Birmingham, James (Burroughs, William S.)

The Burroughs Flyer

Coventry, England: Beat Scene Press, 2023. Limited First Edition. Stapled Wrappers. "This rough and crude flyer, tantalizingly promoting an imminent appearance at the City Lights bookstore in San Francisco by William Burroughs intrigued when it appeared on the net recently. Got me wondering if El Hombre Invisible did in fact turn up? No year is given, but November 4 at 3 p.m. gives something of a clue...But now James Birmingham is here and he can tell the story of the Burroughs Flyer, probably better than anyone I know. So it's over to him." (from "The Burroughs Flyer...A False Start/ September 2023" introduction by Kevin Ring, unpaginated) A scholarly essay by James ("Jed") Birmingham, founder & conductor of the venerable Reality Studio website, an online "William S. Burroughs Community" of great importance to us Burroughsian Third Minds. Birmingham dissects this elusive flyer (see image of front cover) & ultimately determines that it dates to 1978, while uncovering many insights & discoveries about WSB & his relationship with San Francisco, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, City Lights etc. From this one obscure piece of ephemera, Birmingham sheds much light into the larger life & work of the Founding Father of the Beat Generation-&-Beyond, among the foremost literary & cultural figures of all time, indeed the very Patron-Icon of our enterprise. Chapbook in stapled wrappers with flaps, the latest (as of this writing) No. 80 in the Beat Scene Press Pocket Book Series published in October, 2023 by our good friend Kevin Ring (who provides an introduction here, quoted above) in the UK. One of 125 hand-numbered copies, this is copy No. 43/125 per colophon. Another instant rarity in this outstanding series; an essential WSB-related collectible. See our many other volumes in this series, & issues of the indispensable Beat Scene magazine. In very fine condition, as new & substantially mint inside & out. Very Fine. [Item #5885]

Price: $40.00