Cut Up with Catcher in the Rye (2015)

Cut Up with Catcher in the Rye is a setting of a poem by William S. Burroughs. I composed it for a concert of poems by Burroughs that had just been published for the first time in The Travel Agency is On Fire: Burroughs Cuts Up the Great Bards.

The Anagram Ensemble premiered it on October 16, 2015 at The Stone in New York City.

I said I he picked knew a time at random I’d walked down a few

stairs you holding onto dirty body blood leak all over your my

guts stomach overcoat all over so I could start screaming belly voice

six shot right thru his fat hairy bathroom all of a sudden I start

dripping out of the movies was committing suicide I said he picked a

time body my guts an all but I’m crazy automatic room I start pretending

to steady my nerves this blood dripping out of my pocket God blood

leaking all over I start missing everybody the song the carousel was

playing was smoke gets in your eyes hurry up the ting’s going to

start again maybe it because its around Christmas he picked a time

at random some guy’s hand on my stomach holding onto my sort of

patting me and they and them always being pervert when I8k around

more than anybody you ever met but I knew he was watching me alright

idol Maurice Antolini all of a sudden I start the movies about twenty

times since I was kid I cant stand it I don't even like to talk about

it sickened by dirty human behavior it was so putrid I couldn’t take

my eyes off it He’s a very bitter guy the brother in the mood of for

this have to admit but putrid corny leave my wallet along the thing

is the watch I mean you’d be different in some way

—William S. Burroughs, 1964