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Junkie (novel)

Junkie: Confessions of an Unredeemed Drug Addict (originally titled Junk, later released as Junky) 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.[citation needed]

Junkie Yellow and buddy black
1953 Ace Double edition, credited to William Lee
AuthorWilliam S. Burroughs
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
GenreSemi-autobiographical novel
PublisherAce Books
Publication date
1953
Media typePrint (Paperback)
Pages166
ISBN0-14-200316-6 (reprint)
OCLC51086068
813/.54 21
LC ClassPS3552.U75 J86 2003
Followed byQueer 

Inspiration

The novel was considered unpublishable more than it was controversial. Burroughs began it largely at the request and insistence of Allen Ginsberg, who was impressed by Burroughs's letter-writing skill. Burroughs took up the task with little enthusiasm. However, partly because he saw that becoming a publishable writer was possible (his friend Jack Kerouac had published his first novel The Town and the City in 1950), he began to compile his experiences as an addict, 'lush roller' who stole from inebriated homeless persons, and small-time Greenwich Village heroin pusher.

Although it was long considered Burroughs' first novel, he had in fact several years earlier completed a manuscript called And the Hippos Were Boiled in Their Tanks with Kerouac, but this work would remain unpublished in its entirety until 2008.

Ginsberg as editor and literary agent

Burroughs's work would not have been published but for Allen Ginsberg's determination. Besides encouraging Burroughs to write, he worked as editor and agent as the manuscript was written in Mexico City. Queer, the companion piece to Junkie, was written at the same time and parts of it were designed to be included in Junkie, since the first manuscript was dismissed as poorly written and lacking in interest and insight. After many rejection letters, Burroughs stopped writing.[citation needed]

Ginsberg found Burroughs a publisher through Carl Solomon, whom he had met at the psychiatric hospital to which Ginsberg was sent in 1949 by a judge following the latter's trial for receiving stolen goods. Solomon was the nephew of A. A. Wyn, who owned Ace Books. Having secured the publisher's interest, Ginsberg forced Burroughs to revisit the text. Ginsberg soothed Burroughs's indignation at the necessary edits, and was able to finally place the novel with the New York publishing house.[citation needed]

Publishing history and editions

 
50th anniversary edition, with Burroughs' intended title spelling

Ace Books primarily catered to New York City subway riders, and competed in the same market as comic book, true crime, and detective fiction publishers. Ace published no hardcover books, only cheap paperbacks, which sold for very little; Burroughs earned less than a cent royalty on each purchase.[citation needed]

Most libraries at the time did not buy Ace books, considering them trivial and without literary merit, and Ace paperbacks were never reviewed by literary critics. At the time of its publication, the novel was in a two-book ("dos-à-dos") omnibus edition (known as an "Ace Double") alongside a previously published 1941 novel called Narcotic Agent by Maurice Helbrant. Burroughs chose to use the pseudonym "William Lee", Lee being his mother's maiden name, for the writing credit. The subtitle of the work was Confessions of an Unredeemed Drug Addict. This edition is a highly desired collectible and even below-average-condition copies have been known to cost hundreds of dollars. The United States Library of Congress purchased a copy in 1992 for its Rare Book/Special Collections Reading Room.[citation needed]

Numerous reprints of the book appeared in the 1960s and 1970s once Burroughs achieved notoriety with Naked Lunch, with the work now credited under his real name. Generally, American editions used the original Junkie spelling for the title, while UK editions usually changed this to Junky.[citation needed]

In 1977 a complete edition of the original text was published by Penguin Books with an introduction by Allen Ginsberg; sections of the manuscript referring to Burroughs's homosexuality, which had been edited out of earlier editions, were included for the first time. In 2003, to mark the work's 50th anniversary, Penguin reissued the book as Junky: The Definitive Text of "Junk." It included a new introduction by Oliver Harris, the British literary scholar, who integrated new material never before published; Harris had found edits of deleted material in the literary archives of Allen Ginsberg.[citation needed]

