Calling Dr. Benway
Meet the Beat I've always had a fondness for William S. Burroughs and in addition to the devotion of a fan who's been reading him since high school I get a kick out of the fact that I happened to go to the same high school that he attended. In fact, he was born across the street from it although he didn't graduate from JBS having been removed to a boarding school in the southwest during his adolescent years. I originally became interested when the school library had a glass case displaying the works of prominent alumni but would not allow me to check out Naked Lunch from their restricted archive. "Interested" is a poor choice. "Ravenous for subversive material" is more like it.
Just this evening I was looking for info on a copy of "The Exterminator" I have picked up along the way. It is currently about 9.99 on Ebay but that's not the point. I found a couple of pretty good biography sites and learned that his first published story was in the John Burroughs Review, the high school literary magazine. Cool. I used to work on the Review and had a couple of things in it too. It means very little in any terms but it's about the only brush with greatness in my recollection.
By way of greatness brushing comparison I have not gained any special affinity for pioneering woman journalist, Ernest Hemmingway marrier, and fellow JBS alum Martha Gellhorn even after learning this evening that she was published in that same journal 42 times. In fact that seems a little overmuch for submitting to the high school poetry mag.
Other brushes with greatness? I did write for the rock magazine in a strictly liquored up capacity. I interviewed Debbie Gibson on the phone once. I went backstage at Glam Slam and asked Mojo Nixon and Dred Zeppelin rude questions. Later I rode down an elevator in Austin, Texas with Mojo and two cases of Budweiser. That's pretty workmanlike brushes though. Here is Mojo with Pauly Shore.
Caspar Weinberger's entourage almost knocked me and Bill down during a CloseUp visit to the Capitol. We glimpsed him. A short man.
If you are a friend who has achieved greatness in your field and didn't turn up in this entry don't fret. I'll write about you when I am trying to price out some of your old CDs on Ebay. Hanging out with Caspar and Pauly wouldn't hurt your chances.
Just this evening I was looking for info on a copy of "The Exterminator" I have picked up along the way. It is currently about 9.99 on Ebay but that's not the point. I found a couple of pretty good biography sites and learned that his first published story was in the John Burroughs Review, the high school literary magazine. Cool. I used to work on the Review and had a couple of things in it too. It means very little in any terms but it's about the only brush with greatness in my recollection.
By way of greatness brushing comparison I have not gained any special affinity for pioneering woman journalist, Ernest Hemmingway marrier, and fellow JBS alum Martha Gellhorn even after learning this evening that she was published in that same journal 42 times. In fact that seems a little overmuch for submitting to the high school poetry mag.
Other brushes with greatness? I did write for the rock magazine in a strictly liquored up capacity. I interviewed Debbie Gibson on the phone once. I went backstage at Glam Slam and asked Mojo Nixon and Dred Zeppelin rude questions. Later I rode down an elevator in Austin, Texas with Mojo and two cases of Budweiser. That's pretty workmanlike brushes though. Here is Mojo with Pauly Shore.
Caspar Weinberger's entourage almost knocked me and Bill down during a CloseUp visit to the Capitol. We glimpsed him. A short man.
If you are a friend who has achieved greatness in your field and didn't turn up in this entry don't fret. I'll write about you when I am trying to price out some of your old CDs on Ebay. Hanging out with Caspar and Pauly wouldn't hurt your chances.
posted by MrFares at 11:11 PM
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