Something dragged me into the bookstore the other day, and $53 later I know what it was.
Hunter S. Thompson is a strange bird, and throughout his life he has kept and filed carbon copies of every letter that ever belched forth from his typewriter. He also filed all of his incoming mail (the guy must be surrounded in paper!). If he was this dangerous prior to email, think about how productive he is now that he has an internet account.
The personal letter is the perfect format for Hunter’s writing style — satirical, sharply witty, rapidly to-the-quick, and absurd. Hunter produces in a casual letter to his landlord a work finer than most of us could write with concerted effort and weeks of editing.
Fear And Loathing in America : The Brutal Oddyssey of an Outlaw Journalist The Fear And Loathing Letters, Vol II (1968-1976) Thompson, Hunter S. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/068487315X
This book, and its predecessor, illuminate the world of the desperate struggling writer and at times had me rolling down the aisle of the 737 with laughter. It’s great reading for the traveller because the letters are brief and conducive to occasional reading.
The Proud Highway : Saga of a Desperate Southern Gentleman The Fear And Loathing Letters, Vol I (1955-1967) Thompson, Hunter S. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0345377966
This book covers his early years as a writer, and documents his move to the Big City from Louisville. It also covers his early fencing with editors as he tried to sell Gonzo articles and his struggles with the Hell’s Angels and his first two books.
I read the latter a few years ago when it came out. Both are spectacular.
-Ian.