John Burgess

A novel that revolves around the supposedly autobiographical manuscript found after the suspicious death of John Lowell (pseudonym John Burgess). The manuscript is prepared and edited by Nick Notou who also adds supplementary materials that contextualize the circumstances surrounding the real life of John Lowell, including interviews with relevant parties appended at the end of the novel. Essentially, Burgess views all of life as performance, and so this novel is a performance of that performance, following his life from birth to school to drug dealing to prostitution to wealthy seclusion to death. Besides the editorial presence of Nick Notou there is also the figure of Burgess’ niece Nora, who acts as an editorial guide in the composition of the manuscript, her commentary and suggestions often detailed in the footnotes. In this way the reader follows the literal production of the manuscript as it is produced, in the same way the reader follows the production of Burgess’ consciousness over time.