The Yage Letters Redux

(Paperback)

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In January 1953, William S. Burroughs began an expedition into the jungles of South America to find yage, the fabled hallucinogen of the Amazon. From the notebooks he kept and the letters he wrote home to Allen Ginsberg, Burroughs composed a narrative of his adventures that later appeared as The Yage Letters. For this edition, Oliver Harris has gone back to the original manuscripts and untangled the history of the text, telling the fascinating story of its genesis and cultural importance. Also included in this edition are extensive materials, never before published, by both Burroughs and Ginsberg.

William S. Burroughs is widely recognized as one of the most influential and innovative writers of the twentieth century. His books include Junky, Naked Lunch, and The Wild Boys.

Author Bio

William Burroughs (1915-1997) is widely reconized as one of the most innovative writers of the twentieth century. His books include: Junky, Naked Lunch, The Soft Machineand Cities of the Red Night. Allen Ginsberg is also the author of Howl and Other Poems, which was originally published by City Lights Books in the fall of 1956. Oliver Harris is a professor in Literature and Film in the School of American Studies at Keele University, he is the editor of The Letters of William S. Burroughs (Penguin) and the 50th anniversary definitive edition of Junky (Penguin).