Michael Portman, Tangier, 1961 – photo: Allen Ginsberg, courtesy Stanford University / Allen Ginsberg Estate – caption: Michael Portman, ill-starred English aristocrat, then staying next door room to William Burroughs at Villa Muniria studying Alpha rhythms, stroboscope “Dream Machine” illusions and letters with Burroughs and Brion Gysin. Dorian Gray youth, he died in mid-age, alcohol and other dissipations, Tangier 1961
GC: Now here’s this beautiful terrible young boy, this English aristocrat – he was the epitome of them – Michael Portman
AG: Portman Square (in London)
GC: Yes, yes, the epitome of it.
AG: And he loved Burroughs so he was interested in…
GC: Ah Burroughs! – Imitate everything! – If Burroughs drank mint tea, he would (back in England, I watched him, back in England). Everything that Bill Burroughs did….
tape ends here in media-res
Hello, thank you for the beautiful photo.
What is the tape/source transcribed here?
Thank you!
The transcript is from an audio tape in The Allen Ginsberg collection at Stanford University (home of Allen’s archives) continuing with a transcription first begun here – https://allenginsberg.org/2020/01/t-j-21-2020/. where the hypertext directs you to https://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/nt243sd5880