The Place of Dead Roads is a 1983 novel by William S. Burroughs, the second book of the trilogy that begins with Cities of the Red Night (1981) and concludes with The Western Lands (1987). It chronicles the story of a gay gunfighter in the American West, beginning with the gunfighter’s death in 1899, incorporates contrasting themes and time travel episodes, and makes use of Burroughs’ extensive knowledge of firearms. Non-linear in construction, it makes use of vivid imagery and repetition but does not employ the famous “cut-up” method of literary collage used in his earlier novels.

In 1981, Burroughs recited live, pre-publication passages from what would become The Place of Dead Roads during a spoken word tour with performance artists Laurie Anderson and John Giorno –portions of which appear on the double LP, You’re the Guy I Want to Spend My Money With (GPS, 1981).

William S. Burroughs II (February 5, 1914 – August 2, 1997) was an American writer and visual artist, credited as a primary figure of the Beat Generation and a major postmodern author who influenced popular culture and literature.

Hardcover. Condition: Near Fine. First Edition. First edition stated, and with complete number line. Near Fine (the bottom of the spine is bumped but not rubbed, top edge very lightly foxed) in a Fine dustjacket. Published by Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, New York, 1984

The original photo negative comes from the collection of Ellsworth Kelly. It is a 4×5 in. B&W filmstrip negative that can be used to produce high-quality photographic prints.