Iris Berry is a national treasure! A kind, caring, beautiful person inside and out. But most importantly of all a very loyal friend. She and A Razor have started their very own book publishing company Punk Hostage. Her new book "The Daughters Of Bastards" which was just released on Punk Hostage sold out on the first pressing to rave reviews... I hope you enjoy the interview with Iris..

Thanks for the interview Iris... You were located right in the East Village when Hurricane Sandy hit what were you thinking?

I was thinking, I came 3,000 miles to evacuate? “Welcome to New York, now get out!,” is what my friend David said, when I first got there.Everyone was making jokes. Jokes about Frankenstorm, and how last year they were warned about Hurricane Irene, and it never came. So nobody believed that Sandy would really happen.

I went to New York to see my long time best friend, Violet Liquori, who’s like my sister. We hadn’t seen each other in 13 years. She had a great place in LES (lower east side) on Avenue C, between 6th and 7th. Angel, our landlord was great, he really lived up to his name. The day before the alleged storm he brought us headbands that had a light on them, something that would come in handy in a coal mine, (or a crumbled building – trying to find a way out) and two big flashlights, just in case. We also bought a bunch of religious candles, rain boots and a lot of candy. Again, just in case… Violet and I were calmly hanging out. I was watching Boardwalk Empire on my laptop and she was doing some work on her laptop. We had the TV on in the background, to keep tabs on things, but we weren’t really paying attention.Violet calls me over to the kitchen window. “Iris, come look at this, quick,” she said. I looked out the kitchen window to see the laundry room flooded way above the doorway. We ran to the fire escape to see more water about 10 feet high and rising.

Then, President Obama appears on the TV for a, “We interrupt this broadcast,” warning everyone to not take this lightly, we expect this to get very serious. Just as he said that, we hear a loud boom that sounds like thunder, and then the sky lights up, which we assumed was lightening. Then the power went out. We both looked at each other and said, “Oh shit.”

I wasn’t scared, I had too much adrenaline pumping through me. We were trying to cover all of our bases and make sure we had a plan B and a plan C. Then came the worried phone calls from family and friends from California. I’ve never been so happy to hear the voices of family and friends. My brothers voices never sounded so good. And thank god for Pleasant Gehman and Teddy Quinn. They were both such amazing lifelines. Both of them kept calling, keeping us posted about what was going on.

For those who still had power, the news broadcasters were telling the public that the power company purposely turned the power off in certain areas to keep people from getting electrocuted. But that wasn’t true. What we thought was thunder and lightening was the Con Edison gas company blowing up. That’s what took the power down. So we lit a bunch of candles, got our flashlights, put our flashlight headgear on and met everyone else in the building in the hallway.

Everyone in the building came together, keeping each other alerted and comforted. A girl from the 6h floor came down to tell us if the water started to come into our apartment, to come up to her place where we would be safer. Everyone was amazing. We all watched out for each other. In the middle of all the trauma, everyone was so caring and loving. It was really pretty moving. I’ve never experienced anything like it. And remember, we had no power, so while everyone in other places was watching all the live footage on TV, we had no idea all the damage that was being done. We had no idea that Staten Island was demolished, that Coney Island got hit, and Atlantic City. and the whole Eastern Seaboard, gone. For all we knew it was just in our surrounding area.

What floor were you on in the building?

We were on the 1st floor. Luckily the building had a basement, otherwise we would have literally been swimming with the fishes.

At the height of the Super Storm how high had the water risen?

We barely slept, so we could keep checking the water levels. With the power out it was so surreal walking those long dark hallways to get to the front door. When we did get to the door, we never knew what would be on the other side. At one point we opened the door and the water level had gotten to about 14 feet, cars were buried deep in water. Thank god had a high stoop. The streets were lined with fallen trees on smashed cars. And there was wood everywhere from all the demolished homes.

How long did it take to get the power back on?

It took about a week, but we didn’t stick around to wait. The minute the tide went down around 6 am, we had a small window of time to get out, word on the street was the tide would be coming back at around 9:30 am. So we packed our bags and tried to hail a cab. We were headed to a friends house uptown on 94th and Broadway. But because the power was down, the gas pumps weren’t working. Which meant there were no cabs. Luckily a Town Car Livery service pulled over and took us uptown for only $35.00 When we got uptown, there was not one sign of a hurricane, it’s as if it didn’t happen. A tale of two cities. It was very strange.

Did you have any trouble getting a return flight back to Los Angeles?

No, I changed my flight and came home a day early. The Subways were down, the trains were down, the cabs that we did see were running on fumes. I thought I better get to the airport while I can still get a ride from someone who still had gas.

You have a new book " The Daughters Of Bastards" out, tell us about that?

