Poet In Residence

William Burroughs home

1927 Learnard Ave Lawrence KS

POET IN RESIDENCE

“When I started to write this 

companion text to Queer, I 

was paralyzed with a heavy 

reluctance, a writer’s block like 

a straitjacket. I glance at the 

manuscript of Queer and feel 

I simply can’t read it. My past 

was a poisoned river from which 

one was fortunate to escape.”

—William Burroughs, Queer

____________

I found it out there—

His typewriter in the weeds

It was pitiful

It was a Royal—

But didn’t work anymore

Now it’s on my desk

That was years ago—

My IBM Selectric 

Antiquated too

But now I use Word—

Publishing there on the Net

The screen’s ghostly glow