William S. Burroughs

Corso, Ginsberg and Burroughs lived for six years in the same Paris lodging-house. Ginsberg and Kerouac (who shared an apartment with Burroughs) helped him assemble the text of ‘Naked Lunch’, which Corso and Southern persuaded Girodias to publish. Gysin, very close to Burroughs, was a frequent collaborator, suggesting the cut-up technique. Coleman accompanied him on a trip to hear Moroccan mountain musicians. Trocchi was a good friend, Anderson and Smith described him as a major influence, while McCartney found him difficult to talk to. Wilson, Waits and Laswell all collaborated with him.