The W.S. Burroughs photo in this issue was the late Dr. Timothy's favorite of Bill Burroughs--the great one with the gun in his hand. This alone is worth the price. Great photo, especially with the interview of Burroughs and the part about the murder of wife Joan in Mexico City. "There are no accidents" Burroughs liked to say all the rest of his life, after the 'accidental' shooting of Joan.

I received this book as a gift, as an admirer of these people's work and ideas, I found it to be a very interesting and comprehensive collection of writings, photos, graphics and interviews. An excellent introduction for people who are curious about the subjects presented here. A very inspiring book for those who..............

Three revolutionaries in one book: William S. Burroughs, Brion Gysin, and Throbbing Gristle(Genesis P. Orridge). This book will change the way you look at society and language. Burroughs' piece, "The Revised Boy Scout Manual" is groundbreaking. Gysin is interviewed about his painting, writing, and time in Morocco. P. Orridge talks about music and magick. YOU NEED THIS BOOK!

An interesting book that uses wide horizons. Gysin filled it with allusion, hints and tricks. It's words seem to be carefully placed. It was designed, apparently, to read the reader. It might be more than a novel or it might not. The Process is stylish, clever and possibly very important. I felt that the haze created was frustrating and entertaining, I wanted more details.

Wherein of antres vast and deserts idle, Rough quarries, rocks and hills whose heads touch heaven, It was my hint to speak, such was the process... -Shakespeare.

This quote (partial) above is by way of Gysin's introduction to THE PROCESS---like all Gysin's works, greatly underrated, unacknowledged, and ignored, perhaps because of their metaphysical Occult ("hidden and rejected knowledge") origins periously perched as they are on the edge of an exquisitely unique literary absurdity difficult to comprehend without submitting to detailed, in-depth investigation. In other words, he deceptively appears an only half-sincere, sarcastic author writing pulp aimed at comic entertainment alone, when in fact his works (entire) upon further investigation reveal profound esoteric depths much like a Franz Kafka or Philip K. Dick. For a long while I have hoped for what will really be a first time proper evaluation of his masterful works; I can think of no author more deserving of a much-needed critical biography, and probably many will soon be produced. Of the brilliant novel THE PROCESS: The protagonist is Gysin himself, who appears in different colored skin due to the fact Brion suffered from what he called: "bad packaging!" It takes a lifetime to cross the desert and a childhood to do so at its narrowest point, explains one of the many mystical charcaters inhabiting the novel, whose names, like the lady "MAYA" ( literally sanskrit for "illusion") oftentimes reveal their signifigance. Gysin knew the sahara well, spending a good deal of his life in it, centered around expatriate Tangiers, where he owned and operated a resturant well reputed called "The 1001 Nights". The house musicians were none other than THE MASTER MUSICIANS OF JAJOUKA, whom Brion discovered in the "land of the little people" tucked far into the hills, and whom WSB called a "2000year old rock-n-roll band!" The 1001 Nights closed down directly due, Gysin feels (with firm evidence/proof) of Black Magic of a typically North African cursive.

Celebrated in THE PROCESS in a masterful narrative sequence is the yearly Ritual celebration involving the Great God Pan in the form of a man placed inside the actual skin of a recently sacraficed goat, who chases the Moroccan women about in a rite dating back to antiquity recalling the bacchanalia and Dionysian Rites and all Pagan fertility rites, still practised yearly with great festivity in Morocco.

The novel is, as WSB said of his own work, and's wholly applicable also to Gysin's ( whose influence and sway over WSB is immense, as WSB enthusiastically acknowledges)one where: "EVERY LINE IS AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL FACT AND EVERY LINE IS BULLS**T!" "WRITING IS SUCCESSFUL WHEN IT MAKES THINGS HAPPEN!"---According to both Brion Gysin and William Seward Burroughs, this is the The supreme definition of "successful writing" as well as of "Magick". THE PROCESS, Brion Gysin's novel published first in 1969 was long involved in the "great work" of "writing itself"; for according to Gysin it's: A NOVEL IN THE PROCESS OF WRITING AND READING ITSELF! To a miraculous degree this cannot be properly communicated except by reading the novel yourself, which most of its readers agree they have done so several times; WSBurroughs rightly states besides being an esoteric masterpiece it is also "first-class entertainment", and like all Gysin's completely original works is absolutely hilarious! Noone, and I mean noone writes like he does, nor paints---for he was an early practitioner of surrealist techniques developed by Max Ernst, and Gysin exhibited his works with the surrealists, but was kicked out by Breton at his first exhibition, no doubt due more to his eccentric personality than to his artistic stylizations...he would go on to establish his own unique painterly style consisting of calligraphical overlain symbols resembling magical sigils and Chinese characters placed in grids reminiscent of the likewise magical origins found in the "Sacred Magic of Abra-Melin The Mage" which so influenced other Artists and Mages like Crowley and Mathers and Pessoa. And Like his painting, Gysin's literary origins likewise have their genesis and inspiration in Occultism, so permeating Gysin's life as to be essential in any contemplation aimed at an understanding of his works and life. His experiments and investigations are now legendary, especially those taken place at the Beat Hotel in Paris circa 1960 with Burroughs, Norse, Corso, sommerville, and a host of others where Gysin Established a quite scientific system for all literary history to applaude as the "Cut-Up technique", coined by WSBurroughs.

