Queer Burroughs
About this book
William S. Burroughs is consistently thought of as a novelist who is gay, rather than a gay novelist. This distinction is slight, yet remarkable, since it has meant that Burroughs has been excluded from the gay canon and from the scope of queer theory. In this intelligent book, Jamie Russell offers the first queer reading of Burrough's novels. He explores how the novels of Burroughs can be seen as a sustained attempt to offer a very personal rethinking of gay subjectivity, and as an attempt to overturn stereotypes of gay men as effeminate. Yet in his celebration and appropriation of some of the most violent, misogynistic, and effeminaphobic elements of heterosexually-identified masculinity, Burroughs's life and writing suggests a subjectivity which has been deeply troubling to many in the gay community.
Frequently asked questions
- Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
- Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.4M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Queer Burroughs
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction: Queering the Burroughs Canon
- Chapter One: Resisting the Paradigm: Battling the Discourses of Effeminacy in Junkie, Queer, and Naked Lunch
- Chapter Two: Imagining It Otherwise: Engrams, Effeminacy, and Masculine Identity
- Chapter Three: Powers of Pleasure: Hypermasculinity, Hedonism and Self-Mastery
- Chapter Four: The Flight of the Soul from the Body
- Afterword
- Notes
- Bibliography/Works Cited
- Index
