Burroughs and Friends Quotes

“Reagan is talking about getting back to the old versions, but that's just this old politician horseshit. They've been saying it for a hundred years: "Back to the virtues that made America great and can make America great again!" It's not to be taken seriously, of course. Biologically speaking, the only direction you can't go, is back! It's impossible. It's a law.”
― William S. Burroughs, Burroughs and Friends: Lost Interviews

“I just started reading the Doc Savage novels.

I don't think I ever encountered those. I read Black Mask; I remember Weird Tales and Amazing Stories--there were some very good ones in there, and some of them I've never been able to find. I used some of those in my own work, but I'd like to find the originals, but never could. Who was that guy [who wrote about] "the Old Ones"?

H.P. Lovecraft?

There was somebody else.

Arthur Machen?

He was another one, too. But anyway, Lovecraft was quite good and earnest. This place right by the--it's always in New England--where there's vile rural slums that stunk of fish because they're these half-fish people! It was great.”
― William S. Burroughs, Burroughs and Friends: Lost Interviews

“Good heavens, there are very detailed, and very arbitrary descriptions in all occult books that suggest how this is done and all this stuff you have to go through. I think myself that it's time for them to come out of the circle and into the street with all this. I said that in an introduction to the Necronomicon. I just don't follow all this absolutely arbitrary ritual of certain incenses and herbs and words and so on.”
― William S. Burroughs, Burroughs and Friends: Lost Interviews