A, a novel
Encyclopedia
a, A Novel is a 1968 book
by the American
artist Andy Warhol
(1928–1987) published by Grove Press
. It is a nearly word-for-word transcription of tapes recorded by Warhol and Ondine
over a two-year period in 1966-1968.
's Ulysses
, was intended as an uninterrupted twenty-four hours in the life of Ondine
, an actor who was famous mostly as a Factory
fixture, Warhol film Superstar
and devoted amphetamine
user. A taped conversation between Warhol and Ondine, the book was actually recorded over a few separate days, during a two-year period. The book is a verbatim printing of the typed manuscripts and contains every typo, abbreviation and inconsistency that the typists produced. Ondine's monologues and disjointed conversations are further fragmented by Warhol's insistence on maintaining a purity of the transcriptions.
a, A Novel was the second of several publishing projects Andy Warhol produced in his lifetime. Warhol wanted to be a writer but much like his film work, spontaneous performances and an explicit lack of editing was used as a device. Warhol wanted to write a "bad" novel, "because doing something the wrong way always opens doors." Four typists were employed to transcribe the Warhol/Ondine tapes. Maureen Tucker
, the drummer for the Velvet Underground was an expert typist. However, she refused to transcribe the swear words and left them out. Two high school girls were hired to work on some of the tapes. When one girl's mother heard what they were listening to she threw out the tape, losing several hours of conversation. All four hired typists transcribed the dialogue differently, some identifying the speakers, others not. The editor for a, A Novel, Billy Name
, preserved the transcripts as is, with every typo and inconsistent character identification, and even moving from two column pages to single-column based on each typist's style. The final printed version was identical to the typed manuscripts.
cites Billy Name as the source for the title; "a" refers to both amphetamine use and as an homage to e.e. cummings. The title in both editions published by Grove Press in 1969 and 1998 use the a, A Novel format.
, meaning that the fictional characters are thinly-disguised actual persons. The "cast" is itemized in the glossary written by Victor Bockris in the 1998 paperback edition. A run-down of the major characters in the book are:
Ondine
is Robert Olivo
, a Warhol superstar.
Drella is Warhol himself (he was nicknamed "Drella" because Lou Reed
felt it fit both sides of Warhol's persona, being a combination of Cinderella
and Dracula
).
Steve is Stephen Shore
, a photographer who worked with Billy Name
.
Paul is Paul Morrissey
, who had just joined the group and would eventually become the director of Warhol's later films.
Lucky L is Paul America
, newly popular in the Factory crowd for starring in My Hustler.
Gerard Malanga
was the star of many Warhol films, and is the only person whose real name is used in the book.
Taxine or "Taxi," is Edie Sedgwick
, the great female Warhol superstar. A, a novel was the beginning of the end of their relationship.
Rink or "Rink Crawl" is Chuck Wein
, responsible for bringing Edie to the Factory.
Irving Du Ball is Lester Persky, a film producer
.
Moxanne is Genevieve Charbon, a French
actress who Edie met in Paris
that year.
Rotten Rita is Kenneth Rapp, who, with Ondine and Billy Name, made up the "A-heads
Trio." Rita was also known as the Mayor, like Ondine was known as the Pope.
The Duchess is Brigid Polk, whose real name was Brigid Berlin
. She would be Warhol's companion for the rest of his life, although he did not take part in her only conversation in the book.
Billy Name
is Billy Linich
, a photographer who worked closely with Stephen Shore. He was also the designer of the Factory.
Do Do or "Do Do Mae Doome," is Dorothy Dean. She worked at the New Yorker Magazine in the 60s.
The Sugar Plum Fairy is Joe Campbell who starred in My Hustler and Nude Restaurant.
Ron Via is Ronnie Vial, a member of the underground
.
Oxydol is Olympio Vasconzalez, who starred in Conquest of the Universe with Ondine.
Lou is Lou Reed
of the Velvet Underground, whose album cover Warhol created.
Book
A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
by the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
artist Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol
Andrew Warhola , known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art...
(1928–1987) published by Grove Press
Grove Press
Grove Press is an American publishing imprint that was founded in 1951. Imprints include: Black Cat, Evergreen, Venus Library, Zebra. Barney Rosset purchased the company in 1951 and turned it into an alternative book press in the United States. The Atlantic Monthly Press, under the aegis of its...
. It is a nearly word-for-word transcription of tapes recorded by Warhol and Ondine
Ondine (actor)
Robert Olivo aka Ondine was an American actor. He is best known for appearing in a series of films in the mid-1960s by Andy Warhol, whom he claimed to have met in 1961 at an orgy....
over a two-year period in 1966-1968.
The Novel
a, A Novel, Warhol's knowing response to James JoyceJames Joyce
James Augustine Aloysius Joyce was an Irish novelist and poet, considered to be one of the most influential writers in the modernist avant-garde of the early 20th century...