The Daughters Of Bastards is a book of prose and short stories, personal experiences about being a native Angelino, growing up on the violent streets of Pacoima and running off at the age of 15 to the allure of Hollywood in the late 70's through the 1980s in search of a better life. Surrounded by the perverseness of a crumbling mystique that was once a golden tinseled dreamland. The Daughters of Bastards gives insights and anecdotes to some of my adventurous times growing up on the streets of Hollywood in the golden era of the LA punk rock scene. It was an amazing time.

You and A. Razor also started your own publishing company Punk Hostage Press. How did that come about?

It literally happened over a few text messages on Friday the 13th of January in 2012. I had edited a manuscript for Razor for Louis Rodriguez’ Tia Chucha Press. Razor and I met with Louis and he gave us some great direction and insight about Razor’s manuscript. Telling us that his manuscript was two books and that we should re-edit it. While listening to Louis we both got inspired by the model that he created for his press, and we decided that we should start one ourselves and put out our own books. The DIY way, something both Razor and I have been doing since the early 1980s. Over the course of about 4 or 5 text messages we came up with Punk Hostage Press.

How did you come up with the name Punk Hostage Press?

It started out as my Myspace address about eight years ago. I’ve always felt like a punk hostage, not in a negative way, or as a fashion statement where I’m stuck wearing bondage pants. It has nothing to do with fashion or violence or being stuck for that matter. It really has to do with freedom. The belief system that pulled me to punk rock. Not waiting for permission to do whatever you want, be it artistically or otherwise. It’s about no permission and no apologies. It’s really about wanting to do something and then doing it. Not waiting around for someone, some record company or some publisher to tell you when you can do what you want to do. But to just go ahead and do it, because you want to and because you have to.

How long did it take you to write "The Daughters Of Bastards"?

It’s been over a span of about 10 years. Some of the stories were written a while back and some of them were written a few months ago.

You are involved with so many projects did you have a hard time finding the time to write the book?

Yes, I lost a relationship over it… people take it personal when you disconnect and drop out of sight for awhile, or don’t answer your phone. A lot of time I end up writing at night while the rest of the city is asleep. It’s the best time for me. There’s no interruptions, or phone calls I have to make, or take. There’s nowhere I have to be, nowhere I should or could be, because there’s no distractions. Everything is calm and quiet and I can think freely from anything pulling at me.

When exactly was "The Daughters Of Bastards" released?

The Launch Party and the book release party was October 14th of this year, 2012.

That is right you had a release party for your book and also the launch of Punk Hostage Press.. Were you happy with the turn out?

It was pretty great! Razor and I had our book release party and reading at Stories Café & Bookstore in Echo Park. Razor released Better Than A Gun In A Knife Fight and Drawn Blood and I released The Daughters of Bastards. Pleasant Gehman was our lovely host for the evening. She opened the show reading excerpts from her upcoming book on Punk Hostage Press called, Lady Don’t Be Panic, which should be out the beginning of next year. We had a great reception and such a great audience. Then we had the Launch Party for the Press over at The Echo about 4 doors down. For all the Dexter Morgan fans, Michael C. Hall was there, which had everybody excited. The real highlight was having The Legendary Duo perform. If you don’t know who they are, you should, they’re incredible. It’s Sean Wheeler, former singer from Throw Rag and Zander Schloss who’s been in every band, The Circle Jerks, Thelonious Monster, Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros, and so many more… they’re both so talented and together they make an amazing duo. A lot of people thanked me for having them play because they had never heard them before. It was a great night!

Are you happy with the reception that "The Daughters Of Bastards" has received?

I’m really happy, I’m getting great reviews and a lot of love. What more can a girl ask for!

Is it true that the entire first pressing of the book sold out?

Yes! Stories Bookstore told me that my book sold out. They were promising people to come back the following week when they would have more in stock. Stories told me that they’ve never had a book attack like that before… which seems hard to believe. I’m really flattered, and so grateful for all their support.

Were you able to do any readings in NYC prior to Sandy?

I was planning on doing something at a place called Cornelia Street Café. I was going to Introduce Edaurdo Jones whose book The Red Hook Giraffe will be coming out on Punk Hostage Press the beginning of 2013. I was going to talk a little about the Press, read from my book, The Daughters of Bastards and introduce Edaurdo Jones. Edaurdo is an incredible writer and gives an amazing read. But the show got cancelled due to Sandy. The Café had no power, so we had no show. But that’s ok, because Razor and I will be taking Punk Hostage Press to the AWP Conference in Boston this coming March. So we’ll spend a good month on the east coast doing readings while we’re there. We’re really looking forward to being apart of the AWP. We’ll have a booth and we’ll be there for three days with about 15 titles on our Press.

Tell us about other releases that Punk Hostage Press will be releasing?

