William Burroughs was an American writer and a key figure in the Beat Generation, known for his innovative and unconventional narrative style. Born on February 5, 1914, in St. Louis, Missouri, he gained fame with his novel Naked Lunch, published in 1959, which challenged traditional storytelling and censorship. Burroughs was also a pioneer in the use of cut-up techniques, a method of rearranging text to create new meanings. His works often explored themes of addiction, control, and the human experience, influencing many writers and artists in the counterculture movement of the 1960s and beyond.