's Ulysses
Ulysses (novel)
Ulysses is a novel by the Irish author James Joyce. It was first serialised in parts in the American journal The Little Review from March 1918 to December 1920, and then published in its entirety by Sylvia Beach on 2 February 1922, in Paris. One of the most important works of Modernist literature,...
, was intended as an uninterrupted twenty-four hours in the life of Ondine
Ondine (actor)
Robert Olivo aka Ondine was an American actor. He is best known for appearing in a series of films in the mid-1960s by Andy Warhol, whom he claimed to have met in 1961 at an orgy....
, an actor who was famous mostly as a Factory
The Factory
The Factory was Andy Warhol's original New York City studio from 1962 to 1968, although his later studios were known as The Factory as well. The Factory was located on the fifth floor at 231 East 47th Street, in Midtown Manhattan. The rent was "only about one hundred dollars a year"...
fixture, Warhol film Superstar
Warhol superstar
Warhol superstars were a clique of New York City personalities promoted by Andy Warhol during the 1960s and early 1970s. These personalities appeared in Warhol's artworks and accompanied him in his social life...
and devoted amphetamine
Amphetamine
Amphetamine or amfetamine is a psychostimulant drug of the phenethylamine class which produces increased wakefulness and focus in association with decreased fatigue and appetite.Brand names of medications that contain, or metabolize into, amphetamine include Adderall, Dexedrine, Dextrostat,...
user. A taped conversation between Warhol and Ondine, the book was actually recorded over a few separate days, during a two-year period. The book is a verbatim printing of the typed manuscripts and contains every typo, abbreviation and inconsistency that the typists produced. Ondine's monologues and disjointed conversations are further fragmented by Warhol's insistence on maintaining a purity of the transcriptions.
a, A Novel was the second of several publishing projects Andy Warhol produced in his lifetime. Warhol wanted to be a writer but much like his film work, spontaneous performances and an explicit lack of editing was used as a device. Warhol wanted to write a "bad" novel, "because doing something the wrong way always opens doors." Four typists were employed to transcribe the Warhol/Ondine tapes. Maureen Tucker
Maureen Tucker
Maureen Ann "Moe" Tucker is a musician best known for having been the drummer for the rock group The Velvet Underground.- The Velvet Underground :...
, the drummer for the Velvet Underground was an expert typist. However, she refused to transcribe the swear words and left them out. Two high school girls were hired to work on some of the tapes. When one girl's mother heard what they were listening to she threw out the tape, losing several hours of conversation. All four hired typists transcribed the dialogue differently, some identifying the speakers, others not. The editor for a, A Novel, Billy Name
Billy Name
Billy Name, , is an American photographer, filmmaker and lighting designer. He was the archivist of the Warhol Factory, from 1964 to 1970. His brief romance and subsequent friendship with Andy Warhol led to substantial collaboration on Warhol's work, including his films, paintings and sculpture...
, preserved the transcripts as is, with every typo and inconsistent character identification, and even moving from two column pages to single-column based on each typist's style. The final printed version was identical to the typed manuscripts.
The title
In his glossary for the 1998 edition of a, A Novel, Victor BockrisVictor Bockris
Victor Bockris is an English-born, U.S.-based author, primarily of biographies of artists, writers, and musicians.He has written about Lou Reed , Andy Warhol, Keith Richards, William S. Burroughs, Terry Southern, Blondie, Patti Smith, and Muhammad Ali...
cites Billy Name as the source for the title; "a" refers to both amphetamine use and as an homage to e.e. cummings. The title in both editions published by Grove Press in 1969 and 1998 use the a, A Novel format.
Cast
The book is a roman a clefRoman à clef
Roman à clef or roman à clé , French for "novel with a key", is a phrase used to describe a novel about real life, overlaid with a façade of fiction. The fictitious names in the novel represent real people, and the "key" is the relationship between the nonfiction and the fiction...
, meaning that the fictional characters are thinly-disguised actual persons. The "cast" is itemized in the glossary written by Victor Bockris in the 1998 paperback edition. A run-down of the major characters in the book are:
Ondine
Ondine (actor)
Robert Olivo aka Ondine was an American actor. He is best known for appearing in a series of films in the mid-1960s by Andy Warhol, whom he claimed to have met in 1961 at an orgy....
is Robert Olivo
Ondine (actor)
Robert Olivo aka Ondine was an American actor. He is best known for appearing in a series of films in the mid-1960s by Andy Warhol, whom he claimed to have met in 1961 at an orgy....
, a Warhol superstar.
Drella is Warhol himself (he was nicknamed "Drella" because Lou Reed
Lou Reed
Lewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician, songwriter, and photographer. He is best known as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground, and for his successful solo career, which has spanned several decades...
felt it fit both sides of Warhol's persona, being a combination of Cinderella
Cinderella
"Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper" is a folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout the world. The title character is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances that are suddenly changed to remarkable fortune...
and Dracula
Dracula
Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...
