Lou Reed's literary influences?

Stephen Says · Post by **Stephen Says** » 19 Dec 2004 00:31

I know he likes Poe, Burroughs, & I assume Whitman... Anyone able to give a rough list? Thanks.

Stephen Says · Post by **Stephen Says** » 19 Dec 2004 00:55

btw, I just noticed I've been posting a lot of new topics. Sorry if anyone got annoyed... I'm new here and have a lot of repressed VU thoughts.

Chance · Post by **Chance** » 19 Dec 2004 01:04

Delmore Schwartz, of course.

(Don't need to apologize for being an active member of the board. Keep 'em coming.

)

Homme Fatale · Post by **Homme Fatale** » 19 Dec 2004 09:00

Stephen Says wrote:btw, I just noticed I've been posting a lot of new topics. Sorry if anyone got annoyed... I'm new here and have a lot of repressed VU thoughts.

No, that's good! Keep 'em coming! 8)

Doctor Bob · Post by **Doctor Bob** » 19 Dec 2004 13:21

William Burroughs, Hubert Selby Jr, Nelson Algren, James Joyce, Shakespeare, Baudelaire, and of course as Chance pointed out, Delmore Schwartz, particularly the short story 'In Dreams Begin Responsibilities'

Stephen Says · Post by **Stephen Says** » 23 Dec 2004 04:00

Joyce and Baudelaire? Very interesting and surprising...

I still think he must have liked Leaves of Grass. It's hard to picture him disagreeing with a single line of it.

Jerome · Post by **Jerome** » 23 Dec 2004 04:11

'Last Exit to Brooklyn' by Hubert Selby is a collection of stories that influenced Reed's songwriting in my opinion. Particularly the late night parties of amphetamine popping transvestites having orgies with local hoodlums. That sounds familiar to a certain song...