Obscura Day 2016: William S. Burroughs’ New York with Katelan Foisy

William S. Burroughs, well-known as a provocative post-modernist novelist and artist, was a man of many names, from “The Godfather of Punk” and “El Hombre Invisible” to the “Cosmonaut of Inner Space”. He was a prolific artist, creating more than 31 books, novellas, essays, and short stories, and experimenting with film, painting, photography, and spoken word. Burroughs contributed works such as Naked Lunch, Nova Express and Spare Ass Annie into the art, literary, and music worlds, and lived and worked in NYC off and on since he first took up residence in 1939. A man of constant travel, Burroughs dwelled in different apartments and hotels throughout NYC, including The famous Chelsea Hotel. His most well known apartment “the Bunker” was where he lived, worked and entertained guests from 1974 until his departure from NY in 1981. In this lecture and walking exploration, discover New York City through Burroughs’ eyes. We’ll see and talk about Burroughs’ old haunts, as well as some of the works and experiments that came out of his time here. Learn about Dutch Schultz and discover why Burroughs chose to write about him, how the cut-up was created and how it influenced his work, with an emphasis on photography, recording, and the exercises he used to create this work.

Meets in front of Burroughs’ Bunker, 255 Bowery, New York, New York.

Tickets $25.