Andy Warhol (1928-1987) was an American artist and cultural icon. Best known for his pop art silkscreens such as the Campbell’s Soup Cans and various portaits, Warhol was the center of a scene, a cultural moment. His studio, The Factory, was home to a crowd of counterculture Superstars as well as artists who actually produced Warhol’s art.
Jim Carroll worked for Andy Warhol and Paul Morrissey in various capacities during the early 1970s. He worked at the Factory in Union Square creating character names and maybe writing dialogue for Warhol/Morrissey films. He also worked as co-manager (with Gerard Malanga) of AWT-BAG (Andy Warhol’s Theater–Boys to Adore Galore). Carroll has a lot to say, none of it positive, about Warhol and Morrissey in Forced Entries.
Carroll has connections with various other members of the Warhol crowd, including Brigid Berlin; Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground; and Andrea Feldman. These other connections are described below.
Check out the Andy Warhol Museum & learn more about Warhol on Wikipedia.
Brigid Berlin / Polk
Brigid Berlin (1939-2020) (also sometimes Brigid Polk) was an American artist and Warhol superstar. In Carroll’s Forced Entries, she is “Gloria Excelsior.” Carroll describes living with her, being photographed by her, and being recorded by her when on the phone with Andy Warhol. See “On Gloria” (29-31), “The Art of Using” (31-33), “The Cycle” (35-37), and “New Accommodations” 37-38).
I am only starting to find and document works published by Brigid Berlin. She has several coffee table books as well as rare items that have been documented by others containing photos and other items of interest relating to Jim Carroll.
Andrea Feldman
Andrea Feldman (1948-1972) was a Warhol superstar, actress, and Max’s Kansas City regular. She sometimes referred to herself as Andrea “Whips” Feldman and “Andrea Warhol.”
On August 8, 1972, Feldman committed suicide by jumping to her death from her parents’ apartment at 51 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, after having invited several ex-boyfriends to witness her “final starring role.”
In Forced Entries, Carroll describes his experience meeting Andrea and being one of those invited to her suicide, arriving just a little late. See “Meeting Andrea” and “Meeting Andrea Again” (51-55).
Gerard Malanga (b. 1943), who was Warhol’s chief collaborator on the early silkscreen paintings, is a highly-acclaimed poet, photographer, and filmmaker. Carroll and Malanga worked for Andy Warhol together as co-managers of AWT-BAG (Andy Warhol’s Theater–Boys to Adore Galore). Malanga appears in Forced Entries in “Transfer–Moving Up, Downtown” (38-39). Malanga published a rave review of Carroll’s Living at the Movies in Poetry.
Photos of Carroll appear in Malanga’s book Resistance to Memory Portraits from the Seventies. Learn more about Gerard Malanga on Wikipedia >
Paul Morrissey
Paul Morrissey (1938-2024) was an American film director associated with Andy Warhol.
Photos of Carroll appear in Malanga’s book Resistance to Memory Portraits from the Seventies. Learn more about Gerard Malanga on Wikipedia >
Lou Reed
Lou Reed (1942-2013) was an American musician and songwriter. In 1966 Andy Warhol became the official manager of Reed’s band the Velvet Underground. The Velvets performed at Max’s Kansas City from June 24 – August 28, 1970). See below for Velvet Underground details.
Lou Reed was Jim Carroll’s close friend. In 1984, Carroll and Reed made a number of remarkable appearances together: they gave a spoken-word performance together at St. Mark’s Church (See article by *Goldstein), Reed appeared in the Jim Carroll Band video for “Sweet Jane,” and in an episode of MTV’s Rock Influences, co-hosted by Reed, Carroll and Reed performed “People Who Died” together.
Carroll says he asked Reed for help with the chronology of Forced Entries. Carroll also has a poem, “Dueling the Monkey (for Lou and Sylvia Reed)” in The Book of Nods.
The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground (1964-63) was an American rock band.
Legend has it that Carroll held the microphone for the Velvet Underground’s Live at Max’s Kansas City album. Brigid Berlin was in charge of the microphone, but she delegated to Carroll, who can be heard between tracks ordering pernod.