Photos of William S. Burroughs' stuff (1 Viewer)

There's a few interesting items among his stuff here. I wonder why the footstool is engraved "WAB" instead of "WSB"? Maybe it used to belong to family member before Burroughs got it?

Cool link! Thanks, David...
 
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the Elms Lesters Celebrates Charles Bukowski catalogue has photos similar to the Burroughs ones.

2wqsob4.jpg elmslestersback.jpg

second image courtesy www.collectingbukowski.com
 
I've never heard of him having any guns, but I remember having read he had a big kitchen knife strapped to his bedroom door at Carlton Way. I guess it was a dangerous neighborhood to be living in at times...
 
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Burroughs was a real gun nut, not to mention his collection of black jacks and knuckle dusters. He showed them off in one of the Burroughs documentaries.

- Nice pic, bongobill!
 
bongobill, I think Rekrab was wondering about Bukowski's belongings.
 
Why would "one" think that? He never gave any indication that he even thought about guns.

william-burroughs.jpg


William-Burroughs-7.jpg


burro3-8073.jpg


I reluctantly quote wikipedia for the sake of convenience:

"In 1951, Burroughs shot and killed Joan Vollmer in a drunken game of "William Tell" at a party above the American-owned Bounty Bar in Mexico City. He spent 13 days in jail before his brother came to Mexico City and bribed Mexican lawyers and officials to release Burroughs on bail while he awaited trial for the killing, which was ruled culpable homicide. Vollmer's daughter, Julie Adams, went to live with her grandmother, and William S. Burroughs, Jr. went to St. Louis to live with his grandparents. Burroughs reported every Monday morning to the jail in Mexico City while his prominent Mexican attorney worked to resolve the case. According to James Grauerholz two witnesses had agreed to testify that the gun had gone off accidentally while he was checking to see if it was loaded, and the ballistics experts were bribed to support this story. Nevertheless, the trial was continuously delayed and Burroughs began to write what would eventually become the short novel Queer while awaiting his trial. However, when his attorney fled Mexico after his own legal problems involving a car accident and altercation with the son of a government official, Burroughs decided, according to Ted Morgan, to "skip" and return to the United States. He was convicted in absentia of homicide and sentenced to two years, which was suspended. Although Burroughs was writing before the shooting of Joan Vollmer, this event marked him and, biographers argue, his work for the rest of his life."
 
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Fascinating bb, but David, myself and mjp are all still referring to BUKOWSKI... :confused:
 
Those glasses are cool, but did he have any guns? Thanks for the Elms Lesters link.

I am pretty sure that the only gun owned by Bukowski, was his machine gun, and that was his typewriter.




back to the machine gun

I awaken about noon and go out to get the mail
in my old torn bathrobe.
I'm hung over
hair down in my eyes
barefoot
gingerly walking on the small sharp rocks
in my path
still afraid of pain behind my four-day beard.

the young housewife next door shakes a rug
out of her window and sees me:
"hello, Hank!"

god damn! it's almost like being shot in the ass
with a .22

"hello," I say
gathering up my Visa card bill, my Pennysaver coupons,
a Dept. of Water and Power past-due notice,
a letter from the mortgage people
plus a demand from the Weed Abatement Department
giving me 30 days to clean up my act.

I mince back again over the small sharp rocks
thinking, maybe I'd better write something tonight,
they all seem
to be closing in.

there's only one way to handle those motherfuckers.

the night harness races will have to wait.

Charles Bukowski
 
Black Swan -- you're right. The typer was his machine gun. I don't think Buk was into guns. He did write about carrying a knife, in many stories and poems.
 

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