Two New Books on Hunter S. Thompson
Next month sees the release of 2 books about Hunter S. Thompson.
As many of you will already know, May 2025 marks the latest instalment of Gonzofest, a (mostly) annual festival dedicated to the late, great Gonzo journalist, Hunter S. Thompson. This is actually a sort of rebirth after 10 years of Gonzofests ended in 2023 with a supposedly final celebration in Louisville.
The resurrection of Gonzofest sees the party moved from Thompson’s hometown to New Orleans, where a wide range of very interesting people will gather to discuss all things Gonzo. The details can be found here: https://gonzofest.net/ It all takes place May 15-18, so a little over two weeks from now.
The event will see the launch of two books. Actually, one is considered a program rather than a book, but it’s a 100-plus-page collection of essays in printed form, so it counts as a book in my opinion. These are Critical Interpretations on Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, edited by Kent Fielding and Ron Whitehead, and New Orleans Gonzofest, edited by Kent Fielding. I have not read them yet but I have seen lists of the contributors and the titles of their essays and it all sounds fantastic, so I can’t wait to get my hands on them.
I have an essay in each book. The first is about the influence of F. Scott Fitzgerald on Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and the second is a reprint of this long investigative study of the origins of the word “Gonzo.” I’m honoured to contribute alongside some ridiculously knowledgeable and talented people.
Sadly, I will not be at Gonzofest this year because New Orleans is a hell of a long way from my house in the Cambodian countryside, but I feel confident it’s going to be a brilliant event and these two books will be very welcome additions to the small but growing list of books on Hunter S. Thompson’s life and work. I really hope the event and these publications help bring about even more critical studies because—as I’ve said a million times now—Thompson is a criminally underappreciated writer.
Oh yeah, and there will also be a Gonzo Whiskey launched next month. To be honest, whilst I love whiskey, I’m not a huge fan of this sort of commercial venture, especially when Thompson fans would much rather get the third volume of letters or anything substantial… but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to give it a try. Hopefully it’s a successful launch and brings a little more attention to Thompson’s legacy.
Mixed feelings on the whiskey as well. With the Flying Dog Porter, it wasn't *completely* a capitalistic undertaking as proceeds went to shooting HST's remains into the troposphere and that little monument.
HST was far from an idealist, and he'd sign on to cockamamie money making schemes as the whim grabbed him for sure. But the only one who should be making money off Gonzo whiskey is dead, you know?
With the Last Dangerous Visions having been recently released with a whimper, part of me is perversely hoping the third volume of the letters is never released. That they stay legendary forever. But if they do come, please let it be unto an audience that still understands their import.
I see the Gonzofest program listed on Amazon (would rather not get it there, but that's a different battle), but any tips on where we could get the Kent Fielding and Ron Whitehead book?