William Burroughs Interview

Victor Bockris, William Burroughs and Cat - September 1990

One of the most significant changes in William's life since moving to Kansas has been his relationship with a number of cats. At many given time over the last few years he had up to five cats at the same time living with him."

VICTOR BOCKRIS: Do you think you've learned a lot from living with your cats ?

WILLIAM BURROUGHS: Oh heavens! I've learned immeasurably. I've learned compassion, I've learned all sorts of things from my cats, "cos cats reflect you, they really do. I remember when I was out at the stone house Ruskie sort of attacked one of the kitten. I gave him a light slap and then he disappeared. He was so hurt. And I knew where he was. I went out into the barn and found him sulking there, picked him up and carried him back. Just the slightest slap like that. This is his human, his human had betrayed him, slapped him, yeah. Oh heavens yes I've learned so much from my cats I can't tell you. They reflect you in a deep way. It just opened up in me a whole area of compassion that I can't tell you was so important. I remember lying in my bed and weeping and weeping and weeping to think that a nuclear catastrophe would destroy my cats. I could see people driving by saying: "Kill your dogs and cats," and this, you know, I spent literally hours just crying with grief. Oh my God, and then also the feeling that constantly could be some relationship between me and the cats, some special relationship and that I might have missed it. Yes, yes, did I ever. Some of this is in The Cat Inside. Some of it was so extreme that I couldn't write it. I could not write it. Did I ever learn from my cats, my God, Oh my God. People, you know, think of me as being so cold - some woman wrote that I was someone who could not admit any feeling at all. My God. I am so emotional that sometimes I can't stand the intensity. Oh my God. Then they ask me if you ever cry ? I said Holy shit probably two days ago. I'm very subject to these violent fits of weeping, for very good reasons. Yes.

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From: "The Last Interview I Will Ever Do" by Victor Bockris 

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