FIRST FRUITS OF GONZO
BY ERIC C. SHOAF
IT CAN BE ARGUED THAT HIS FIRST BOOK HELL’S ANGELS, PUBLISHED IN 1967, BROUGHT THOMPSON THE CRITICAL ACCLAIM AND NOTICE THAT ALLOWED HIS WORK AS A JOURNALIST TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY BY PUNDITS AND ACADEMICS
Bibliographical information on Hunter Thompson comes primarily from three sources: Kihm Winship’s bibliography published as part of Thompson’s The Great Shark Hunt (New York: Summit Books, 1979) hereinafter referred to as GSH, one at the rear of Hunter S. Thompson by William McKeen (Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1991), and one compiled by Cande Carroll in Hunter: The Strange and Savage Life of Hunter S. Thompson by E. Jean Carroll, (New York: Dutton, 1993).
All are useful, and there is a lot of overlap in the information offered, but none are complete in any way and only provide a sketch of available early examples of his publishing. This column will explore some of Thompson’s earliest and rarest published work in order to shed some light on his development as a writer.
For many readers familiar with Thompson’s work, the publication of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (FLLV) in 1971 marks his emergence as a writer of some particular talent and galvanized his stature among the youth of the nation. But besides his earliest appearances in some magazine titles, Thompson’s work had already been published in several books prior to FLLV, either anthologies or college text books, and all were based on his ground-breaking reportage on the Hell’s Angels motorcycle gang. It can be argued. that his first book Hell’s Angel, published in 1967, brought Thompson the critical acclaim and notice that allowed his work as a journalist be taken seriously by pundits and academics. Known titles that include Thompson contributions are noted here:
The Observer’s World: People, Places, and Events from the Pages of The National Observer edited by Charles Preston, (Princeton NJ· Dow. Jones Books, 1965 ): p. 71 — “End of the Beatniks” p. 113 — “The Extinct Hitchhiker” p. 122 “Across a Frozen Desert” p. 236 — “The Gringo and Culture Shock” p. 264 — “A Footloose American in Smugglers Den.“
IT is well documented that Thompson worked as a stringer, the name often applied to a freelance journalist, for the National Observer for over two years between 1962 -1964, and published over forty articles in the magazine during that period. Many of these pieces were re-printed in GSH. But this collection of five Thompson’s articles from the National Observer was his first appearance in any book anthology published in 1965.
Collier’s Encyclopedia Yearbook: Covering the Year of 1967 (New York: Cromwell-Collier Educational Corporation, 1968): p. 72 — “The Hippies.”
Collier’s was a well-known weekly magazine for decades until folding in the 1950s. However, the name was carried on in a variety of publications, including this annual. The article here is collected from its first appearance in The New York Times Magazine (May 14, 1967), with a longer title, and was also included in GSH. It is notable because it includes a photo of a young Thompson.
The next titles include excerpts from Thompson’s reportage on the Hell’s Angels motorcycle gang, including the piece “Motorcycle Gangs: Losers and Outsiders” that originally ran in The Nation in 1965 and which served as the catalyst for Thompson’s in-depth study of the bikers. Their inclusion in these books is representative of the effect that work had on the general populace as well as on academic researchers.
Violence in the Streets edited by Shalom Endleman, (Chicago: Quadrangle Books, 1968): p. 259 “Losers and Outsiders.”
California Dream edited by Dennis Hale, (New York: Collier Books, 1968): p. 353 – “The Motorcycle Gangs.”
On Two Wheels edited by Don McKay, (New York: Dell, 1971): p. 11 — “The Edge” p. 138 – “Losers and Outsiders” p, 143 – “Life Styles: The Cyclist.”
These are popular press books. less academic and geared toward the general public that never seems to lose its fascination with threats of danger. Just as books and television today are predicting apocalyptic change and potential danger in the form of Avian flu, terrorist attack, global warming, or asteroids. Fears in the 1960s were no less prevalent but revolved around perceived threats from communists, biker gangs, counterculture youth, and racial unrest.
In contrast, the following two titles are academic in nature, and the author’s use of Thompson’s insight about biker gangs shows how his reporting from ‘inside’ the group was both groundbreaking and informative in new ways. Especially interesting is that both authors chose the same chapter of Hell’s Angels to excerpt. Observations of Deviance by Jack D. Douglas, (New York: Random House, 1970): p. 131 -“Hoodlum Circus and Statutory Rape of Bass Lake.”
Rape: Offenders and Their Victims by John M. MacDonald. MD. (Springfield. IL: Charles C. Thomas, 1971 ): p. 173 -“Hoodlum Circus and the Statutory Rape of Bass Lake.”
In future issues,. I will explore Thompson’s early contributions to various magazines, take a look at difference editions of his books including foreign editions, as well as other sources of his writing.
