Timeline for "The Cut-Up Method of Brion Gysin"

1961 - Burroughs writes this article about "cut and paste" editing which was an idea taken from the surrealists who themselves borrowed the idea from 100s of years before.

This article by Burroughs invoked John von Neumann, a computer engineer, who traced uses of "cut and paste"

-idea is that an author can borrow ideas and information from other sources in the creation/formulation of their own personal text

1971 - this article was published in a book
- important tool in creating drafts
- more recent uses include the creation of metrical, rhymed sonnets