“Junk takes everything and gives nothing but insurance against junk sickness.”

— William S. Burroughs , book Junkie

Junkie (1953)

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William S. Burroughs 110

American novelist, short story writer, essayist, painter, a… 1914–1997

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William S. Burroughs book Junkie

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William S. Burroughs book Junkie

Prologue
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“When you give up junk, you give up a way of life.”

William S. Burroughs book Junkie

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Context: When you give up junk, you give up a way of life. I have seen junkies kick and hit the lush and wind up dead in a few years. Suicide is frequent among ex-junkies. Why does a junky quit junk of his own will? You never know the answer to that question. No conscious tabulation of the disadvantages and horrors of junk gives you the emotional drive to kick. The decision to quit junk is a cellular decision, and once you have decided to quit you cannot go back to junk permanently any more than you could stay away from it before.