![]() This graphic nature, full of blood and gore, is much more pronounced in Mexico than in American tabloids. As commercial newspapers developed and photography came into play, the depictions within the pages of nota roja became more sensationalistic and graphic. Having origins in the Mexican Inquisition, nota roja became associated with violent crime and murder by the 19th century. Metinides dominates a larger tradition of Mexican yellow journalism, called nota roja (red note or red news), that goes back centuries. Previously unknown to me, Metinides is world renowned as the Mexican Weegee. So, I moved my way through Dyer’s bibliography, and I am now onto one of his books of essays.ĭyer writes quite a bit about photography and it was while reading an essay on Enrique Metinides that the Burroughs paranoia hit. I would be absolutely beside myself if a similar book were written about Burroughs. Lawrence, but Dyer’s book was one of the best works of creative criticism I have ever read. Lawrence, Out of Sheer Rage: Wrestling with D.H. The first book I read was his book on D.H. ![]() I will read anything about writers, drugs, and alcohol. I also came across Olivia Laing who wrote a book on writers and alcoholism, The Trip to Echo Spring: On Writers and Drinking, which was excellent. But after reading all the Sebald novels, I found myself wanting that Sebald vibe so I googled “writers like Sebald” and came across Dyer. I like to know as much about Burroughs as I can. Burroughs remains my strongest obsession in that regard. Unlike with Burroughs, I never felt compelled to learn anything about Sebald’s biography or to read any criticism about Sebald. I have read everything that Sebald ever wrote, which is not difficult since he tragically died in a car accident at age 57 in 2001. I discovered Dyer through my intense enjoyment of W.G. I am now reading Geoff Dyer’s collection of essays, Otherwise Known as the Human Condition. While I am reading about all these other interests, I always seem to find something of Burroughs in them or read them through the philosophies or themes of Burroughs. I suffer from paranoia when it comes to Burroughs. My obsession with Burroughs is related but somewhat different. I am too curious and interested about all manner of creative endeavor to focus exclusively on Burroughs. My interests have always been too diverse for that. I am not one of those Burroughs obsessives who reads and rereads Burroughs constantly. I bought Soft Need #23 immediately but have yet to read it. I read all four Oliver Harris editions as soon as they came out as I did Burroughs and Scotland. This past year has been something of an exception. Want to hear another secret? I don’t even read books by or about Burroughs much either. I should really be spending my time filling holes in the tangential Burroughs collections that I developed over the years, like Burroughs vinyl or men’s magazine appearances, but I no longer actively search that stuff out. Recently, I have purchased some Fuck You items to fill out that collection, which branched off from my Burroughs, but things have slowed down considerably since the glory days when packages would arrive on seemingly a daily basis. Sure, when an Albatross came within reach, I grabbed it and if an Icarus 46 fell into my lap I would be ecstatic, but by and large my Burroughs collection, which is mainly the magazine appearances from 1957 to 1965, has not merely matured but entered into a condition of rigor mortis. Psst!! Want to hear a secret? I don’t really collect Burroughs anymore.
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