When you find yourself Havel carry out from time to time you will need to discuss certain huge factors, such as the way the counterculture in america got made good solid affect your, Reed continually nudged the new discussion towards the his own preoccupations – that is to state themselves and his globe. Forced to have some time desperate to get to the substantive issues the guy wished to consult Reed, Havel talked affectingly regarding reputation for the new dissident direction within the Czechoslovakia, emphasising their songs and you will social points – such as, an upswing away from Rent 77, which came up, in part, versus the fresh new government’s persecution of your Vinyl Individuals of the new Market. “Through this I am talking about to say,” Havel told you, “the music, underground tunes, specifically you to listing by the a band titled Velvet Underground, starred a rather significant character on the development of all of our country, and that i don’t believe that numerous people in the us provides seen that it.” Reed’s reaction? “Joan Baez claims hello.”
He was amazed and asked us to have a look during the piece
When Havel described in detail his stop by at the us from inside the 1968 with his contribution on historic beginner uprising one to year from the Columbia University, Reed answered, “Do you go to CBGB’s?” – which, needless to say, did not exist when you look at the 1968. ” Havel’s reaction is characteristically innovative: “Maybe not itself, it’s not adequate alone. Nonetheless it can also be sign up to that rather in being a part of your own waking of one’s individual heart.”
Vaclav Havel, following president of your Czech Republic, at the a north carolina jazz bar with Lou Reed from inside the April 1999. Photograph: Timothy Fadek/AP
Reed, it turns out, purposefully set-out never to perform some kind of interviews good journalist would do. “Really don’t enjoy it in the event the interview’s therefore removed up one the fresh interviewer and you will subject sound like an equivalent person,” the guy said. “I love to secure the real rhythm of the ways brand new people conversations.” What reporters learn and Reed failed to understand is the fact verbal terms and you can terminology to your a page are a couple of different things. Certain cleaning is called for. Reed as well as talked precisely how afraid he had been in order to interview Havel, which makes a number of their awkwardness much more clear. It is really not surprising one his seeming offhandedness and you will brusque attitude masked insecurities. “Having Hubert Selby,” Reed told you, talking about a job interview however through with one of is own literary idols, “We was available in which have typed questions, given that I became sure I would personally getting courage-racked and i also did not need certainly to skip some thing. Exact same having Havel… it’s simply very difficult really works. I’d much rather go out having a drink with these people.”
Havel’s responses with the each one of these matters have been nuanced and you can insightful, but Reed quicker these to a beneficial truism: “Your obviously become and you may establish you to audio can alter the world?
What Reed turned in towards journal wasn’t exactly what Going Brick needed. New task wasn’t created by a sounds editor, however, of the Robert Vare, which handled a lot of new magazine’s political coverage. We, too, is amazed from the exactly 
how one to-dimensional it absolutely was. My personal suggestion was to find out if Reed, which I had not even met at the time, was willing to establish anything prolonged – or perhaps something shorter – in which the greatest issue from the interviews could play a good region. Since the working with your up to that point hadn’t exactly become a great joyride, an impact on mag was he is actually unrealistic in order to need to do that. In the end, it was made a decision to simply supply the section back into Reed and you will assist your perform exactly what he wanted involved in other places. (The ebook which had accredited Reed so you’re able to interviews Hubert Selby and additionally rejected the latest ensuing interview.)