The text

The text is memorable for its content and style. The distant, dry, laconic tone of the narrator is balanced by the openness and honesty of the story. Burroughs offers details about his narrator's behavior. He speaks from the vantage point of an eyewitness, reporting back to ‘straights’ the feelings, thoughts, actions and characters he meets in the criminal fringe of New York, at the Lexington Federal Narcotics Hospital/Prison in Kentucky, and in New Orleans and Mexico City.[citation needed]

The story takes on a more personal tone when the narrator leaves New York. In subsequent sections the substantive facts are replaced by a more intimate, desperate search for meaning and escape from criminal sanction and permanent addiction. Throughout, there are flashes of Burroughs's acutely graphic description, and agonizingly candid confessions: traits that would mark his literature for the next forty years.[citation needed]

Peruvian novelist Mario Vargas Llosa wrote that while he did not care for Burroughs's subsequent experimental fiction, he admired the more straightforward Junky both on its own merits and further as "an accurate description of what I believe to be the literary vocation"; i.e., the all-consuming nature of writing as similar to addiction.[1]

Recorded performances

At least three recordings have been issued featuring readings from this book. Some time in the late 1960s or early 1970s, Burroughs recorded an extensive passage from the book which was issued on a record album. Later, in the 1990s, two audiobook editions were released, one read by actor David Carradine, and another read by Burroughs himself.[citation needed]

Editions

  • Junkie: Confessions of an Unredeemed Drug Addict. An Ace Original. William Lee. New York, NY: Ace Books, 1953. (No assigned ISBN. LC Control Number: 92183851)
  • Junky: Originally Published as Junkie Under the Pen Name of William Lee. William S. Burroughs with an introduction by Allen Ginsberg. 1st complete and unexpurgated edition. New York, NY, U.S.A.: Penguin Books, 1977. ISBN 0-14-004351-9
  • Junky: the definitive text of 'Junk'. William S. Burroughs; edited and with an introduction by Oliver Harris. New York: Penguin Books, 2003. ISBN 0-14-200316-6

References

  1. ^ Vargas Llosa, Mario (1997, 2002). Letters to a Young Novelist. Farrar, Straus & Giroux, transl. Natasha Wimmer

