On the Road with Penguin Classics Confessions of an English Opium Eater with Will Self
Sep 29, 2022
Will Self, an acclaimed novelist and essayist known for his memoir 'Will,' joins the conversation to delve into the opium-soaked worlds of Thomas de Quincey and William S. Burroughs. They explore the intertwining themes of pleasure and pain in addiction, address the gothic implications of drug culture, and reflect on how personal struggles shape identity. With a humorous lens, they traverse London's literary landscape, examining the evolution of drug narratives and the socio-political undertones surrounding addiction.
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Illegality Breeds Magical Thinking
- Will Self links addiction's illegal status to occult thinking and magical practices among addicts.
- The unpredictability of supply and need produces rituals and superstition in users' behavior.
First Edition Junkie And Halls Chemist
- Will Self owns a 1953 Ace paperback first edition of Junkie bound with a narcotics agent book.
- He notes central London chemists like Halls sold hypodermic needles until the 1980s, key to junk territory.
Shaftesbury Avenue As Front Line
- Shaftesbury Avenue was once 'front line' junk territory where heroin was scored in the street.
- Will Self connects those physical zones to the cultural presence of addiction in Soho.