William Burroughs: Interview 1984 - 2/3

William Burroughs, author of Queer, Junkie, Naked Lunch (a titled created by Jack Kerouac -- a close friend of Burroughs) and Cities of the Red Night, joins Don Swaim in this 1984 interview on his 70th birthday.

He talks about how he inherited his wealth and how it was the weekly allowance he received from his parents that financed his drug addiction to morphine. His stint outside of the United States (from the 40s to about the 60s) was mainly because of his addiction. Buying morphine in Tangier (a city in Morocco) is legal. Despite his vise, he could still write well under the influence.

"What can seem negative can become valuable for a writer," he said.

Burroughs finally became sober in 1957 and at the time of the interview, only drank alcohol and smoked cigarettes.

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