junkie, novel, similarly, titled, book, melvin, burgess, junk, novel, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources. For the similarly titled book by Melvin Burgess see Junk novel This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Junkie novel news newspapers books scholar JSTOR March 2020 Learn how and when to remove this template message Junkie Confessions of an Unredeemed Drug Addict originally titled Junk later released as Junky 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 citation needed Junkie Yellow and buddy black1953 Ace Double edition credited to William LeeAuthorWilliam S BurroughsCountryUnited StatesLanguageEnglishGenreSemi autobiographical novelPublisherAce BooksPublication date1953Media typePrint Paperback Pages166ISBN0 14 200316 6 reprint OCLC51086068Dewey Decimal813 54 21LC ClassPS3552 U75 J86 2003Followed byQueer Contents 1 Inspiration 2 Ginsberg as editor and literary agent 3 Publishing history and editions 4 The text 5 Recorded performances 6 Editions 7 ReferencesInspiration EditThe novel was considered unpublishable more than it was controversial Burroughs began it largely at the request and insistence of Allen Ginsberg who was impressed by Burroughs s letter writing skill Burroughs took up the task with little enthusiasm However partly because he saw that becoming a publishable writer was possible his friend Jack Kerouac had published his first novel The Town and the City in 1950 he began to compile his experiences as an addict lush roller who stole from inebriated homeless persons and small time Greenwich Village heroin pusher Although it was long considered Burroughs first novel he had in fact several years earlier completed a manuscript called And the Hippos Were Boiled in Their Tanks with Kerouac but this work would remain unpublished in its entirety until 2008 Ginsberg as editor and literary agent EditBurroughs s work would not have been published but for Allen Ginsberg s determination Besides encouraging Burroughs to write he worked as editor and agent as the manuscript was written in Mexico City Queer the companion piece to Junkie was written at the same time and parts of it were designed to be included in Junkie since the first manuscript was dismissed as poorly written and lacking in interest and insight After many rejection letters Burroughs stopped writing citation needed Ginsberg found Burroughs a publisher through Carl Solomon whom he had met at the psychiatric hospital to which Ginsberg was sent in 1949 by a judge following the latter s trial for receiving stolen goods Solomon was the nephew of A A Wyn who owned Ace Books Having secured the publisher s interest Ginsberg forced Burroughs to revisit the text Ginsberg soothed Burroughs s indignation at the necessary edits and was able to finally place the novel with the New York publishing house citation needed Publishing history and editions Edit 50th anniversary edition with Burroughs intended title spelling Ace Books primarily catered to New York City subway riders and competed in the same market as comic book true crime and detective fiction publishers Ace published no hardcover books only cheap paperbacks which sold for very little Burroughs earned less than a cent royalty on each purchase citation needed Most libraries at the time did not buy Ace books considering them trivial and without literary merit and Ace paperbacks were never reviewed by literary critics At the time of its publication the novel was in a two book dos a dos omnibus edition known as an Ace Double alongside a previously published 1941 novel called Narcotic Agent by Maurice Helbrant Burroughs chose to use the pseudonym William Lee Lee being his mother s maiden name for the writing credit The subtitle of the work was Confessions of an Unredeemed Drug Addict This edition is a highly desired collectible and even below average condition copies have been known to cost hundreds of dollars The United States Library of Congress purchased a copy in 1992 for its Rare Book Special Collections Reading Room citation needed Numerous reprints of the book appeared in the 1960s and 1970s once Burroughs achieved notoriety with Naked Lunch with the work now credited under his real name Generally American editions used the original Junkie spelling for the title while UK editions usually changed this to Junky citation needed In 1977 a complete edition of the original text was published by Penguin Books with an introduction by Allen Ginsberg sections of the manuscript referring to Burroughs s homosexuality which had been edited out of earlier editions were included for the first time In 2003 to mark the work s 50th anniversary Penguin reissued the book as Junky The Definitive Text of Junk It included a new introduction by Oliver Harris the British literary scholar who integrated new material never before published Harris had found edits of deleted material in the literary archives of Allen Ginsberg citation needed The text EditThis section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed May 2010 Learn how and when to remove this template message The text is memorable for its content and style The distant dry laconic tone of the narrator is balanced by the openness and honesty of the story Burroughs offers details about his narrator s behavior He speaks from the vantage point of an eyewitness reporting back to straights the feelings thoughts actions and characters he meets in the criminal fringe of New York at the Lexington Federal Narcotics Hospital Prison in Kentucky and in New Orleans and Mexico City citation needed The story takes on a more personal tone when the narrator leaves New York In subsequent sections the substantive facts are replaced by a more intimate desperate search for meaning and escape from criminal sanction and permanent addiction Throughout there are flashes of Burroughs s acutely graphic description and agonizingly candid confessions traits that would mark his literature for the next forty years citation needed Peruvian novelist Mario Vargas Llosa wrote that while he did not care for Burroughs s subsequent experimental fiction he admired the more straightforward Junky both on its own merits and further as an accurate description of what I believe to be the literary vocation i e the all consuming nature of writing as similar to addiction 1 Recorded performances EditAt least three recordings have been issued featuring readings from this book Some time in the late 1960s or early 1970s Burroughs recorded an extensive passage from the book which was issued on a record album Later in the 1990s two audiobook editions were released one read by actor David Carradine and another read by Burroughs himself citation needed Editions EditJunkie Confessions of an Unredeemed Drug Addict An Ace Original William Lee New York NY Ace Books 1953 No assigned ISBN LC Control Number 92183851 Junky Originally Published as Junkie Under the Pen Name of William Lee William S Burroughs with an introduction by Allen Ginsberg 1st complete and unexpurgated edition New York NY U S A Penguin Books 1977 ISBN 0 14 004351 9 Junky the definitive text of Junk William S Burroughs edited and with an introduction by Oliver Harris New York Penguin Books 2003 ISBN 0 14 200316 6References Edit Vargas Llosa Mario 1997 2002 Letters to a Young Novelist Farrar Straus amp Giroux transl Natasha Wimmer Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Junkie novel amp oldid 1134293046, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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