WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS AND BEER ETIQUETTE

I recently bought a signed limited edition print of the above photograph of William Burroughs from the photographer John "Hoppy" Hopkins.

It was taken in the Lower East Side apartment Burroughs was using in New York between Chinatown and the Bowery during 1965. Hoppy was in America to take photos at the Newport Jazz Festival, so went to take some Burroughs pictures while there, some of which were later used in IT. I asked Hoppy what he was like. “He was okay but not one for small talk.”

Although they were not strangers, having previously met in London, the atmosphere was far from comfortable. Bill asked if Hoppy wanted a beer. Yes please, but asked for some ice in it. “You don’t have ice in beer” says Bill. Was he annoyed? “No, not annoyed, it just proved to him how stupid I was”.

John “Hoppy” Hopkins current exhibition “Taking Liberties” is at the Street Level Gallery, Trongate, Glasgow until 7th November 2009.

www.hoppy.be

INTERNATIONAL TIMES ARCHIVE LAUNCH

The International Times Archive was launched on Thursday accompanied by a suitably psychedelic light show over Hoppy’s photographs at the Idea Generation Gallery.

Every issue of the hippy underground bible (usually known as IT) is now available on-line with scans of each page in all their original hotchpotch glory. I’ve frittered loads of time, randomly clicking to read the happenings that attempted to focus the minds of those out of their minds since its first edition in 1966. For example, on the day I was born the freaks were watching a programme of Kenneth Anger films at the Arts Lab on Drury Lane; had something to eat at the Golden Egg on Oxford Street; and were looking forward to “a barbecue and dance with steel bands, the Action and other groups” at the Notting Hill Festival the next day.

There’s also a search facility that allows more considered research. I searched for “Reggie King” and was rewarded with a gig review all my previous investigations had failed to uncover. You can view the results in plain text or from the original page layout. The site is basic, old fashioned looking, unattractive and can be slow - like an old hippy, hey! - but it’s worth persevering.

www.internationaltimes.it