Peter Richardson
Stray Thoughts on California Culture
Thursday, November 17, 2022
Theodore Roszak Archive at Stanford University
Sunday, September 25, 2022
Review of Dave Zirin's "Behind the Shield"
I reviewed his recent documentary film for ScheerPost. It's called Behind the Shield: The Power and Politics of the NFL.
As I note in the review, Dave has been writing about the NFL for two decades, but this film is something of a culmination. Highly recommended.
Saturday, July 09, 2022
Ill Literacy Podcast
Thursday, June 30, 2022
Sonny Barger Dies at 83
Wednesday, June 29, 2022
Newsweek Podcast with Jack Sonni
Friday, June 03, 2022
CBS News with Nicole Killion
Thursday, May 12, 2022
Bay Area Book Festival with Sam Quinones
The Bay Area Book Festival took place last weekend in Berkeley. It was the festival's first face-to-face event in three years. I assembled and moderated many panels in the early years, and I think I'm officially still on the program committee, so this event has always meant a lot to me.
This year I was on the talent side of the equation. I chatted about Hunter Thompson with Sam Quinones, author of Dreamland and The Least of Us. Dreamland, which I reviewed for The National Memo, won the National Book Critics Circle Award in 2015. It's an incredible tour de force on an urgent topic--the opioid crisis. I've known Sam for years, but I'm also a huge admirer, so I was delighted he could appear with me.
Our conversation was wide-ranging, but this was the first time I've discussed Thompson with someone like Sam, who has been documenting the ravages of drug abuse. As he pointed out, Thompson's drug use seemed funny in the 1970s, but there's nothing remotely amusing about what's happening on the streets now.
Washington Post Magazine Story
Jason Vest looked me up for a piece he wrote for The Washington Post Magazine. It appeared online a few days ago but is scheduled for Sunday's newspaper. It focuses on Hunter Thompson's campaign reporting in 1972, which is a remarkable chapter in his life. It's the 50th anniversary of that campaign, which always helps with this kind of story.
Jason also found Timothy Crouse, Thompson's Rolling Stone colleague on the campaign trail and author of The Boys on the Bus. Crouse has been out of journalism for some time, but that book holds up remarkably well. I felt I was in good company there.
Jason and I had a lot of fun swapping insights, so I was especially pleased that his story went over well. Many old colleagues saw it and contacted him, and CBS Morning News quickly reached out to UC Press about an author interview. We'll see what happens there.
As it turns out, NBC/Peacock also will interview me next week for a series on the Zodiac killer. Evidently, the production company heard my dulcet tones on the Monster podcast a while back. This interview will take place in Vallejo, where some of the murders occurred.
Friday, April 22, 2022
C-SPAN Airs My Chat with David Talbot
Let's take these things one at a time.
First, what an honor to appear on C-SPAN. I think someone there might be a Thompson fan because the station also featured Timothy Denevi and Juan Thompson in recent years.
Second, what a privilege to appear with David Talbot. He wrote (among other things) the bestselling Season of the Witch about San Francisco in the 1970s and 1980s. He also crossed paths with Thompson at the San Francisco Examiner. As this program shows, he's a Thompson aficionado and a skilled interviewer. I can vouch that he's also an all-around good guy, and I'm so glad he has returned to form.
Third, how cool that City Lights was the host. Over and above my affection for that San Francisco shrine, there's the magnetic attraction that drew Thompson to San Francisco in the first place. You can't understand that attraction without City Lights and its history.