We’ve just released: A. Razor - Beaten up & Beaten Down
Candi V. Auchterlonie - Impress
Carolyn Srygley-Moore - miracles of the BloG: A series
Yvonne de la Vega - Tomorrow Yvonne / Poetry & Prose for Suicidal Egotists
Rich Ferguson - 8th & Agony

Coming soon:
Pleasant Gehman - Lady Don't Be Panic - Jan. 2013
Joe Donnelly, Publisher & Editor of Slake Media - Untitled - Dec. 2012
Diana Rose - Where the Road Leads – Dec.2012
Edaurdo Jones - The Red Hook Giraffe – Feb. 2013

Can you give us any Internet Addresses that will keep the readers up to date with what you and the publishing company are doing?

www.punkhostagepress.com
https://www.facebook.com/PunkHostagePress?fref=ts
https://www.facebook.com/IrisBerry.Writer?fref=ts
www.irisberry.com
https://www.facebook.com/13razor13?fref=ts
https://www.facebook.com/punkhostage?fref=ts
http://razor13.blogspot.com/?zx=5be12fd052944a55

To buy "Daughters Of Bastards" https://www.createspace.com/3884122

Describe yourself in three words?

Dessert Junkie, Goofy, Valentine Survivor

How excited are you for the new season of "Shameless"?

You have no idea! Well maybe you do! I cannot wait. I feel like once that show comes back on the air, life will be normal again. The writing and the acting is amazing. Nothing makes me laugh like watching Frank Gallagher try to hustle his way through life.

Are you excited now that Noel Fisher is a series regular?

You mean Mickey Milkovich? I’m fucking thrilled!!! Especially since you had him leave me a message on my voice mail, in character, as Mickey!!! There I was at the Malibu Inn having dinner with friends. I go to check my voice mail and it’s you putting Noel Fisher on the phone doing his best impersonation as Mickey. I started screaming at the top of my lungs. And the restaurant was crowded. I’m surprised they didn’t try to escort me out! My friends were just looking at me, and I could see them mouthing the words, is everything alright? But I couldn’t hear them, because all I could hear was Mickey…. Ginger, I am eternally grateful…

You recently met and interviewed Zach McGowan (Jody on Shameless) for Punk Globe.. Tell us about that?

We had a great time. We went to Musso & Frank and we both had the rib-eye steak. He’s really funny, intelligent and interesting. He’s nothing like his character on the show. But that just goes to show what a great actor he is. He’s really so charismatic. Zach McGowan was a great interview!

Any other writing assignments that you would like us to know about?

I’m co-writing a book with Vicky Hamilton the woman who made Guns N’ Roses. It’s her life story. All the struggles being a female band manger and A&R woman in the 1980s, in a male dominated, pre-sexual harassment laws, ruthless and back stabbing business. She managed Guns N’ Roses, Poison, Motley Crue. She also managed and produced June Carter-Cash and won a Grammy for the recording. Vicky is an amazing woman, the list of bands that she discovered is endless. I’m very excited about working on this book with her.

Do you have any upcoming events you want to plug for December or the New Year?

I’m doing a reading called Sparring With Beatnik Ghosts at Beyond Baroque on December 9th at 8pm with A. Razor, Doug Knott, Richard Modiano, Suzi K.O., SA Griffin, Marc O., Bob Branaman, Carlye Archebeque, Michael C. Ford, Amelie Frank. A powerful line-up!

Any acting or musical gigs for the horizon?

I play myself in Allison Anders and Kurt Voss’ film Strutter which is the 3rd film in the Border Radio Trilogy, that I also appear in. Strutter should be coming out as we speak…

Tell us what 2013 has in store for Iris Berry?

Basically I’ll be writing, editing, publishing and traveling, doing readings, promotion and outreach work for Punk Hostage Press.

Our goal with Punk Hostage Press as a non-profit organization is to bring books and writers into women's/housing shelters, Tx centers, jails, mental health facilities, classrooms, juvenile halls and prisons in order to create a space for literary empowerment opportunities that have helped many an artist in the past and hopefully we will be a part of supporting the function of books and contemporary literary experiences on into the future as we grow…so whenever someone purchases one of our books from us online or at the reading events that we do, the money goes to print more books that we give away and to support writers that work with our press so that they might be able to do more for those who don't get these opportunities often enough. We’re a literacy program for the under privileged. Razor and I have been doing this since January and we’re getting a lot of positive feedback from the community. The whole experience has been amazing.

I’m also planning to do an Anthology with Pleasant Gehman titled, Notes From A Punk Rock Crash Pad. Which will be diary entries, lurid tales, vignettes, and rants spanning from the mid 1970's to the early 1990's, with those who are icons, as well as notorious in the genre. We also have plans to do a book together titled, Disgraceland. Both books will be published on Punk Hostage Press.

I’ll also be working on my next book, In The Shadow Of The Hollywood Sign.

Any last words for Punk Globe readers?

READ MORE! KEEP BOOKS ALIVE!!! SUPPORT PUNK GLOBE! I LOVE YOU GINGER COYOTE!!! HAPPY HOLIDAZE TO ALL…..