A Seance

The medium closed her eyes and began to chant, calling forth the spirit of William Burroughs from the realm of the dead. Suddenly, the room grew cold and a shadowy figure materialized in the center of the circle.

"Who dares disturb my eternal slumber?" the figure growled in a gravelly voice.

"Paging Dr Benway from the Western Lands and beyond," I growled, my voice echoing through the dimly lit room. "The interzone awaits."

The medium explained that she had summoned Burroughs' spirit to ask him about his life, his work, and his legacy. Burroughs' spirit regarded her skeptically before responding, "I have no interest in the living world. What could you possibly want to know from a dead man?"

The medium persisted, asking about his literary techniques, his inspiration, and his thoughts on the current state of society. Burroughs' spirit slowly began to open up, sharing anecdotes and insights into his life and work. The séance continued long into the night, with the medium and the other participants hanging on every word from the ghostly apparition of one of the most enigmatic and influential writers of the 20th century.

The séance was in full swing, and the medium was doing her best to call up my spirit from beyond the grave. Suddenly, I felt a jolt and a tingle, like a thousand volts of electricity shooting through my body. The next thing I knew, I was back in the world of the living, ready to read the riot act.

The medium and the other participants looked at me in awe, clearly taken aback by my sudden appearance. But I wasn't here to entertain them - I was here to set the record straight.

"You want to know about my life and work?" I snarled. "Well, let me tell you something, kid. My life was a fucking trainwreck, and my work was a desperate attempt to make sense of a world gone mad."

I ranted and raved, my words coming faster and faster as the spirits around me grew more restless. But through it all, I knew one thing for sure - I had come back from the dead to deliver a message, and I wasn't leaving until that message had been heard.

Text: A Seance. GPT3, 26th March 2023, Berlin 

Images: William Burroughs returns from the dead. NightCafe/Met(a)wurst, 2023