This Week in Literary History: William S. Burroughs Kills Joan Vollmer in a Drunken Game of “William Tell”
This first appeared in Lit Hub’s Literary History newsletter—sign up here. On the afternoon of September 6, 1951, in a friend’s Mexico City apartment, a drunk William S.
William S. Burroughs and Joan Vollmer were a married couple living in Mexico City in 1951. Burroughs was an American writer who later became a central figure in the Beat Generation, a mid-20th century literary movement known for its rejection of conventional society and exploration of countercultural themes. Vollmer was a writer and intellectual who shared Burroughs’ interests in avant-garde literature and alternative lifestyles. Both were part of a bohemian circle that included other writers and artists. The couple had moved to Mexico City in part to escape legal troubles Burroughs faced in the United States related to drug use. Their relationship was marked by intense intellectual engagement but also by personal struggles, including Vollmer’s struggles with amphetamine addiction.
On September 6, 1951, Burroughs and Vollmer were drinking with friends in a Mexico City apartment. According to accounts, Burroughs decided to play a dangerous game inspired by the Swiss folk tale William Tell, where a marksman shoots an apple off someone’s head. Instead of an apple, Burroughs allegedly placed a glass on Vollmer’s head and fired his handgun, killing her instantly. The exact circumstances remain debated, as some accounts suggest the shooting may have been accidental, while others imply Burroughs was reckless or intoxicated. Vollmer was 30 years old at the time of her death. The incident occurred in the afternoon, and Burroughs was arrested shortly afterward by Mexican authorities.
After Vollmer’s death, Burroughs faced legal consequences in Mexico. He was charged with homicide but avoided a lengthy prison sentence by fleeing the country before his trial. He left Mexico for South America, eventually settling in Peru. Burroughs later wrote about the incident in his memoir Junkie, where he described the event as an accident resulting from his heroin addiction and intoxication. The case drew attention due to Burroughs’ emerging literary reputation and the tragic nature of Vollmer’s death. Vollmer’s death had a profound impact on Burroughs’ life and work, influencing themes in his later writing, including guilt, addiction, and existential reflection.
Vollmer’s death marked a turning point in Burroughs’ life and literary career. Before the incident, Burroughs had been struggling with heroin addiction and had not yet published his most famous works. After Vollmer’s death, he moved to South America and later returned to the United States, where he continued writing. His experiences with addiction, loss, and existential crisis became central themes in his writing, most notably in his 1959 novel *Naked Lunch*, which is considered a masterpiece of 20th-century literature. Burroughs’ work gained recognition in the 1960s as part of the *Beat Generation*, and he became an influential figure in underground and countercultural movements.
