Long time Quote by William S. Burroughs
““I was standing outside myself trying to stop those hangings with ghost fingers... I am a ghost wanting what every ghost wants-a body-after the Long Time moving through odorless alleys of space where no life is, only the colorless no smell of death...Nobody can breath and smell it through pink convolutions of gristle laced with crystal snot, time shit and black blood filters of flesh.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Naked Lunch, 1959
A surreal depiction of alienation and the yearning for physical existence amid a lifeless, oppressive environment.
In simple terms: A ghost longs for a body in a dead world.
Key Takeaway
Seek tangible connections despite existential emptiness.
Themes
alienation
existentialism
despair
surrealism
Mood
melancholic
introspective
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- creative writing
- psychological introspection
- philosophical contemplation
Key Concepts
identity
mortality
materiality
Questions to Reflect On
- How does feeling like a ghost affect daily choices?
- What anchors can ground you in reality?
A Different Perspective
The metaphor may obscure practical coping strategies.
