Author of Naked Lunch, perhaps the last great banned book, William S. Burroughs shifted in a matter of decades from drugged-up obscurity, through counter-cultural iconicity, to outmoded cliché—that he should become the object of an exhibition at this country's most prestigious artistic institution, sponsored by a multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical company, is only the logical extension of an assimilative process that began with his induction into the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1983. Reviewing the RA exhibition on The Guardian's art blog, Jonathan Jones refers to Burroughs as '[t]he most overrated cultural icon of the late 20th century' and is not far off the mark.
And yet, there's a difference—a crucial one—between being an overrated cultural icon and an overrated writer. Jones disregards this, moving from a lazy comparison with Pynchon (junkie and paranoiac are far from interchangeable) to a general denunciation of Burroughs's work, but the distinction needs to be maintained. 'Burroughs is', according to Jones's sneering assessment, 'the modern writer adored by people who don't read enough modern writing'—an overcharged druggie stereotype, shooting smack and wives with equal abandon. A tendency to pop up in his own work certainly doesn't help matters—as Will Self puts it, 'there was never a writer like Bill Burroughs for self-mythologizing ...'
But what Jones seems to forget is the sheer visceral texture of Burroughs's junk-obsession. The whole point of his straight-dope grotesquerie is that it isn't some glamourized image: 'Since Naked Lunch treats this health problem [i.e. the problem of drug addiction], it is necessarily brutal, obscene and disgusting. Sickness is often repulsive details not for weak stomachs.' Burroughs's work points directly to a real critique of 'the pyramid of junk' which succumbs neither to government-sponsored anti-drug hysteria nor to the laminated heroin chic of the international catwalk. Years before postmodern theorists of destabilization and fragmentation appeared on the scene, Bill Burroughs was literally cutting up his manuscripts, splicing in newspaper clippings and extracts from his 'Word Hoard' in a deliberate blurring of text and context.
Good reading in Jan.: laughter, banned books
Erma Bombeck was one of my favorite authors. If I wanted a good laugh combined with excellent wisdom that I could understand, I would pick up one of Erma's books. Erma was a columnist and published 15 books. I guess you could say that Erma inspired and still inspires me. I wish I had her wit and her humor. Because of Erma, I found the courage to write a column.
Some of the titles of Erma's books are “The Grass is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank,” “If Life is a Bowl of Cherries, What Am I Doing in the Pits?” and “Motherhood: The Second Oldest Profession.” As you can guess by the title of her books, Erma was not boring.
My favorite column of Erma's was one titled “I've Always Loved You Best.” Her words described what most of us couldn't put into words. We love each child best but differently. The key is making them each feel the “we love you best” love.
Another author whose books I pick up when I need a pick-me-up is Barbara Johnson. Barbara was a speaker at a Women of Faith conference that I attended many years ago.
I decided that someone who could write a book titled “Leaking Laffs Between Pampers and Depends” was my kind of woman. After all who can resist a chapter titled “I Finally Got My Head Together But Then My Body Fell Apart.”
Some of her other enchanting titles are “Mama Get The Hammer There's A Fly On Papa's Head” and “Plant a Geranium in your Cranium,” which was written after she was diagnosed with brain cancer. However, my favorite book of Barbara's is “Living Somewhere Between Estrogen and Death.” The title says it all.
Bunny Suicides Beats Ban and Burning
Stepping up beside the likes of Voltaire's Candide and Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath, Andy Riley's 2003 The Book of Bunny Suicides (Plume) has narrowly avoided being banned at a Portland, Oregon school. From Oregon's Fox12:
"The Book of Bunny Suicides," by British humorist Andy Riley, follows 100 rabbits as they search for new ways to commit suicide. It has been the focus point of a long-running debate among the school board members since October, when parent Taffey Anderson threatened to burn the book after her 13-year-old son brought it home from school.Back in 2003 The Book of Bunny Suicides was one of those books that made it into the January Magazine stacks, but didn't make the cut for review. And why? Well, certainly not because we didn't want you to know about it. Honestly: the book just seemed too stupid to bother with. The kind of book -- hmmmm -- a 13-year-old boy might think was deeply funny.
Beulah school board to meet on banned book tonight
The Beulah School Board will hold a special meeting at 5:30 p.m. tonight at the board room in the high school to discuss last week's decision to ban a book from the high school library.
Board chairman Phil Eastgate said the book removal will be the only item on the agenda.
The board voted 4-3 Thursday to remove the book "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" from the school library.
The board was acting on a request and appeal made by Keith Bohn, a Beulah High School teacher, and Kathy Bohn, a school librarian, after their son brought the book home as part of accelerated reading program.
The Bohns said the book was unsuitably pornographic for a school library.
Newman trustees defer decision on banned book
After 70 people packed the Newman-Crows Landing Unified School District meeting Monday to hear discussions about a banned book, trustees said they will decide next week whether to return it to the curriculum.
All but one speaker defended "Bless Me, Ultima," a book by Rudolfo Anaya about a Latino boy reconciling his thoughts about American Indian religious traditions and Roman Catholicism. Critics say it's anti-Catholic.
Tony Spears, president of the local chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, said "I can't think of a book, I can't think of a newspaper article that's not offensive to some people."
In October, Superintendent Rick Fauss banned the book at Orestimba High School without reading it after one parent complained.
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