Speed/Kentucky Ham: Two Novels

Rating:
Summary: deep sadness
Review: Two books by the son of William S. Burroughs. Soul crushing sadness. While the Elder Burroughs' writing has an almost scriptural cadence to it, (Bill Jr, says "Naked Lunch" was transcribed), the Junior Burroughs writing is page after page of unrelenting despair and self-pity; well-written, yes, but Darker-than-Dark...In his afterword to the book the Elder Burroughs' describes his son's writing as illustrative of the Cultural Revolution and Dream that was the 60's. Bill Jr's writing shows the 60's as a nightmare and you may feel fortunate to wake from it after finishing the book. And, as so many "Revolutions" of the 20th century abysmally failed, perhaps this was one more revolution we can thankfully see fizzle and fade. In "Speed" Bill Jr. confidently predicts that the long-hair revolutionaries he sees are gonna shake up the world and never sell out...well... Fascinating book, well-written, haunting and exasperating, important addition for folks who collect the Elder Burroughs stuff. Just don't read this book with any sharp objects nearby...

Rating:
Summary: Amazing books
Review: Yes, Billy Junior was not his father: read this thinking of him as his own person with his own habit. That said, I was surprised how much impression this duo-novel had on me. For one thing, it's authentic. This guy knew his drugs and how to talk candidly about them. I found myself laughing with him, rooting for him when he started to get in trouble.

Another value this book has, especially the Kentucky Ham segment, is a crash course (no pun intended) on what can make a drug rehabilitation program actually have the effect that such things so seldom do: Bill Jr. suggests that addicts need the chance to "put in a new brain" and do it for themselves, without all the BS and indoctriation that come with most drug treatment facilities. The program Billy was involved with helped small groups of addicts to travel to Alaska and join fishing crews. While playing Eskimo for months he learned to re-acquaint himself with the rhythms of his body, the demands of surviving, and learn what the unpretentious life close to nature can often offer people who have forgotten the basics. (I wonder if programs like this still exist sometimes, ones without any of that "faith based" nonsense.) All told, a great book that any lover of drugs should have a gander at. It is, to my great delight, completely unjudgmental about drugs and their users: he simply decided enough was enough when it was time to.

Rating:
Summary: Salient points aplenty, entertainment as well.
Review: Yes, Billy Junior was not his father: read this thinking of him as his own person with his own habit. That said, I was surprised how much impression this duo-novel had on me. For one thing, it's authentic. This guy knew his drugs and how to talk candidly about them. I found myself laughing with him, rooting for him when he started to get in trouble.

Another value this book has, especially the Kentucky Ham segment, is a crash course (no pun intended) on what can make a drug rehabilitation program actually have the effect that such things so seldom do: Bill Jr. suggests that addicts need the chance to "put in a new brain" and do it for themselves, without all the BS and indoctriation that come with most drug treatment facilities. The program Billy was involved with helped small groups of addicts to travel to Alaska and join fishing crews. While playing Eskimo for months he learned to re-acquaint himself with the rhythms of his body, the demands of surviving, and learn what the unpretentious life close to nature can often offer people who have forgotten the basics. (I wonder if programs like this still exist sometimes, ones without any of that "faith based" nonsense.) All told, a great book that any lover of drugs should have a gander at. It is, to my great delight, completely unjudgmental about drugs and their users: he simply decided enough was enough when it was time to.