William S. Burroughs & Naked Lunch

Only one other author (and that is Hunter S. Thompson) has influenced me as much as William S. Burroughs. Such an extraordinary man who lived an extraordinary life. His masterpiece, Naked Lunch, remains and will remain for years to come, one of my favourite novels. Although, whether it is a novel in the strict sense of the word, I do not know. How anyone could think that such a wonderful, groundbreaking novel is obscene absolutely puzzles me. If one is not able to see past the "explicit" nature of the book, then I genuinely pity him. Censorship is in my opinion an evil. Sure, I agree that some people use swearing, violence and sex for purely exploitative reasons and I do not always find that admirable. But art is art. Burroughs was an accomplished, talented and profound author. Never mind the fact that Naked Lunch is filled with predictions and prophecies which in the time since it was published have become entirely true. RIP William Seward Burroughs II 1914-1997.