Letters from William S. Burroughs to Terry Southern....

Description

Letters from William S. Burroughs to Terry Southern. Vintage original group of (4) letters sent to Terry Southern from renowned Beat-era writer William S. Burroughs, highlighting the long and storied connection between two of the most distinctive literary voices of the 20th century. Burroughs and Southern met in 1955 while living in Tunisia, forming a lasting friendship rooted in their shared taste for subversive, satirical writing-Burroughs's hallucinatory dystopias and Southern's sharp, absurdist humor. The group includes (1) 3-D postcard featuring London's Piccadilly Circus and a double-decker bus, postmarked August 15, 1969 and dated August 13, on which Burroughs has written on the verso: "August 13 / Dear Terry / Yes. I noticed the / missing yaughts [sic.] since / the Mary Celeste case / has interested me for / year. Perhaps it is / all 3d photography. Will be in New York / early Sept. and hope / to see you. My best / to Gale / All the best / Bill Burroughs." Also included is (1) Christmas card featuring artwork by Burroughs on the front, dated 1991, with a handwritten message to Southern reading, "All the best / [unintelligible] for / 1991. May it be / a fruitful and / bounteous year / Love / RX $ $ / Dr. Benway," and signed "William S. Burroughs" on the facing page. The reference to Dr. Benway-a sadistic, amoral physician-nods to one of Burroughs's most notorious characters from his 1959 novel Naked Lunch. Also included is (1) original card painted red, signed in graphite by William S. Burroughs at the bottom, with "Season's Greetings" and "© 1989 William S. Burroughs" stamps on the verso; and (1) Christmas card featuring Burroughs's "Gluttony" image from The Seven Deadly Sins woodblock series, with a note inside reading, "Dear Terry: / Still in working order / everywhere and always / Love / William." Items measure between 4" x 6" and 8.5" x 5.5", and exhibit expected signs of age including fading, staining, and surface wear. Comes with Full LOA from Beckett Authentication Services. From the Collection of Terry Southern.

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