Brion Gysin will show you how THE PROCESS works, in the very process of "MAKING IT HAPPEN"! Such a magical feat before your very eyes without recourse to simply deeming such astounding miracles an "illusion" will if nothing else boggle your mind a good long while, and make you question the very fabric of the absolutely magical universe we live in. For the literary thrill-seeker as much as the mystically-minded, for the occult practitioner as for the philosophical scholar, THE PROCESS is one that is already a classic, and Gysin's works I feel are destined to outlive many other more famous works of its time; their endurance is miraculous in itself and they are essentially timeless. Aleister Crowley was correct in delineating a classic as defined by its ability to adapt and survive, and is in a sense: "a living being". THE PROCESS shows how such phenonema operate, as well as how it can also be, as everything is, Manipulated---whether to the writer's or the occultist's advantage; and regardless whether such things are called "Black Magick" or "Literature" is besides the point. Gysin often makes his point with a joke at humanity's expense, and it should be borne in mind that he is a great misanthrope; and as for his reputed misongyny goes, he truly believed women were a biological mistake---the irony is that a good many of his closest friend were women!

Brion Gysin is an enigma representative of NO race, religion, color, or creed. He truly is one of the Originals of the human species!

Mektoub - It is written, and written well.

a journey - thee desert thee initiation of thee soul are one • • • thru thee long dry desert ov this that some would call life and others a death, and yet others still would say is just a rotten place to pass right on through. I came with nothing, and that is how I will leave. (except for maybe my clay pipe)

thee beauty in these words is enough to inspire a soul...enough to not dip hir fingers into thee river lethe..at least, for a while. Let's not be tooooo hopeful.

This is a rarity on many levels...even delving into personal information about cult-addict and famous dietician from Theta - L. Ron Hubbard...not to mention •secrets• of thee Dietician Church magickal system. A veritable treasure trove of History & thee Present mixing into a psychedelic cocktail.

buy it!

93 93/93

There's something about MUSSOLINI that does not make it as memorable as his past war books. Granted it is still a great book, and it flows along wonderfully, until after the Christmas program. Everything after that seems rushed up until the abrupt ending. Even still, this book is wonderful, sad, funny and corny (he groans over some of his own jokes). What makes all his memoirs so priceless are not just his jokes, but the people in his 19 Battery that, with their antics, brings the book to life.

* This review is for Spike Milligan's MUSSOLINI: HIS PART IN MY DOWNFALL. How it ended up in EIGHT FEET... is beyond me.

Truly a funny guy, Spike has a way of letting you look at the harsh realities of WWII in a brand new way. Much of his humor gets lost in the shuffle, but what comes through is fabulously funny and just a simple joy to read.

Dervla Murphy is definitely a one of a kind treasure. The vistas she conjurs up in this book are breathtaking. The hardships she endured are more than most of would care to experience in our travels. Still, it's a great armchair experience! (This review has migrated from its proper location. It is for the book Eight Feet in the Andes by Dervla Murphy.)

An interesting insight into the early years of one of the 20th centuries most innovative artists. If you have only ever heard of Brion Gysin through William. S. Burroughs, then check out this and other titles published by Inkblot.

The writing here is beautiful. I especially enjoyed the stories from Morocco. Some of these stories feature the legendary painter Hamri. They are wonderful tales that are both simple and magical. This book is short but very sweet, like an alchemical essence that will take you to other worlds.

A great piece to have, I recommend it to anyone interested in Brion Gysin, as well as for any serious reader of W.S. Burroughs. The conversations are comprehensive, Terry Wilson is obviously not just some rube who happened to speak with Gysin. It covers philosophy, art, life, music, permutations, cut-ups, religion, nearly everything across the board, with some excellent stories by Mr. Gysin appearing throughout. It's a shame that so little information about this man is readily available. Undoubtedly one of the most important artists/people of the 20th century. Now all we need is for The Third Mind to be reissued, along with everything else. (Anyone heard of a guy named "Flash Allen"? Supposedly there is a film called "Brion Gysin" made by him, but there seems to be no information about this anywhere.)

a.n.

(the book also has hard to find excerpts by Mr. Gysin and Mr. Burroughs from no longer extant writings as well as photographs)
(I gave it 4 stars because some of the calligraphy is noticeably pixelated, which gave it an amateurish kind of look, though the photographs do not have the same problem)