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In celebration of my latest toy gun project, here are three anecdotes regarding guns.
1. Feliks Topolski
Feliks Topolski’s stepfather was in the army. Consequently, Feliks found one of the guns that was in the house, and accidentally shot his 14-year old cousin in the head. A painting of this fateful moment can be found near the entrance to Topolski Century – the artist’s memoir of the century – under the Hungerford Bridge in London.
2. William S. Burrough’s "William Tell" Trick
William S. Burroughs, contemporary of Alan Ginsberg and famed for writing seminal opiate-influenced books such as Naked Lunch, shot and killed his wife in Mexico. Reportedly, during a party, Burroughs said to his wife "It’s time for our William Tell trick."
(It is worth noting here that they had never before done a William Tell trick.) She put an apple on her head, he raised his revolver, aimed for the apple, and shot her in the head. This prompted the unusual situation whereby Burroughs fled the law to the USA, before spending a few years drifting around South America in search of hallucinogenic drug Yagé.
3. My sister and I
My mother experimented with the theory of nature vs nurture. When I was a child, my mother gave me dolls to play with, hoping to nurture my caring, feminine side. My sister received guns, hoping that she might toughen up a tad.
And what became of this? I placed the dolls into the rear compartment of my Tonka truck, and rode around the garden trying to drive over them and burst their heads off, whilst my sister lovingly cared for her guns as if they were little children.
4. Boston
Sneaky fourth anecdote…in Boston politicians rallied to ban Super Soaker water guns in 1992 after gang members filled them with ammonia.