Travel Reference
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his large brown eyes like some sort of television broadcast,” wrote Burroughs. “The effect
was almost like a physical impact.”
Burroughsdidn'tmention
why
Hunckehadgivenhimtheevileye.Burroughs,befitting
his wealthy background, always dressed up. That day he was wearing a nice topcoat and
snap-brimhat.NooneHunckeassociatedwithdressedlikethat.HethoughtBurroughswas
a cop.
Later the two became close friends, including a stint when Huncke farmed marijuana
plants on Burroughs' Texas ranch. Over the long term, the pendulum of their friendship
swung often between closeness and distrust. Occasionally Burroughs would visit the
Chelsea, where Huncke spent his last years.
So would many others.
STEVE HOUSE
I went to the Chelsea, and so help me, God, sitting in a chair on a high floor, in a
large apartment, there was Herbert Huncke: the real Herbert Huncke. This little,
tinyshriveledguyinachairtalkingenthusiastically.Hewrotehisnameandnum-
ber on a napkin for me. I still have the napkin.
But it was Dimitri Mugianis who penetrated Huncke's inner circle. At the time, Mugianis
had been working hard to promote his band Mr. Unique and the Leisure Class. They had
played CBGBs, the Knitting Factory, and Cooper Union, and developed a cult following.
But Mugianis had also developed a nasty heroin habit and was selling drugs to support it.
It would be fair to say Mugianis and Huncke became acquainted through a mutual friend:
heroin. Even so, the friendship was deep and real.
DIMITRI MUGIANIS
A friend of mine, Roger Richards, ran the Rare Book Room on Greenwich.
39
One day I was in there, and it turned out that Herbert Huncke was there too.
I had always admired his writing and his life. So I extended an overture to him. I
said, “Oh, you're Herbert Huncke!”
He looked at me and said emphatically, drawing the words out, “No. Big.
Deal.”
JEROME POYNTON
When you sat there watching people go in and out of Huncke's room at the
Chelsea, it certainly seemed like his place was the place to be. He was a very
welcoming person, and had such a great ability to tell stories. And of course if
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