Bockris was born in
Sussex, England in 1949; his family moved to
Pennsylvania when he was four years old. He attended the British
boarding school Rugby School and Philadelphia's Central High School. He graduated from the
University of Pennsylvania, where he was a member of the
Philomathean Society, with a BA in Literature in 1971. While still in Philadelphia, he founded Telegraph Books along with Andrew Wylie and Aram Saroyan. He also published two books of his own poetry,
In America and
Victor Bockris. He moved to
New York City in 1973 to work with Andrew Wiley as a writing team called Bockris-Wiley. They interviewed the 100 most intelligent people in the world according to them. In 1974 they published
Ali: Fighter, Poet, Prophet, which was the first study of Ali as a writer and a rapper. Between 1977 and 1983 he worked with William Burroughs at his Bunker on the Bowery. He also worked with Andy Warhol at the Factory and published many pieces in Warhol's magazine
Interview. "Andy taught us how to interview: Never have any questions ready. Treat it like a cocktail party," Bockris said. As well as
Interview, Bockris also published work in
High Times,
Gadfly and
Drummer.
Andy Warhol wrote in his book ''
Andy Warhol's Exposures'' that "Victor Bockris is a brilliant young writer who only writes about three people: William Burroughs, Muhammad Ali and me. Victor Bockris has more energy than any person I know. He types like
Van Cliburn plays the piano. He's always tape-recording and taking pictures. I can't keep up with him." ==References==