The world of Hunter S. Thompson is an interesting one to say the least. The biggest problem I have found over the years is the notion some folks have about the difference between Hunter the writer and his alter ego Raoul Duke the maniac. I believe a lot of people who are not familiar with Thompson have trouble separating  one from the other; this in turn leads to the misconception that Hunter Thompson was nothing but a crazed loony, when in fact if you focus on his work you’ll see that he was more than the sum of his parts. After all  he has 146 works in 398 publications in over 16 languages, hardly the work of a loony.

With the priceless help of David S. Wills and Ron Mexico (when his eyes are back to 100%) I have decided to put together the Hunter S. Thompson For Beginners series. The aim will be to catch folks new to the HST world and steer them in the direction of his writing talent and away from the crazed loony side of the man. Now before the seasoned campaigners jump down my throat saying you can’t have one without the other, this maybe true for the most part but there is nothing wrong with some focus on his work. All I want is more focus on his body of work and less on his crazier side.

Whats involved?

Part one will be some thoughts from folks that knew Thompson over the years, and folks who know his work. They’ll give some insights into the writer not the myth and some thoughts on the separation of both characters. Below are a few who will be sharing their expertize with us. We are in the process of contacting many more to enlist their help and harvest their expertize.

Wayne Ewing producer, director and cinematographer probably needs no introduction in the HST world. He is the man behind Breakfast with Hunter, When I Die and Free Lisl; Fear and Loathing in Denver. All must sees for any fan of the good Doctor.

William McKeen is the man behind my favorite HST biography, Outlaw Journalist about Hunter Thompson. You can see my review of McKeen’s book and an interview I did with him here. McKeen first met Hunter in the 70s and has written two books about him. He’s one of the folks we can learn something from.

David S. Wills. Scholar, editor, writer, and publisher is currently writing a book about Hunter S. Thompson the man and his relation to Duke the fiend (David’s words) to see one of his many sites just click on his name. I’m looking forward to his insights and thoughts.

Simone Corday. spent time in Hunter’s storm during his time at The Mitchell Brothers O’Farrell Theater. She’ll give a unique perspective on the ins and outs of the way he operated.

Ron Mexico. Scholar, lecturer and the man behind Totally Gonzo. What he doesn’t know about Hunter’s writing is not worth knowing. Whenever I’m stuck on a HST related question Ron is the go-to-guy.

So hopefully soon we’ll be kicking this series off with some good insights and thoughts.