Burroughs, William S.

Letters to Allen Ginsberg 1953-1957

ISBN: 091619017X
New York, NY: Full Court Press, 1982. First Trade Softcover Edition. Softcover. "Written at a turning point in his life- when he was kicking drugs in Tangiers, writing Naked Lunch, and emerging from the literary underworld, these letters from (William S.) Burroughs to his young friend (Allen) Ginsberg are not only an intimate, diaristic account of who was doing what, with whom and when, but also a record, as Burroughs says, of "the transmutation of experience, dated and in context" into the fiction we have come to know as contemporary classics...Ginsberg's introduction not only sets the stage and describes his intimate friendship with Burroughs at the time, but also helps fill in the gap left by his long-lost half of the correspondence." (from back cover) The classic collection of letters by William S. Burroughs to his fellow Founding Father of the Beat Generation Allen Ginsberg, written during a crucial experiential & creative period in both their lives. Edited by Ron Padgett & Anne Waldman, who indicate that all unbracketed footnotes below some of the letters are by Ginsberg. This copy is from the first trade edition published by Full Court Press in 1982, preceded by a limited bilingual hardcover edition (1978) & issued simultaneously with a (very) limited numbered & signed hardcover edition. Shoaf, Section I, 43(b), pg. 46; Schottlaender, H12 (C), pg. 145. Among the most delightful & rewarding essential WSB collectibles where hilarious, perceptive & outright revolutionary passages appear in equal measure. In very fine condition with only very slight rubbing to front, back covers & spine; a bit of wear & a few tiny bumps at edges & corners of same; mild sunning/ fading to spine; very light rubbing to lower edge of text block. Interior very fine with only tiny bumps at corners of a few page leaves. Very Fine. [Item #4340]

Price: $50.00