).
Steve is Stephen Shore
Stephen Shore
Stephen Shore is an American photographer known for his deadpan images of banal scenes and objects in the United States, and for his pioneering use of color in art photography.- Life and work :...
, a photographer who worked with Billy Name
Billy Name
Billy Name, , is an American photographer, filmmaker and lighting designer. He was the archivist of the Warhol Factory, from 1964 to 1970. His brief romance and subsequent friendship with Andy Warhol led to substantial collaboration on Warhol's work, including his films, paintings and sculpture...
.
Paul is Paul Morrissey
Paul Morrissey
Paul Morrissey is an American film director, best-known for his association with Andy Warhol.Morrissey attended Ampleforth College, a private Roman Catholic boarding school and Fordham University, both Roman Catholic schools, and later served in the United States Army...
, who had just joined the group and would eventually become the director of Warhol's later films.
Lucky L is Paul America
Paul America
Paul Johnson , better known as Paul America, was a member of Andy Warhol's Warhol Superstars group who starred in one Warhol-directed film, My Hustler...
, newly popular in the Factory crowd for starring in My Hustler.
Gerard Malanga
Gerard Malanga
Gerard Joseph Malanga is an American poet, photographer, filmmaker, curator and archivist.-Early life:Born in the Bronx, New York, Malanga graduated from the School of Industrial Art in Manhattan and attended Wagner College on Staten Island...
was the star of many Warhol films, and is the only person whose real name is used in the book.
Taxine or "Taxi," is Edie Sedgwick
Edie Sedgwick
Edith Minturn "Edie" Sedgwick was an American actress, socialite, model and heiress. She is best known for being one of Andy Warhol's superstars. Sedgwick became known as "The Girl of the Year" in 1965 after starring in several of Warhol's short films in the 1960s...
, the great female Warhol superstar. A, a novel was the beginning of the end of their relationship.
Rink or "Rink Crawl" is Chuck Wein
Chuck Wein
Chuck Wein was an American promoter and manager of entertainment acts whose celebrity stemmed from his five-year association with Andy Warhol and from his discovery of Edie Sedgwick who became Warhol Superstar of 1965.Wein graduated from Pittsburgh's Taylor Allderdice High School in 1957 and...
, responsible for bringing Edie to the Factory.
Irving Du Ball is Lester Persky, a film producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
.
Moxanne is Genevieve Charbon, a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
actress who Edie met in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
that year.
Rotten Rita is Kenneth Rapp, who, with Ondine and Billy Name, made up the "A-heads
Amphetamine
Amphetamine or amfetamine is a psychostimulant drug of the phenethylamine class which produces increased wakefulness and focus in association with decreased fatigue and appetite.Brand names of medications that contain, or metabolize into, amphetamine include Adderall, Dexedrine, Dextrostat,...
Trio." Rita was also known as the Mayor, like Ondine was known as the Pope.
The Duchess is Brigid Polk, whose real name was Brigid Berlin
Brigid Berlin
Brigid Berlin is an American artist and former Warhol superstar.-Early years:Berlin was the eldest of three daughters born to socialite parents, Muriel Johnson "Honey" Berlin and Richard E. Berlin, into a world of Manhattan privilege. Her father was chairman of the Hearst media empire for 32 years...
. She would be Warhol's companion for the rest of his life, although he did not take part in her only conversation in the book.
Billy Name
Billy Name
Billy Name, , is an American photographer, filmmaker and lighting designer. He was the archivist of the Warhol Factory, from 1964 to 1970. His brief romance and subsequent friendship with Andy Warhol led to substantial collaboration on Warhol's work, including his films, paintings and sculpture...
is Billy Linich
Billy Name
Billy Name, , is an American photographer, filmmaker and lighting designer. He was the archivist of the Warhol Factory, from 1964 to 1970. His brief romance and subsequent friendship with Andy Warhol led to substantial collaboration on Warhol's work, including his films, paintings and sculpture...
, a photographer who worked closely with Stephen Shore. He was also the designer of the Factory.
Do Do or "Do Do Mae Doome," is Dorothy Dean. She worked at the New Yorker Magazine in the 60s.
The Sugar Plum Fairy is Joe Campbell who starred in My Hustler and Nude Restaurant.
Ron Via is Ronnie Vial, a member of the underground
Counterculture
Counterculture is a sociological term used to describe the values and norms of behavior of a cultural group, or subculture, that run counter to those of the social mainstream of the day, the cultural equivalent of political opposition. Counterculture can also be described as a group whose behavior...
.
Oxydol is Olympio Vasconzalez, who starred in Conquest of the Universe with Ondine.
Lou is Lou Reed
Lou Reed
Lewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician, songwriter, and photographer. He is best known as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground, and for his successful solo career, which has spanned several decades...
of the Velvet Underground, whose album cover Warhol created.