Well Well Well…
Happy father’s day (again) to my dad, Alex, in Kiev. I promised to post asap as he is getting tired of seeing the same post for almost a month. So, Ta Da. Viola. Here we go.
I’ve been consumed with Owl Farm domestic issues, NORML party planning, and getting ready to get back to classes. International law and basic Journalism will be my focus for the summer session.
I’ll be at the Convention with Doug Brinkley in August, and putting out a special Woody Creeker to stack on every bar in Denver for that week. Should be fun. I do hope you liked the 5th issue.
NO, I didn’t freak out over Hillary’s decision– I wasn’t even surprised. NO, I’m not supporting McCain, and I doubt Hunter would support the guy either. Am I supporting Obama now? Yes. Would Hunter support Obama? I’m guessing yes. Hunter supported Kerry towards the end too.
And yep, I’ll be at the NYC screening of "Gonzo: The Life and Work of Hunter S. Thompson." by Alex Gibney. I’ve given my thoughts on the film already. Very good work on Alex’s part to focus on a specific period of Hunter’s life and work — I’m sensitive to biographies of my husband, and this is indeed the best film to see. Alex doesn’t try to sum up Hunter’s entire life’s work — just the writing of the 60s and 70s. Well done.
And the well is certainly not dry. Bill McKeen’s new book arrived on my doorstep a few days ago. It’s interesting to see a reputable editor/writer write a biography from interviews. Indeed Ralph Steadman’s book is the best, (although it’s not really a biogaphy, but a memoir) but in general, McKeen makes a really nice effort to be scholarly, despite the limited recources. It has far fewer innacuracies than some of the other awful biographies out there. The strangest thing is that such a well-respected publisher, Norton, has published this book about Hunter, mostly relying on info from the same wrinkled old drug dealer whom Hunter banned from Owl Farm years ago, along with interviews from several bitter exes. Hunter’s five year victorious campaign to free Lisl Auman is given ONE sentence in the entire book. Bizzare. But Bravo to Bill for finally finishing a good book anyway, particularly with so few recources and while dealing with his own serious health problems during the writing of the book. Congrats to him.
What else? hmm. The weather is beautiful, the skies are blue and the peacocks are having fun in the sun. Life is good. All is well. well well…
Will check in later.
Your friend, going out to water the lawn,
Anita Thompson
P.S. My own Gonzo Way, which is the 7 lessons I learned from Hunter, is a slim book that I’m so glad is out there, particularly for the young readers who are confused by Hunter’s actions. So, I was surprised and honored to read his son’s (Juan) homage: a recent account of his own 7 lessons learned from Hunter posted here, especially the part about learning what to do after having seriously broken the law. Very interesting. Also, very cute of him to point out that Hunter was a romantic person. It is true that Hunter broke many hearts, but it is also true that there is one woman still in love with his spirit, at her keyboard, looking out the window at the water flowing on the Owl Farm lawn. Thanks Juan.
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