Dinner with Susan Sontag and Maurice Girodias: New York 1980

Bockris: Were you at that famous meeting with Beckett in Berlin?

Sontag: I was indeed. Why has it become a “famous meeting”?

Bockris: William has told me the story so many times and I was intrigued to see how accurate his account is.

Sontag: Beckett is probably the only person I ever really wanted to meet in the adult part of my life. I was very pleased to be in his presence. I felt and feel a general reverence for him.

Bockris: How long were you with him for?

Sontag: We were there for about [turning inquisitively to William Burroughs]…

Bockris: No, don't ask him. It's your account I want to hear.

Sontag: It seemed very long, too long. When you were with Beckett you felt you didn't really want to take up too much of his time, that he had better ways of using his time than being with us. It all started like this: We were staying in this picturesque hotel in Berlin, and Allen Ginsberg said, “We're going to see Beckett, c'mon,” and I said, “Oh, William and you are going, I don't want to butt in,” and he said, “No, c'mon, c'mon,” and we went.