Derek Raymond Slideshow

Bor nRober tWi l l i am Ar t hurCook,t hes onofan Engl i s ht ext i l emagnat e,Rober t—orRobi n,ashecame t obeknown—wasqui ckt os pi touthi ss i l vers poon.A t r oubl emakert hr oughouthi syout h,hi sr aki s hways f ol l owedhi mt ocol l ege.I twasatEt ont hatCookr ef i ned hi sdi s dai nf orent i t l ementandt hear r oganceoft he weal t hy,dubbi ngt hes chool“anas s embl yl i nef orr ul er s andbas t ar ds . ”Hehappi l yt r adedi nhi sEt ont i eandal l i t sper ksf ors omebeermoneyandaever pr es entbl ue ber et .

Cooks pentmos toft he1 950si nPar i sl i vi ngi nt henow i nf amous“BeatHot el ”wher ehewr ot eanddr ank al ongs i des uchbeat ni kvi s i onar i esasAl l enGi ns ber g, Wi l l i am S.Bur r oughs ,Gr egor yCor s oandHar ol dNor s e.

The42r oom hot elwasdes i gnat ed“cl as s1 3, ”whi ch meanti tmett hemos tbas i cr ul esconcer ni ngs hel t eri n Par i s :i thadar oofandwal l s .Unf or t unat el y,i thadnot muchel s e.Locat edat9RueGî t l eCœur i n,t hes qual i d bui l di ngi nf acthadnoname.The“BeatHot el ”name wascoi nedbyGr egor yCor s o.

Regi nal d“Reggi e”Kr ayandt wi nbr ot herRonal d “Ronni e”Kr aywer eLondon’ smos tnot or i ousgangs t er s dur i ngt he50’ sand60’ s .Recent l yr et ur nedf r om Par i s , Cookf el li nwi t hanas s oci at eoft heKr aybr ot her s , Char l i edaSi l va,whot al kedyoungRobi ni nt of r ont i nga pr oper t ycompanyf orhi m.Theps ychot i cKr aysand t hei rdeal i ngsbecamet hemi nef r om whi chCookwoul d l at erdr awhi swr i t i ngs .I nones uchKr ayr el at edepi s ode,Cookwasar r es t edandi nt er r ogat edf ort het hef t ofaRembr andtpai nt i ngi nvol vedi nani ns ur ances cam.

I twasaf t ert hi si nci dentt hatCookr et i r edf r om cr i me andpi ckedupt hepeni ns t ead.

Foras hor twhi l eCookenj oyedl i t er ar ys ucces s ,atl eas t wi t hcr i t i cs .Butasi ss omet i mest hecas e,cr i t i cals ucces sdoesnotneces s ar i l yequat et obooks al esands oi t waswi t hRobi nCook.Cooks ummeduphi sear l ywr i t i ng car eerl i ket hi s :“I ’ vewat chedpeopl el i keKi ngs l ey Ami s ,s t r uggl i ngt ogetont heupes cal at or ,whi l eIhad t hedownes cal at oral lt omys el f . ”

I nt hebacks t r eetofSt .Ann’ sCour ti nSoHo,Cookt r i ed hi shandatpor nogr aphyt omakeal i vi ng,butwasl es s t hans ucces s f ul .Augment i ngt hi si ncomewi t hanot her novelher eandt her e,heevent ual l ybecames o di s i l l us i onedwi t ht hegr ubbyl i f ehewasl i vi ngt hathe f l edt oFr ance.Asamanuall abor eri nvar i ousvi neyar ds andf ar ms ,Cookbecamer oot edi nas ens eofr i ghtand wr ong,ques t i oni ngt hewayhehadl i vedhi sl i f e f or mer l y.Whi l ei nSpai n–s t i l laf as ci s tcount r yatt he t i me—Cookwasj ai l edf ordenounci ngFr ancoi nabar .

Dur i ngCook’ shi at usf r om wr i t i ng,anot heraut hor ,an Amer i canwr i t erofmedi calt hr i l l er sal s onamedRobi n Cook,as cendedbes t s el l erl i s t swor l dwi de.Onecanonl y i magi net hechagr i nCookf el tuponl ear ni ngt hathi s namehadbeenr epl aced.Wi t hhi snews oci al convi ct i onsi npl ace,Cookr et ur nedt oaLondonr acked byMar gar etThat cher ’ saus t er i t yl awsandcl as s i s m.

Donni ngt henameofDer ekRaymond,t hemanf or mer l y knownasRobi nCookt ookai m ataci t yf es t er i ngwi t h i nequal i t y,hypocr i s y,andbr ut al i t y.

Att hear r i valof1 990st heFact or ySer i eswass el l i ng i ncr edi bl ywel li nFr ance,wher es ever aloft hebooks hadbeent ur nedi nt omovi es .I nt heUKt hebookswer e j us tgoi ngoutofpr i nt ,andi nt heUSt heyhadj us tbeen f or got t enal t oget her .Wi t ht heSer pent ’ sTai lr el eas eof Raymond’ swr i t i ngs ,i ncl udi ngt heFact or ySer i es ,came r enewedandt hi st i mel as t i ngi nt er es ti nhi swr i t i ngi n t heUK.Soonaf t er ,t her ecor di ngofas pokenwor d col l abor at i onwi t ht heBr i t i s hbandGal l onDr unk br oughtDer ekRaymondnew,youngr eader sandf ans , oneoft hem bei ngpr ot égéCat hiUns wor t h.

Des pi t ehi sr et ur nt opr i ntands ubs equentr es pectf r om agener at i onofwr i t er shei nf l uenced,Der ekRaymond wasyetnegl ect edi nt heUS,t hel andwher enoi rwas bor n.Thati sunt i lnow.Wel comebackt ot hel andof i nequal i t y,Det ect i veSer geant .