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Queer (novel)
Encyclopedia
Queer is the title of an early short novel (written 1951–1953, published 1985) by William S. Burroughs
. It is partially a sequel to his earlier novel, Junkie
. That novel ends with the stated ambition of finding the ultimate ‘high’- a drug called Yage. Queer, although not totally devoted to that quest, does include a trip to South America looking for the substance.
The novel is noteworthy in Burroughs' development as a writer, for it has a detached cinematic quality that is absent from his later novels. However, it also contains the first seeds of ‘routines’- the long wild-eyed monologues that would gush forth in Naked Lunch and later fiction- and mark Burroughs’ work as radically satirical. In Queer, Lee tries to attract the attention of Allerton with long barstool eruptions.
crowd of college students and bar owners surviving on part-time jobs and GI Bill benefits. The novel is distinct from Junkie
, since it is written in third-person and Burroughs himself later commented in the "Introduction" published in 1985, that it represents him off heroin, whereas in Junkie, his narrator was emotionally and psychologically ‘protected’ by his addiction to heroin. Thus the story is confessional, and less of a plot driven commentary on the characters found in the urban underclass of drug addiction. Burroughs’ Lee is very self-conscious, insecure, and driven to pursue a young man named ‘Allerton’. Allerton is based on a then 21-year-old, Adelbert Lewis Marker (1930-1998), a recently discharged American Navy serviceman from Jacksonville, Florida who befriended Burroughs in Mexico City.
admired the work and thought it would appeal to "east coast homosexual literary critics". It was eventually published in 1985 with a new Introduction, when Burroughs's literary agent Andrew Wylie
secured him a lucrative publishing contract for future novels with Viking. Reportedly, he had not read the manuscript in thirty years because of the emotional trauma it caused him. Much of it was composed while Burroughs was awaiting trial for the accidental homicide of his common-law wife Joan Vollmer
.
Despite his frequent and uncompromising writings on homosexuality
, Burroughs has not been viewed as a gay author by many readers. In the words of Jamie Russell he has "been totally excluded from the 'queer canon'" According to Russell, Burroughs's life and writing suggests a gay subjectivity which has been deeply troubling to many in the gay community.
opera of the same title, based on the novel, premiered in the U.S. in 2001.
Steve Buscemi
is set to direct a film adaption of the book. The screenplay was written by Oren Moverman
, director and writer of The Messenger
. Steve led the first reading of Queer at the Sarasota Film Festival
with Stanley Tucci
, Ben Foster, John Ventimiglia
, and Lisa Joyce.
William S. Burroughs
William Seward Burroughs II was an American novelist, poet, essayist and spoken word performer. A primary figure of the Beat Generation and a major postmodernist author, he is considered to be "one of the most politically trenchant, culturally influential, and innovative artists of the 20th...
. It is partially a sequel to his earlier novel, Junkie
Junkie (novel)
Junkie is a 1953 semi-autobiographical novel by William S. Burroughs. It was his first published novel and has come to be considered a seminal text on the lifestyle of heroin addicts in the early 1950s. Burroughs' working title was Junk.-Inspiration:The novel was considered unpublishable more than...
. That novel ends with the stated ambition of finding the ultimate ‘high’- a drug called Yage. Queer, although not totally devoted to that quest, does include a trip to South America looking for the substance.
The novel is noteworthy in Burroughs' development as a writer, for it has a detached cinematic quality that is absent from his later novels. However, it also contains the first seeds of ‘routines’- the long wild-eyed monologues that would gush forth in Naked Lunch and later fiction- and mark Burroughs’ work as radically satirical. In Queer, Lee tries to attract the attention of Allerton with long barstool eruptions.
Plot summary
The novel begins with the introduction of a new character in Burroughs' writing - 'Lee', who begins by recounting his life in Mexico City among an American expatriateExpatriate
An expatriate is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person's upbringing...
crowd of college students and bar owners surviving on part-time jobs and GI Bill benefits. The novel is distinct from Junkie
Junkie (novel)
Junkie is a 1953 semi-autobiographical novel by William S. Burroughs. It was his first published novel and has come to be considered a seminal text on the lifestyle of heroin addicts in the early 1950s. Burroughs' working title was Junk.-Inspiration:The novel was considered unpublishable more than...
