Next Book Project: Hunter S. Thompson

Guided by my intrepid agent, Andy Ross, I accepted an offer from University of California Press to write a book about Hunter S. Thompson. It will focus on his literary formation (much of it in the Bay Area) and the birth of Gonzo journalism. Fanatical readers of this blog might recall that I published an article on this topic in Boom magazine last year.

Having studied Carey McWilliams, Ramparts magazine, and the Grateful Dead, I figure I have a running start on this one. Every time I included material on Thompson in my previous books, I had to tear myself away from his work--especially his correspondence--and return to my primary topic. That's a pretty good indication that I should follow up on this interest.