James Grauerholz Memorial

Alex Wermer-Colan and James Ilgenfritz

On February 11th of this year, in downtown New York, Giorno Poetry Systems hosted at the Bunker a memorial for James Grauerholz. The collaborator and heir of William S. Burroughs, Grauerholz had passed away earlier this year, on New Year’s Day. Ira Silverberg and Peter Hale organized the memorial, with a Sukhavati ceremony led by Anne Waldman and Greg Munna. The evening welcomed to the stage the likes of John Waters, Patti Smith, and Stewart Meyer to share their remembrances. In attendance were actor Steve Buscemi, filmmaker Aaron Brookner, poet NO LAND, and many more.

The air was filled with recollections of James’s spirit: at times quite warm and generous, and at other times barbed and challenging. James had a multifaceted persona, and both of us were in awe of the depth and history of everyone’s relationships with James. Following the Sukhavati ceremony guiding his spirit to rebirth in a more blissful realm, we were relieved to hear from the likes of John Waters and Aaron Brookner, both of whose recollections were almost entirely effusive. The evening seemed quite magical for all of us gathered together, and the memories shared by old friends and fellow Burroughsians gave testament to the complexity of James’ life and work: the struggles he faced, the challenges he overcame, and the great work he accomplished to ensure Burroughs’ legacy, as well as his own. 

There in the strange windowless space at 222 Bowery, where Burroughs lived after leaving London and prior to moving with Grauerholz to Lawrence, Kansas, we were all fortunate for the opportunity to pay respects to James, and to carry forward his memory.