, since it is written in third-person and Burroughs himself later commented in the "Introduction" published in 1985, that it represents him off heroin, whereas in Junkie, his narrator was emotionally and psychologically ‘protected’ by his addiction to heroin. Thus the story is confessional, and less of a plot driven commentary on the characters found in the urban underclass of drug addiction. Burroughs’ Lee is very self-conscious, insecure, and driven to pursue a young man named ‘Allerton’. Allerton is based on a then 21-year-old, Adelbert Lewis Marker (1930-1998), a recently discharged American Navy serviceman from Jacksonville, Florida who befriended Burroughs in Mexico City.
Literary significance & criticism
Queer was originally written as an extension of Junkie, which had been judged too short and uninteresting for publication. However Burroughs lost interest in the manuscript, and chose not to return to it even when Junkie was accepted. It was doubtful whether much of the content could be published in the USA at that time, since the heavy homosexual content and theme could be held as obscene. Jack KerouacJack Kerouac
Jean-Louis "Jack" Lebris de Kerouac was an American novelist and poet. He is considered a literary iconoclast and, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, a pioneer of the Beat Generation. Kerouac is recognized for his spontaneous method of writing, covering topics such as Catholic...
admired the work and thought it would appeal to "east coast homosexual literary critics". It was eventually published in 1985 with a new Introduction, when Burroughs's literary agent Andrew Wylie
Andrew Wylie (literary agent)
-Early life:Wylie is the son of Craig Wylie, one time editor-in-chief at Houghton Mifflin. He grew up in Sudbury, Massachusetts, and attended St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire, from which he was dismissed in 1965: an interview with his university alumni magazine stated that this was for...
secured him a lucrative publishing contract for future novels with Viking. Reportedly, he had not read the manuscript in thirty years because of the emotional trauma it caused him. Much of it was composed while Burroughs was awaiting trial for the accidental homicide of his common-law wife Joan Vollmer
Joan Vollmer
Joan Vollmer was the most prominent female member of the early Beat Generation circle. While a student at Barnard College she became the roommate of Edie Parker and their apartment became a gathering place for the Beats during the 1940s, where Vollmer was often at the center of marathon, all...
.
Despite his frequent and uncompromising writings on homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
, Burroughs has not been viewed as a gay author by many readers. In the words of Jamie Russell he has "been totally excluded from the 'queer canon'" According to Russell, Burroughs's life and writing suggests a gay subjectivity which has been deeply troubling to many in the gay community.
Film, TV or theatrical adaptations
An Erling WoldErling Wold
Erling Wold is a San Francisco based composer of opera and contemporary classical music. He is best known for his later chamber operas, especially A Little Girl Dreams of Taking the Veil and his early experiments as a microtonalist...
opera of the same title, based on the novel, premiered in the U.S. in 2001.
Steve Buscemi
Steve Buscemi
Steven Vincent "Steve" Buscemi is an American actor, writer and film director. An associate member of the renowned experimental theater company The Wooster Group, Buscemi has starred and supported in successful Hollywood and indie films including New York Stories, Mystery Train, Reservoir Dogs,...
is set to direct a film adaption of the book. The screenplay was written by Oren Moverman
Oren Moverman
Oren Moverman is an Israeli filmmaker, screenwriter, and former journalist based in New York City.Moverman was the screenwriter and associate producer of Jesus' Son, a 2000 Lion’s Gate/Alliance Release...
, director and writer of The Messenger
The Messenger (2009 film)
The Messenger is a 2009 war drama film starring Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, Steve Buscemi, Jena Malone, and Samantha Morton. It is the directorial debut of Oren Moverman, who also wrote the screenplay with Alessandro Camon....
. Steve led the first reading of Queer at the Sarasota Film Festival
Sarasota Film Festival
The Sarasota Film Festival has been held annually since 1999 in Sarasota, Florida. The festival is held in April and has become one of the top ten independent festivals in North America...
with Stanley Tucci
Stanley Tucci
Stanley Tucci is an American actor, writer, film producer and film director. He has been nominated for several notable film awards, including an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, for his performance in The Lovely Bones...
, Ben Foster, John Ventimiglia
John Ventimiglia
John Ventimiglia is an American actor, known for his role as Artie Bucco on the HBO television series The Sopranos. He has had parts in feature films such as Cop Land, Jesus' Son, and Mickey Blue Eyes and has appeared in numerous television shows including Law & Order and NYPD Blue...
, and Lisa Joyce.
Sources used
- Jamie Russell: Queer Burroughs. Palgrave MacMillan, 2001, ISBN 0-312-23923-8
- Ted Morgan: Literary Outlaw. New York: Avon, 1988