The Burroughs File

''The Burroughs File'' is a collection of short fiction and non-fiction writings by Beat Generation author

William S. Burroughs William Seward Burroughs II (; February 5, 1914 – August 2, 1997) was an American writer and visual artist, widely considered a primary figure of the Beat Generation and a major postmodern author who influenced popular cultur ...

covering a period of more than 20 years (though largely focussing on the seven-year period 1962-69 during which Burroughs' principal literary output appeared in obscure 'little magazines'). The collection was first published in 1984. The book incorporates several smaller collections that had previously been published separately: ''The White Subway'' (Aloes seolA, London, 1973), ''Die Alten Filme'' (''The Old Movies''; Maro Verlag, Augsburg, edited by Carl Weissner, 1979) (most of the material in this book was published in English for the first time in ''The Burroughs File''), ''The Retreat Diaries'' (The City Moon Broadcast 3, New York, 1976) and ''Cobble Stone Gardens'' (Cherry Valley Editions, edited by Charles and Pam Plymell, New York, 1976). In addition, the book includes visual excerpts from Burroughs' scrapbooks and notebooks dating back to his early days as a writer. Pages 11-12 of The Burroughs File gives a full publishing history of earlier appearances including the original 'little magazine' and journal appearances. The subject matter of the various stories and essays range widely from material connected to his earlier works such as ''

Naked Lunch ''Naked Lunch'' (sometimes ''The Naked Lunch'') is a 1959 novel by American writer William S. Burroughs. The book is structured as a series of loosely connected vignettes, intended by Burroughs to be read in any order. The reader follows the na ...

'', to autobiographical pieces. ''The Retreat Diaries'' is a collection of journal entries made by Burroughs during the summer of 1975. Introductory material by others includes "Introductory Notes" by

James Grauerholz James Grauerholz (born December 14, 1953) is a writer and editor. He is the bibliographer and literary executor of the estate of William S. Burroughs. Life and career Grauerholz was born in Coffeyville, Kansas and attended the University of K ...

, "Burroughs in Tangier" by

Paul Bowles Paul Frederic Bowles (; December 30, 1910November 18, 1999) was an American expatriate composer, author, and translator. He became associated with the Moroccan city of Tangier, where he settled in 1947 and lived for 52 years to the end of his ...

(first published in ''Big Table'' 2, Chicago, 1959) and ''Whoever Can Pick up a Frying Pan Owns Death" by Alan Ansen (first published in ''Big Table'' 2, Chicago,1959 and in Parkinson, Thomas, ed. ''Casebook on the Beats'', T.Y. Crowell, New York, 19561). 1984 short story collections Short story collections by William S. Burroughs City Lights Publishers books {{Anthology-book-stub