Scientologist! William S. Burroughs and the 'Weird Cult'

Scientologist! William S. Burroughs and the 'Weird Cult'

Scientology is largely overlooked in major texts about the life and work of William S. Burroughs, author of some of the most notorious literature of the 20th century. Its importance in the creation of the Cut-up Method and Burroughsâ‚¬ view of language as a virus is undermined by the omission of details regarding his interest in the religion over the course of a decade â‚¬â€œ certainly the most creatively fertile period of his life. Instead, biographers and critics tend to focus on his other obsessions in the realm of fringe science, and on the period during the early 1970s when Burroughs left the religion and began a public crusade against it.
However, Burroughsâ‚¬ involvement with L. Ron Hubbardâ‚¬s organization was no fleeting interest; he was a fully-fledged member and even obtained the rank of â‚¬Ëœclearâ‚¬ â‚¬â€œ a prestigious achievement for a Scientologist. Scientology ultimately inspired the plot, the structure, and various elements of some of Burroughsâ‚¬ most important works, including The Soft Machine and The Wild Boys. His fascination was genuine, and his progress through the hierarchical structure of the Church signals a dedication that he would later downplay after being excommunicated in 1969.

Now, for the first time, his life and literature are reexamined in the light of newly uncovered information about Burroughsâ‚¬ fascination with this â‚¬Ëœweird cult,â‚¬ as he once described it.
Country USA
Manufacturer Beatdom Books
Binding Kindle Edition
ReleaseDate 2013-03-12
Format Kindle eBook

Country	USA
Manufacturer	Beatdom Books
Binding	Kindle Edition
ReleaseDate	2013-03-12
Format	Kindle eBook

Scientologist! William S. Burroughs and the 'Weird Cult'

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