The Adding Machine was largely assembled from audio transcripts of lectures Burroughs gave while teaching at Boulder's Naropa Institute, and as a result, includes ruminations about his personal history as a writer and lifelong thorn in the side of the status quo.
It is perhaps the most direct William Burroughs the writer has ever been, with the possible exception of his autobiographical debut, Junky.
Readers like myself unimpressed by the deliberately experimental format of Burroughs’ more popular works, like Naked Lunch, might find this collection of essays a better fit. In The Adding Machine, Burroughs shares his viewpoint on politics, drug-use, sex, Scientology, and stories about his friends, including inventor of the “Dream Machine” and the cut-up method, Brion Gysin, and Beat paragon Jack Kerouac.
This collection of prose shorts constitutes unqualified evidence Burroughs didn't write in the experimental style from a desire to cover his inability to write straight prose. His use of the cut-up method to disconnect from consensus perspective—in the bargain revealing future events and underlying synchronicities—is covered here, as are his opinions about the fabric of reality and American society and the nature of inspiration and creativity. An excellent handbook.
Comments
Burroughs On Scientology "Can we make a similar distinction between Mr. Hubbard's publicly expressed opinions and the technology and practice of Scientology? No, we cannot..A separation between Mr. Hubbard's work and his opinions is ruled out by Mr. Hubbard's grandiose claims ... 'Galaxy upon galaxy billions of light years away have no bridge no route to freedom ... Scientology is the one and only road to total freedom and total power ... Scientology has the answers to all the problems of the universe including the method of solution' ... When the Founder, Controller and Guardian of the 'road to total freedom' starts spouting John Birch talk, his road is called in question and we have every right to ask precisely what his 'method of solution' is. If Mr. Hubbard were content to be a technician who has made some important discoveries we could afford to ignore his personal opinions. When he sets himself up as the savior of all possible universes we cannot"
Los Angeles Free Press, 06 Mar
Sounds good to me
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