Return to United States In 1974, concerned about his friend's well-being, Allen Ginsberg gained for Burroughs a contract to teach creative writing at the City College of New York. Burroughs successfully withdrew from heroin use and moved to New York. He eventually found an apartment, affectionately dubbed "The Bunker", on the Lower East Side of Manhattan at 222 Bowery. The dwelling was a partially converted YMCA gym, complete with lockers and communal showers. The building fell within New York City rent control policies that made it extremely cheap; it was only about four hundred dollars a month until 1981 when the rent control rules changed, doubling the rent overnight.Bockris, V. With William Burroughs: A Report From the Bunker. New York: St. Martin's Griffin, 1996. Burroughs added "teacher" to the list of jobs he did not like, as he lasted only a semester as a professor; he found the students uninteresting and without much creative talent. Although he needed income desperately, he turned down a teaching position at the University at Buffalo for $15,000 a semester. "The teaching gig was a lesson in never again. You were giving out all this energy and nothing was coming back." His savior was the newly arrived twenty-one-year-old bookseller and Beat Generation devotee James Grauerholz, who worked for Burroughs part-time as a secretary as well as in a bookstore. Grauerholz suggested the idea of reading tours. Grauerholz had managed several rock bands in Kansas and took the lead in booking for Burroughs reading tours that would help support him throughout the next two decades. It raised his public profile, eventually aiding in his obtaining new publishing contracts. Through Grauerholz, Burroughs became a monthly columnist for the noted popular culture magazine Crawdaddy, for which he interviewed Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page in 1975. Burroughs decided to relocate back to the United States permanently in 1976. He then began to associate with New York cultural players such as Andy Warhol, John Giorno, Lou Reed, Patti Smith, and Susan Sontag, frequently entertaining them at the Bunker; he also visited venues like CBGB to watch the likes of Patti Smith perform. Throughout early 1977, Burroughs collaborated with Southern and Dennis Hopper on a screen adaptation of Junky. It was reported in The New York Times that Burroughs himself would appear in the film. Financed by a reclusive acquaintance of Burroughs, the project lost traction after financial problems and creative disagreements between Hopper and Burroughs.Marzoni, A., "Precarious Immortality: William S. Burroughs on Film", ARTnews, December 8, 2015.Palmer, R., "The Pop Life", The New York Times, March 18, 1977.
return to united states in 1974 concerned about his friend's well-being allen ginsberg gained for burroughs a contract to teach creative writing at the city college of new york burroughs successfully withdrew from heroin use and moved to new york he eventually found an apartment affectionately dubbed "the bunker" on the lower east side of manhattan at 222 bowery the dwelling was a partially converted ymca gym complete with lockers and communal showers the building fell within new york city rent control policies that made it extremely cheap; it was only about four hundred dollars a month until 1981 when the rent control rules changed doubling the rent overnightbockris v with william burroughs a report from the bunker new york st martin's griffin 1996 burroughs added "teacher" to the list of jobs he did not like as he lasted only a semester as a professor; he found the students uninteresting and without much creative talent although he needed income desperately he turned down a teaching position at the university at buffalo for $15000 a semester "the teaching gig was a lesson in never again you were giving out all this energy and nothing was coming back" his savior was the newly arrived twenty-one-year-old bookseller and beat generation devotee james grauerholz who worked for burroughs part-time as a secretary as well as in a bookstore grauerholz suggested the idea of reading tours grauerholz had managed several rock bands in kansas and took the lead in booking for burroughs reading tours that would help support him throughout the next two decades it raised his public profile eventually aiding in his obtaining new publishing contracts through grauerholz burroughs became a monthly columnist for the noted popular culture magazine crawdaddy for which he interviewed led zeppelin's jimmy page in 1975 burroughs decided to relocate back to the united states permanently in 1976 he then began to associate with new york cultural players such as andy warhol john giorno lou reed patti smith and susan sontag frequently entertaining them at the bunker; he also visited venues like cbgb to watch the likes of patti smith perform throughout early 1977 burroughs collaborated with southern and dennis hopper on a screen adaptation of junky it was reported in the new york times that burroughs himself would appear in the film financed by a reclusive acquaintance of burroughs the project lost traction after financial problems and creative disagreements between hopper and burroughsmarzoni a "precarious immortality william s burroughs on film" artnews december 8 2015palmer r "the pop life" the new york times march 18 1977