“I am always looking for some clue, some easily missed sign that might just be the missing piece in the puzzle.” Quote by Oliver Harris
“I like to focus on the varieties of paper, the different sizes and watermarks, evidence perhaps of what was typed when and sometimes where and by whom.” DifferentSometimesFocusPaperEvidenceSizeVariety Author:Oliver Harris
“I have really been fortunate, incredibly privileged, to have done so much editorial work, and I would love to do more. But just as my editions have tried to balance the familiar with the new, the commercial with the scholarly, so too I have to admit that I don't want to do editing for the sake of it, and some possible projects would be of uncertain value to me.” WantDoneWould BeValuesBalanceProjectsSakeFamiliarFortunateUncertainEditingPrivilegedEditorialsScholarly Author:Oliver Harris
“Of course, for me Naked Lunch was the big one, but I still believe I was right to pass on that. James Grauerholz and Barry Miles did an important job with their 2003 "Restored" edition because they knew what they wanted to do, and what they could do. At the time, I simply didn't know. I hadn't even edited Junky back then. So I did the right thing to pass. Instead, what I most want to do now is complete "The Making of Naked Lunch," on which I have been working, on and off, these past 25 years.” KnowsWantYearsBelieveHas BeensStillsImportantBigsWantedJobsPastCoursesMilesNakedRight ThingLunchAnd OffI Still BelieveEditedImportant Jobs Author:Oliver Harris
“It started out as a typically insane idea to map every part of the published text in terms of its manuscript provenance and history, and to establish the cultural meaning of the book, part and whole.” BookIdeasWholeTermInsaneMapsManuscripts Author:Oliver Harris
“I tell this anecdote with tongue in cheek at the start of my book William Burroughs and the Secret of Fascination, but my academic involvement with Burroughs was entirely due to my tutor at Oxford, Peter Conrad. I was discussing with him the idea of staying on to do graduate work and when I tossed the name of Burroughs into the conversation - well, he let it fall loudly onto the floor, and proceeded to cross himself as if warding off an evil spirit. Since I was very ambivalent about an academic career in any case, that decided it for me.” IfsWellsBookIdeasSpiritFallEvilNamesSecretCareersCasesConversationCrossesDecidedTongueDuesStayingGraduatesAcademicPeterCheeksFascinationInvolvementDiscussingOxfordAnecdotesTutorAmbivalentEvil SpiritsTongue In CheekBurroughs Author:Oliver Harris
“I was suckered in by the myth of the man [ William Burroughs] as much as by his work.” MenHe ManMythBurroughs Author:Oliver Harris
“I went to law school at Alabama and I grew up a loyal Auburn fan. I'm one of the few that wrestles with those issues sometimes, but we're really proud of them. Like the University of Alabama has almost doubled its enrollment.” SometimesSchoolLawIssuesFansGrewProudGrew UpUniversityLoyalAlabamaLaw SchoolAuburnEnrollment Author:Jeff Sessions
“I grew up, really, in the country.When I was a kid there were three country stores, a railroad depot, and a post office.” CountryKidsThreeGrewOfficeGrew UpStoresPostsRailroadsPost Office Author:Jeff Sessions
“All the kids that I grew up with, in an almost idyllic environment - I've got to tell you, it was so wonderful - they've gone on and they're doctors and Ph.D.'s and everybody has a four-year college degree. None of our parents, I think, had a four-year degree.” ThinkingYearsKidsParentGoneEnvironmentFourWonderfulCollegeGrewDegreesGrew UpDoctorsFour YearsCollege DegreeIdyllic Author:Jeff Sessions
“My father had a country store and then later, when I was 10 or 12, sold it and bought a farm equipment dealership in nearby Camden.” CountryFatherStoresFarmsEquipmentCamden Author:Jeff Sessions