Any Beat Generation/William Burroughs fans here?

[SuddenlyMinotaurs]

The writer of Junky, and the legendary inventor of the Cut-Up technique of story-authoring was also a big fan of shooting, apparently. Both at the range and (according to what he says later in the second video) practical and cowboy shooting.

He had pretty awful TD, and does sweep the camera crew at one point, though, so this is considered NSFR (Not Safe for Range) viewing!



- (this is the video which I physically cringed at, due to his handling of the revolver around people - also, is it just me, or is he wearing his holster weirdly far back?)

Just thought it was kinda interesting.

Any famous folks you guys know of who enjoy(ed) shooting?

[whoowhoop]

He was known for his complete disregard for gun safety
He was convicted of the manslaughter of his wife ( the 2nd one, I think).
Burroughs was a " didn't know it was loaded" type of cnut.
I did read "Junkie" in my early teens, and thankfully I found it a great discouragement for some chemical experimentation.
Did he have his ashes fired off in a cartridge or similar?

I enjoyed Kerouac, and was amazed that it was written so many years before, but I couldn't abide Ginsberg.
Give me the Mersey poets anytime

[SuddenlyMinotaurs]

I did read "Junkie" in my early teens, and thankfully I found it a great discouragement for some chemical experimentation.
Did he have his ashes fired off in a cartridge or similar?

I enjoyed Kerouac, and was amazed that it was written so many years before, but I couldn't abide Ginsberg.
Give me the Mersey poets anytime

Yeah, I had a similar experience with Junkie. I believe he was off his face during that incident with his wife, and he later came out and said that Heroin was really, really awful, so that's nice.

I know what you mean about Kerouac. I think the fact that he wrote a lot about feeling constrained by society, and about exploring wanderlust, is what makes him so accessible to young people in newer generations.

Hemingway is another gun-totin' writer that I've always had a soft spot for. Not a huge fan of his later stuff, but his short stories about dossing-about in Africa, hunting and chewing the fat with his mates, as well as "The Sun Also Rises", have been some of my favourite stories in my late teens, up to now (my 20s). Would've loved to have kicked-back at the range with Hem and a couple of his Thompson Guns.

[whoowhoop]

Hemingway's Death in the Afternoon is never far from hand. A fascinating read, but obviously not to everyones taste
I read The Old Man and the Sea at school and it stuck out as a jewel amongst the other dross we were made to read.
You would think that with the modern trend towards instant gratification and an apparent low boredom threshold that the short story would enjoy a revival now.

[SuddenlyMinotaurs]

Absolutely. I've lent Hemingway books to anyone who asks me what to read, but isn't really a "novel" person. He almost always goes down well.

I think there's something really nice about his sparse, short style. I don't have as much time for reading, as I did a few years ago. It's very easy to pick him up, and still come away feeling something.



(Pictures of the man, himself, doing what we love - to keep the thread relevant!)