Setting up An Appointment – A moment of quotidian practicality – A non-event on the blog today (we don’t even have tape of the subsequent interview!)
(from 1969)
Interviewer: Mr Ginsberg, I’m from CBC – Hi!
AG: Hi
Interviewer: We would like to interview you tonight which wouldn’t take very long. Would you be willing?
AG: Ah, well, what time?
Interviewer: 7.30 to 8.30
AG: I guess, ok, it’s just that I wanted to do some socializing and go downtown…
Where are you? Where’s your office?
Interviewer ….The studio’s in Verdun, actually.
AG: Where’s that? Far away?
Interviewer: Fifteen minutes by cab
AG: Well, if you can provide a cab, so that I can get back to where I want to be.
Interviewer: Sure. Great. Could you be there at 7.30, then?
AG: What time would I have to leave my hotel?
Interviewer: Quarter after seven
AG: And where can I phone to get a cab if I’m not at my hotel?
Interviewer: You can get one right outside this hotel
AG: What if I’m not there?
Interviewer: Oh, 5000 Wellington..
AG: Pardon me?
Interviewer: 5000 Wellington.
Student: You could be there at the hotel and…
AG: No, I may not be at the hotel. I don’t know where I’ll be. I guess I’ll be at the hotel..
Student: We can give you the address and there are cabs
AG: Five?
Interviewer: Five thousand. On the corner of…
Student:You have a car or something?
Interviewer; No I don’t have a car.
AG: I go to CBC ?
Interviewer Yeah.
AG: 5000 Wellington..
Interviewer; It’s at the corner of Wellington and Fifth Street
AG: That’s where CBC is?
Interviewer: No, that’s where the studio is. Verdun studio.
AG: And that’s what? Verdun you said?
Interviewer: It’s Verdun..
AG: Okay, and I should be there..
Interviewer; At 7.30?
AG: And how far is that from downtown hotel here? – how many minutes?
Interviewer: Fifteen minutes
AG: So if I could take a cab around seven, I’d be sure to be there in plenty of time.
Interviewer: Yeah
AG Okay
Interviewer: And I’ll meet you there.
AG: What’s your name?
Interviewer: Barbara
AG: And do you have a phone?
Interviewer; Yeah, I’ll give you my number at the office, it’s 868-3211
AG: Okay
Interviewer: Extension 1724
AG; 1727
interviewer: 1724
AG; 1724 okay
Interviewer; Monday…Tuesday
AG: Okay Barbara
addenda (a little bit later):
Student: Line one..hold on please..Allen, there’s a call for you about the radio show that you’re supposed to do….
“Mr Allen Ginsberg is up here with us , sponsored by the McGill Hillel Jewish Society and the McGill Debating Union to give us, a to give McGill University a poetry reading tomorrow evening at 8pm at the Union Ballroom. There’ll be a question-and-answer period after the poetry reading as well tomorrow. Mr Ginsberg is here for a press conference. Fire away any questions you may have at him,. he’ll be happy to entertain them. So if you can please have your questions,”
Audio for the above can be heard here, beginning at approximately seven-and-a-quarter minutes in (in the fourth segment), and continuing until approximately nine-and-a-half minutes in – plus from approximately thirteen-and-a-quarter minutes in to approximately thirteen-and-three-quarters in