April 20th, 2009 / 2:42 pm
Author Spotlight

Influences 3: Nathan Tyree

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And now the third response to my influences post. The subject is Nathan Tyree.

1) Pick one of the pieces you chose and describe the thing about it that seems particularly innovative about it.

2) Tell me what changed about your writing because of that innovation.

Here are his responses:

1) Naked Lunch was the first thing I read that was truly experimental. I was sixteen, and all the novels I had read followed the same rules, the same strictures of what a novel was. Burroughs seemed to be saying “fuck the novel”, he seemed to be spitting in in they eye of society. Naked Lunch wasn’t a novel; it was an insult- a savage cry. Everything I read after that had to be seen through a different, distorted lens.

2) I stopped being afraid. NL made me realize that you learn the rules so that you can break them with glee.

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51 Comments

  1. Tony O'Neill

      Man, its a great book to choose. And one still that totally divides people. I remember trying to read it at 15 or 16 and being totally fucking baffled by all of the US hipster / drug slang, and not getting it at all. But it stuck in my head for years, and once I had rediscovered Burroughs via ‘Junky’ I gave it another shot. Maybe it had something to do with my own experiences in the US, and heroin etc etc bt this time it was like I was really reading the book for the first time, and still I consider it the one book that has had the most impact on me. Its an amazing piece of work, and funny as hell too. And incredible to see a lot of the stuff that Burroughs predicted in it that has unfortunately come to pass.

      I was standing outside of a Home Depot the other day, and they had big sign warning all potential job applicants that they would be drug tested. I mean, what the fuck, right? Then i thought of a line from Burroughs “our founding fathers would spin in their graves to think that now a mans ability to do his job is judged not by the content of their character, but by the content of their piss…”

      I misquoted that horribly, im sure, but you get the gist…

  2. Nathan Tyree

      Hey, did I really like Naked Lunch that much?

  3. Tony O'Neill

      Man, its a great book to choose. And one still that totally divides people. I remember trying to read it at 15 or 16 and being totally fucking baffled by all of the US hipster / drug slang, and not getting it at all. But it stuck in my head for years, and once I had rediscovered Burroughs via ‘Junky’ I gave it another shot. Maybe it had something to do with my own experiences in the US, and heroin etc etc bt this time it was like I was really reading the book for the first time, and still I consider it the one book that has had the most impact on me. Its an amazing piece of work, and funny as hell too. And incredible to see a lot of the stuff that Burroughs predicted in it that has unfortunately come to pass.

      I was standing outside of a Home Depot the other day, and they had big sign warning all potential job applicants that they would be drug tested. I mean, what the fuck, right? Then i thought of a line from Burroughs “our founding fathers would spin in their graves to think that now a mans ability to do his job is judged not by the content of their character, but by the content of their piss…”

      I misquoted that horribly, im sure, but you get the gist…

  4. Nathan Tyree

      Hey, did I really like Naked Lunch that much?

  5. Nathan Tyree

      Just how funny it is (mordantly so) is one of the things that really connected for me when I was young. This fucking book took the top of my head off.

  6. Nathan Tyree

      Just how funny it is (mordantly so) is one of the things that really connected for me when I was young. This fucking book took the top of my head off.

  7. Naked Lunch « Nathan Tyree’s Weblog

      […] HTML Giant asked me about Naked Lunch. It turns out, much to my shock, that I like […]

  8. HTMLGIAN

      I never read this. I probably should. Basically just trying out my new handle here, folks. Sorry.

  9. HTMLGIAN

      I never read this. I probably should. Basically just trying out my new handle here, folks. Sorry.

  10. Nathan Tyree

      You should. I also suggest Junky, Queer, The Soft Machine and The Cat Inside to get a good overview of WSB.

  11. Nathan Tyree

      You should. I also suggest Junky, Queer, The Soft Machine and The Cat Inside to get a good overview of WSB.

  12. Mike Boyle

      Couldn’t get through Naked Lunch. Some hell funny routines in there, but so fragmented. Liked Junky. Er, was thankful for the paragoric reference later, ha.

  13. Mike Boyle

      Couldn’t get through Naked Lunch. Some hell funny routines in there, but so fragmented. Liked Junky. Er, was thankful for the paragoric reference later, ha.

  14. sam pink

      i love naked lunch. william burroughs was the first person i read that made me stay inside and not talk to people so i could continue reading.

  15. sam pink

      i love naked lunch. william burroughs was the first person i read that made me stay inside and not talk to people so i could continue reading.

  16. Nathan Tyree

      That’s coolness deluxe

  17. Nathan Tyree

      Junky is the book I give to friends to get them interested in Burroughs. It’s so tough, but still accessible. I love it.

  18. Nathan Tyree

      That’s coolness deluxe

  19. Nathan Tyree

      Junky is the book I give to friends to get them interested in Burroughs. It’s so tough, but still accessible. I love it.

  20. Jonathan Kelly

      Did you like Cronenberg’s Film adaptation?

  21. Jonathan Kelly

      Did you like Cronenberg’s Film adaptation?

  22. Nathan Tyree

      Yes, but-

      I like the film, but don’t view it an an adaption of the novel. It goes far afield of the actual book (interpolating things from Burroughs other writing and his life, and leaving out important sections of the narrative).

      I see them as different things, and neither really effects my view of the other (if that makes any damn sense at all).

      So, yes, I like Cronenberg’s film.

