In 1947, he moved in with Joan Vollmer, another member of the group around the Columbia campus, and she gave birth to their son, William S. Hoping to fit in with a "community of outlaws," he began buying stolen goods, including morphine, and in 1944, he became addicted to the drug. His continuing search for an identity led him to seek out the criminal elements in society. When his publishers rejected both works, Burroughs began to doubt his literary talents. They'd be dead in two weeks."Įarly in his literary career, Burroughs collaborated on a humorous sketch with a Harvard classmate, Kells Elvins, and on a short Dashiell Hammett-style novel with Kerouac. He said, "There couldn't be a society of people who didn't dream. He felt a particular affinity toward them because they were kindred spirits, dreamers, and fantasizers. Older than the others in the group, Burroughs took on the role of father figure and mentor, encouraging Kerouac and Ginsberg in their attempts to write fiction and poetry. Burroughs impressed them with his scholarship, sardonic sense of humor, and the reserved poise that often comes with a wealthy birthright. While drifting from one job to another, Burroughs met Lucien Carr, Jack Kerouac, and Allen Ginsberg in New York City around Christmas 1943, shortly after Ginsberg began his studies at Columbia.
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