Fear and Loathing in America : The Brutal Odyssey of an Outlaw Journalist by Hunter S. Thompson

Author:Hunter S. Thompson
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Non-Fiction, History, Writing, Biography, Politics
ISBN: 9780684873169
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Published: 2000-01-01T11:00:00+00:00

TO LYNN NESBIT:

Thompson spelled out his thoughts on the final direction of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, his Vietnam project, and his presidential aspirations.

April 23, 1971

Woody Creek, CO

Dear Lynn …

Here’s the $20 I owe you from the Polo Lounge. Actually, I’m just trying out this stationery I stole, and since I couldn’t think of anybody else to write … well shucks …

Anyway, I called Silberman today and sold him a book for a massive price. It’s called “Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas, by Raoul Duke—Doctor of Journalism” … or something along those lines. The first half is already done: 15,000 words of mean gibberish that is already sold to RS. The second half will be done when—and if—I survive the National District Attorneys’ Conference on Narcotics & Dangerous Drugs, which begins Monday April 26 in Las Vegas. I plan to attend—accompanied, of course, by My Attorney. Mr. Acosta will meet me there with the tools of our hellish trade.

If you want to chat about this—and I think we probably should—you can call me at the Hotel Flamingo until Thursday, when I’ll probably stop thru San Francisco to edit the original Vegas Piece and put my initials on the final draft of the Rolling Stone/Random House Merger.

The book idea is based on my notion that the original 15,000 words that Sports Illustrated rejected—plus another long narrative based on the Drug Conference—equals two articles for RS and one short book for Random House. Silberman offered me 100K for it; maybe you can ease him up to 110 or so.

In any case, I sent him the first 41 pages of the final draft. He should have them by Monday—at which time he plans to announce his decision to send me $33,333 for openers. He’ll probably deny this when you call, but it’s true. Take my word for it.

In any case, the Vietnam book arrangement seems settled. You’ll have to work out some arrangement whereby the “joint” aspect of publishing [it] is between RS & RH. I don’t want anybody fucking around with the author’s share.

OK for now. Jann, by the way, has no idea that I’m doing this “Phase Two” of the Vegas thing. Silberman agreed to underwrite all expenses on the old “American Dream” account—so all I owe RS is first refusal rights. Which hardly matters, because nobody else is likely to publish it anyway. (Silberman suggested the Police Gazette; do you have any good contacts there?)

In any case, I think it’s safe to assume RS will publish the Drug Conference thing, as a follow-up to the Mint 400 nightmare. I spoke at some length tonight with Dave Felton, de facto asst. editor of RS, but he doesn’t have the money authority to make $2000 assignments to lunatics. And Jann is still in England. So as far as RS is concerned, I’m going to Las Vegas this time for Random House—and if we get a good RS-type article out of it, they’ll be happy to look it over.

Very complicated, eh? But I think I have it all under control—as always.

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