge, Phil Hine and Dave Lee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Institut Suisse des Sciences Noétiques</span>

The Institut Suisse des Sciences Noétiques or ISSNOE is an established public utility nonprofit foundation dedicated to the scientific and comparative study of consciousness. The institute's research focuses on altered states of consciousness (ASC), like near-death experiences (NDEs), extrasensory perceptions (ESPs), and out-of-body experiences (OBEs).

Catherine Simon is an American portrait photographer and writer. She is known for her photographs of influential musicians, artists, and writers, including The Clash, Patti Smith, Madonna, Andy Warhol, and William S. Burroughs. One of her photographs of Bob Marley was used on the front cover of his 1978 album, Kaya.

References

  1. Odier, Daniel (1989). The Job: Interviews with William Burroughs. New York: Penguin. p. 224.
  2. Odier, Daniel (1989). The Job: Interviews with William Burroughs. New York: Penguin. p. 23.