  23. Nathan Tyree

      Yes, but-

      I like the film, but don’t view it an an adaption of the novel. It goes far afield of the actual book (interpolating things from Burroughs other writing and his life, and leaving out important sections of the narrative).

      I see them as different things, and neither really effects my view of the other (if that makes any damn sense at all).

      So, yes, I like Cronenberg’s film.

  24. Blake Butler

      props for this. i am with you on the big burroughs upload.

      The Wild Boys is still my #1, but they are all very power

      The great thing about Cronenberg’s adaptation is that he didn’t even assume to try to make that motherfucker as is, as it would have cost $500,000,000,000 to do it right.

      there’s a quote somewhere around here where C-berg says, essentially, “It is impossible to make a film of a book without just shooting the actual pages of the book.”

  25. Blake Butler

      props for this. i am with you on the big burroughs upload.

      The Wild Boys is still my #1, but they are all very power

      The great thing about Cronenberg’s adaptation is that he didn’t even assume to try to make that motherfucker as is, as it would have cost $500,000,000,000 to do it right.

      there’s a quote somewhere around here where C-berg says, essentially, “It is impossible to make a film of a book without just shooting the actual pages of the book.”

  26. jereme

      i agree. i think any true “artist”, and fuck if i hate using that term, would want to make something theirs.

      otherwise it becomes sycophantic or plain greed.

      “hey paul i hear this book is popular with the kids. let’s make it into a movie and $$$ out on those idiots!”

      loses all meaning.

      cronenberg made it his. i like that.

  27. jereme

      i agree. i think any true “artist”, and fuck if i hate using that term, would want to make something theirs.

      otherwise it becomes sycophantic or plain greed.

      “hey paul i hear this book is popular with the kids. let’s make it into a movie and $$$ out on those idiots!”

      loses all meaning.

      cronenberg made it his. i like that.

  28. Nathan (Nate) Tyree

      I’m totally with you on C and NL. The book is unfilmable, really, but he made a great movie “inspired by it”.

      By the by, Blake, I got my contributor’s copies of Gustaf today. I really dug your stuff in there.

  29. Nathan (Nate) Tyree

      I’m totally with you on C and NL. The book is unfilmable, really, but he made a great movie “inspired by it”.

      By the by, Blake, I got my contributor’s copies of Gustaf today. I really dug your stuff in there.

  30. Nathan (Nate) Tyree

      Right on, on all counts.

  31. Nathan (Nate) Tyree

      Right on, on all counts.

  32. Nathan (Nate) Tyree

      I met Burroughs once. I wish living in Lawrence KS in the early 90s and I went to a show of his “paintings”. He was there. I think I groveled and slavered a bit. He touched my hand.

      The day he died I wept. My friend Beth bought me a bottle of Jack Daniels and two shot glasses. We sat in her shitty apartment and drank and listened to old Joni Mitchell albums and I tried to get her to put out, but she wouldn’t, then I passed out curled up in her arms on the floor.

  33. Nathan (Nate) Tyree

      I met Burroughs once. I wish living in Lawrence KS in the early 90s and I went to a show of his “paintings”. He was there. I think I groveled and slavered a bit. He touched my hand.

      The day he died I wept. My friend Beth bought me a bottle of Jack Daniels and two shot glasses. We sat in her shitty apartment and drank and listened to old Joni Mitchell albums and I tried to get her to put out, but she wouldn’t, then I passed out curled up in her arms on the floor.

  34. david erlewine

      Nate, I’m sorry Beth was nice and then mean to you.

  35. david erlewine

      Nate, I’m sorry Beth was nice and then mean to you.

  36. Blake Butler

      thanks nate, i am really happy that you dug, most appreciated

  37. Blake Butler

      dang, i would love to hear more of the meeting story. you should write it up?

  38. Blake Butler

      thanks nate, i am really happy that you dug, most appreciated

  39. Blake Butler

      dang, i would love to hear more of the meeting story. you should write it up?

  40. Nathan (Nate) Tyree

      I like your stuff everywhere that I see it.

  41. Nathan (Nate) Tyree

      I like your stuff everywhere that I see it.

  42. Nathan (Nate) Tyree

      I may do that. maybe I’ll toss something on my crappy blog later tonight. I mean, unless you’d want it here? I’d write it up and email it to you if HTMLG wanted it. Let me know.

  43. Nathan (Nate) Tyree

      I may do that. maybe I’ll toss something on my crappy blog later tonight. I mean, unless you’d want it here? I’d write it up and email it to you if HTMLG wanted it. Let me know.

  44. Nathan (Nate) Tyree

      She was being nice all around. I was in love a little, and had she fucked me out of pity it would have ruined that. She fucked me a year later, out of horniness, which didn’t manage to wreck our friendship. These things work out, I think.

  45. Nathan (Nate) Tyree

      She was being nice all around. I was in love a little, and had she fucked me out of pity it would have ruined that. She fucked me a year later, out of horniness, which didn’t manage to wreck our friendship. These things work out, I think.

  46. alan horn

      “The Cat Inside”? Really?

  47. alan horn

      “The Cat Inside”? Really?

  48. Nathan Tyree

      Yeah, It’s enjoyable and represents a different sort of WSB book.

  49. Nathan Tyree

      Yeah, It’s enjoyable and represents a different sort of WSB book.

  50. ryan manning

      Naked Lunch (sometimes referred to as The Naked Lunch) is a novel by William S. Burroughs originally published in 1959.

  51. ryan manning

      Naked Lunch (sometimes referred to as The Naked Lunch) is a novel by William S. Burroughs originally published in 1959.