Jim Morrison-songwriter, poet, lead singer for The Doors-died in 1971. But his legend and his genius have lived on through his records, his music, his lyrics. Wilderness is a comprehensive collection of the writings of Jim Morrison.

Wilderness (1988), was an extraordinary body of work, an important event in the history of literature and rock and roll. The events behind this publication are as extraordinary as the material itself.

Morrison in a will, left his writings to his wife, Pamela Courson. Pamela died in 1974, two years and seven months after Jim’s tragic death in Paris. The rights to the estate were finally settled in 1980. Since then, Pamela’s parents, Corky and Pearl Marie Courson,  worked with the two people who knew Jim Morrison’s work-and Jim Morrison-better than anyone, Frank and Kathy Lisciandro. Frank Lisciandro was Jim’s closest friend; his wife, Kathy, was Jim’s secretary during The Doors years.

It took a very long time for the unveiling of Wilderness because, quite simply, it could not have been done any sooner. The Lisciandros and Coursons sorted through, studying and deciphering more than sixteen hundred pages of notes, notebook pages and diary entries left by Jim Morrison. One poem, The American Night, had more than fifty different versions.

At long last, the selections were made. They represent an astonishing range from the wild rantings of a young iconoclast to the brilliant lyricism of an important and mature poet; from painfully insightful autobiographical writings to startling observations of the world around us.

There is even a remarkable introduction, by Jim himself,  written years ago in preparation for the day his work would be collected and published.

“If my poetry aims to achieve anything, it’s to deliver people from the limited ways in which they see and feel.” – Jim Morrison

The Opening of The Trunk   

Moment of the inner freedom,
when the mind is opened & the
infinite universe revealed,
& the soul is left to wander
dazed & confus’d searching
here & there for teachers & friends.

Moonlight Drive by Jim Morrison       

delete reply welshdoug wrote on Nov 30, ’07 Ah Jim Morrison. An absolute GOD.

delete reply papahere wrote on Nov 30, ’07 “If my poetry aims to achieve anything, it’s to deliver people from the limited ways in which they see and feel.” – Jim Morrison This is true also of philosophy and some religions…it has been what I have searched for in life ~ Papa