Las Vegas Weekly

Excellent as always, Mark.

How silly of Dante to put Satan in ice. The Xian myth derives from Milton, nearly half a millennium later, putting the prince of darkness into a lake of fire. Let's keep our mythology up to date.

Many Xian friends of mine, in response to my posting this story on FB, assure me that none other than William Bennett has just released the authoritative story of St Nick. Who could expect anything but gospel from such a figure of moral rectitude? So prepare, Mark, to be set straight!

If Burroughs were to write a review of *Naked Lunch* today, this is what it would sound like. I especially like the interpolation of the Burroughs ethos onto our historic moment. All it's missing is reference to its influence, say, that seminal irony-meisters Steely Dan drew their name from the book. (This would have dovetailed nicely with the closing reference to Ellington's "East Saint Louis Toodle-Oo," rendered lovingly on the Dan's *Pretzel Logic.*)