Iris Berry

Iris Berry Of Punk Hostage Press
Talks About Releasing
Looking For Johnny: The Legend Of Johnny Thunders
By Author Danny Garcia
Interview By: Ginger Coyote

Iris Berry Of Punk Hostage Press Talks About Releasing Look For Johnny: The Legend Of Johnny Thunders By Author Danny Garcia Interview By: Ginger Coyote

Punk Hostage Press has released the long awaited book and much anticipated book Looking For Johnny: The Legend Of Johnny Thunders by Danny Garcia. I got the chance to ask Iris about the book and upcoming releases for Punk Hostage...

Book Cover photo by Marcia Resnick

Punk Globe: How excited are you to have released "Looking For Johnny?"

Iris: I’m extremely thrilled. I love Johnny Thunders and this is an incredible book. I’m proud to have it on Punk Hostage Press!

Punk Globe: I was so happy to see my home girls Donna Destri and Phyllis Stein were in the book. So many fun recollections..

Iris: I feel the same as you, Ginger! I love all the vibrant women in this book. Both Donna Destri and Phyllis Stein added so much richness to Looking For Johnny, along with Nina Antonia’s Introduction.

Punk Globe: Of all the characters’ stories in the book who were your favorites, Iris?

Iris: Everyone in this brings so much to the book! So much great history and so many great stories. Although, Leee Black Childers and I have history, I loved him so much. I love reading his stories. Plus, he’s such a great interview. May he rest in peace…

One of my favorite stories in the book is when Johnny Thunders went to Woodstock, yes, he did, believe it or not?, and It’s hilarious. I’m still laughing…

Punk Globe: But Iris, you and Donna go back to The Black Lite with Flo... Did you contact Danny Garcia the author or did he contact you about releasing the book?

Iris: I’ve always known Danny as a fantastic film maker. So, when he approached me about doing a book based on his documentary about Johnny Thunders, I was pleasantly surprised.

Danny Garcia’s pic by Sloane Morrison

Punk Globe: Who were some of the contributing photographers for the photos used in the book?

Iris: Marcia Resnick took the cover photo, and the pix in the book were by Yann Mercader, Phyllis Stein, Patrick Grandperret, and Xavi Mercade’. I love all the photos. (But seriously, could Johnny Thunders ever take a bad pic? He was so good looking and charismatic). There’s also some screen grabs from the film Mona et moi, the film that Johnny starred in.

Punk Globe: How would you describe working with Danny Garcia in releasing this book?

Iris: Danny Garcia has been a dream to work with. I look forward to publishing more of his work in the very near future. We’re discussing another book by him for early spring 2019.

Punk Globe: How long of a process was there in releasing the book?

Iris: We started talking about doing a book in 2015, maybe 2016. and we just released it in September, 2018.

Punk Globe: I can't remember reading about his time living in San Francisco. it was a sad time for him I am sure... But he made the best of what San Francisco had to offer him.. Did Danny ever speak about that era?

Iris: I asked Danny and he told me that Johnny’s time in S.F never came up in any of the interviews…

Punk Globe: You mentioned that the book is a follow up to Danny's hit film about Johnny Thunders? Does the book go further than the film with his life?

Iris: Yes, absolutely, the film is great, so great!, but it has a time constraint, like all films, so the book has all these great stories, that are not in the film.

Punk Globe: How have the reviews been for the book?

Iris: Yes, all the reviews I’ve seen have been really good!

Punk Globe: Congratulations Iris, Punk Hostage Press, is making a mark in the publishing world. Tell us about some of your other releases?

Iris: Thank you, Ginger. First off, CHINASKI EDIZIONI, an Italian publishing company is publishing the Italian version of Looking For Johnny. And I’m going over contracts right now to possibly put out their version of Jim Carroll’s book, Punk, Rebel, Poet on Punk Hostage Press. Punk Hostage Press also is doing a book all about Orange County punk rock nightclub, The Cuckoo's Nest.

I’ll be putting out a 2nd edition of Todd Moore’s Dillinger's Thompson: With Machine Gun Dreams, originally published by Phony Lid Books. I’m putting the finishing touches on Dennis Cruz’ 2nd book on Punk Hostage Press, The Beast Is We. Followed by Joel Landmine’s 2nd book on PHP titled, Things Change. Along with the much anticipated book by Punk Hostage Press co-founder, A. Razor, titled, The Long Winded Tales of the Low Plains Drifter. And of course, another book by Danny Garcia…

and so much more…