I went to the SXSW world premiere of "Dirty Pictures" and the next day, at an after-party get-together, I was able to briefly meet Dr. Shulgin. I didn't ask him any chemistry questions as he was constantly surrounded by admirers and I didn't want to put him on the spot. But I did say that it was an honor to meet him.
However, during the Q&A session after the documentary the night before, I managed to get a question in.
I quickly provided some background information on the Rhodium and Hive websites, stating clearly that they have been offline since 2004, and then asked Dr. Shulgin if he had any words of inspiration for those Hive members who are almost certainly still out there, and who for many years have deeply respected him and his craft.
For whatever reason, Dr. Shulgin could not hear my question very well, but after his assistant clarified it for him, he responded, in a nutshell, and sounding quite sincere, that he was not aware of the existence of any website of organized chemists dedicated to his field of study. His assistant then politely added that neither he nor Dr. Shulgin has any connection with the Hive or its members.
I have to admit that I was a little crestfallen to receive this news. The thought occurred that maybe Dr. Shulgin did not recognize the name of the Hive, but this was no doubt wishful thinking.
In any case, I did later on get to speak to Dr. Shulgin's very personable and highly intelligent assistant, and he clarified that Dr. Shulgin and he were currently in the midst of publishing a big new book--due out in about three months, that is much like the Merck Index, very dry, very detailed, with many literature references and experimental data, such as melting and boiling points--for a wide variety of psychoactive compounds.
The documentary, btw, is excellent, and really delves into the heart and history of Dr. Shulgin and his family.
Some of the footage of the event has been posted on YouTube, although, for some strange reason, several good questions, including mine, were edited out of the Q&A, Part 1. (Maybe they'll be in Part 2.)
Just so you all know, it was a member of the audience that directed me to this website.
However, during the Q&A session after the documentary the night before, I managed to get a question in.
I quickly provided some background information on the Rhodium and Hive websites, stating clearly that they have been offline since 2004, and then asked Dr. Shulgin if he had any words of inspiration for those Hive members who are almost certainly still out there, and who for many years have deeply respected him and his craft.
For whatever reason, Dr. Shulgin could not hear my question very well, but after his assistant clarified it for him, he responded, in a nutshell, and sounding quite sincere, that he was not aware of the existence of any website of organized chemists dedicated to his field of study. His assistant then politely added that neither he nor Dr. Shulgin has any connection with the Hive or its members.
I have to admit that I was a little crestfallen to receive this news. The thought occurred that maybe Dr. Shulgin did not recognize the name of the Hive, but this was no doubt wishful thinking.
In any case, I did later on get to speak to Dr. Shulgin's very personable and highly intelligent assistant, and he clarified that Dr. Shulgin and he were currently in the midst of publishing a big new book--due out in about three months, that is much like the Merck Index, very dry, very detailed, with many literature references and experimental data, such as melting and boiling points--for a wide variety of psychoactive compounds.
The documentary, btw, is excellent, and really delves into the heart and history of Dr. Shulgin and his family.
Some of the footage of the event has been posted on YouTube, although, for some strange reason, several good questions, including mine, were edited out of the Q&A, Part 1. (Maybe they'll be in Part 2.)
Just so you all know, it was a member of the audience that directed me to this website.