Fear and Loathing in America
Page 46
Can you grasp the lunatic possibilities of such an assignment? Pure madness … on a scale hitherto unknown … we could travel with courtesans & bearers, rushing from one scene to another in a frenzy of drugs & drink. Indeed …
The only problem is that I told Warren I’d decide on two definite scenes for us to deal with between Aug 1 and Sept 30. It’s obviously going to cost a fantastic amount of money to bring you over here and keep you living well for long periods of time—so our trick is to settle on two “things” to rape in the space of 5 or 6 weeks. …
(pause 40 minutes for call to London)
Well, so much for saving money. Good to talk to you again. Dawn is breaking here & I guess you’re looking at noon. Very strange to jump all that way with a small black instrument. … Anyway, that Labor Day picnic in Detroit idea sounds better & better, particularly if we can focus it on “What happened to the American Labor Movement?” Almost like the Derby gig, except with a different breed of decadence. Fantastic art possibilities, but a bit more difficult on the writing end—needs research, old quotes, dead dreams, etc. But as a feature I think it looks strong. And very timely, in terms of U.S. politics.
So the next step is yours—select a good scene over there, either England or Ireland, that we can handle in August, or even in late September if necessary. We can work the travel either way: I could come over there in Aug. and work on the first article, then we could come back here for the second (& maybe a third) … or else you could come over here first for Labor Day in Detroit & maybe one other, then we could zip back to England for a third piece.
But logistically—in terms of my work schedule & my sheriff’s campaign & also for maintaining Warren’s interest—I think we’d fare better by doing the first piece over there, then getting back here by Labor Day. I’ll check with Warren tomorrow & let you know how he reacts. But in the meantime it’s important that you come up with some weird project that we can do over there. If you get a good idea, just send it by cable to me, c/o Warren at Scanlan’s in NY; that way, it’ll get to both of us, quick & cheap.
OK for now. And, again, it was good talking to you. Let’s focus very hard & nicely on this thing—like Zen masters, or NY pawnbrokers. I can have my agent arrange the finances for both of us, if that suits you. Or we can work it out separately—or any other way. I really don’t give a fuck. It looks like excellent fun, & with things going as they are, I suspect we’ll be needing some of that.
Ciao
Hunter
Another possibility on this end is the America’s Cup yachting races (in Long Island Sound) in late Sept., beginning Sept. 15. That would give us Labor Day in early Sept., then the sailboat thing (near N.Y.) in the same month. Let me know how it strikes you.
H
TO WARREN HINCKLE, SCANLAN’S MONTHLY:
July 20, 1970
Woody Creek, CO
Dear Warren:
I talked to Ralph (Steadman) the other night & he dug the idea of a Rape-Series on Amerikan Institutions. He said, however, that he was pretty well tied up over there during August, but he planned to be free in Sept. & found the selection fairly thin. Most of my favorites, unfortunately, seem to fall in mid-winter—The Super Bowl, the Orange Bowl Pageant in Miami, Mardi Gras, New Year’s in Times Sq., Xmas day with the Chicago Police commissioner, etc. …
But after a day or so of thinking, I see two that look good in Sept. One is the UAW [United Automobile Workers] Labor Day picnic in Detroit, or “The Fat Remains of the American Labor Movement, circa 1970.” We could use the picnic as a focus & bkgnd for a fairly heavy article on what’s happened to Labor in this country. This could be handled, I think, mainly with interviews and descriptions—along with a few fine quotes from Gompers & the Wobblies.34 And meanwhile, Steadman could be drawing the swine—not only at the picnic, but maybe a few faces from DRUM & that crowd, to get a nice contrast.
The other Sept idea is the America’s Cup yachting races, beginning Sept 15 on Long Island Sound, I think, or at least somewhere in that area. That one looks a bit like the KY Derby thing—an orgy of decadence that we’d more or less have to feel out while it was happening. No doubt we’d need heavy press credentials, well ahead, to get anywhere near the nexus of this one. We could also use a good connection in the Newport yachting crowd. I used to have one or two, but I’d hate to have to count on them now. Maybe Roy Cohn35 knows somebody….
Anyway … that’s it for openers: Labor Day in Detroit, and the America’s Cup in Newport. There are others. I’m building a nice list … and, yes, here’s another: Right after I talked to you the other day I mentioned your notion of a Thompson-Steadman Report series & its general tenor to a local wizard … and he said, “Christ, the first thing you should do is give that poor bastard a chance to get back at you for that terrible shit you laid on him at the Derby. This time you should go over to England & get trapped in his territory & let him get even with you. …”
Which struck me as a fine idea, and only fair, on its merits. I told Ralph to check around & see what kind of weird scene he could come up with—perhaps in late August. Maybe something like the English Derby, or whatever they get excited about over there. Maybe stage a gang-rape in Westminster Abbey. Whatever’s right.
So that’s about it for the moment. Let’s see what Ralph comes up with on his end, but in the meantime we have those other two over here. Or any others that might come to mind …
Ciao,
Hunter
TO THE GENERAL ORDNANCE EQUIPMENT COMPANY:
Thompson was eagerly preparing himself for sheriff’s work.
July 28, 1970
Gen. Ordnance Equip. Comp.
P.O. Box 11211
Freeport Road
Pittsburgh, PA
Gentlemen:
Please send me all details on your CHEMICAL MACE MK-V non-lethal weapon. In my present position as Chief Magistrate of this small hamlet we could only afford two or three, depending on the cost—which is also why we don’t have any official stationery or letterhead. But as I am now a candidate for the office of County Sheriff I soon expect to have a much larger budget at my disposal. In the meantime I want to learn as much about the technical aspects of the new urban-style police work as I can.
So my question for now is, What is the unit price for one MK-V weapon and enough reloads to test it properly? Maybe a half dozen?
Also, please send details on discounts for bulk orders, both weapons and reloads. Thank you.
Hunter S. Thompson
Chief Magistrate
Box 37
Woody Creek, CO 81656
TO W. S. DARLEY & CO:
July 28, 1970
W. S. Darley & Co.
2000 Anson Drive
Melrose Park, Ill.
Gentlemen:
Please send me your latest Police Supplies catalog, as advertised in the June, 1970 issue of The Police Chief. I apologize for not writing on my “official letterhead,” as specified, but if you ever saw this small hamlet of which I am Chief Magistrate you would doubtless understand why I have no official stationery.
Frankly, my business is breeding Dobermans, and until recently I saw no point in concerning myself or my neighbors with the business of Police Supplies. But I am now a candidate for the office of County Sheriff in a very close race, and to some extent my chances of winning depend on knowing what I’m talking about when it comes to technical things. For this reason, I thought I should get a copy of the Darley catalog, so I can talk in terms of costs and effectiveness and that sort of thing.
Your cooperation is appreciated. Thank You.
Hunter S. Thompson
Chief Magistrate
Box 37
Woody Creek, CO 81656
TO MITCH GREENHILL:
July 28, 1970
Woody Creek, CO
Dear Mitch …
Chances are decent for a gig out here in late August or Sept. Two places definitely looking for acts, and perhaps others. Hard to say right now. Bu
t one place is owned by an ex–Detroit Lion end & tomorrow I’ll take your “Instant Replay” down for him to hear.
The other definite thing is run by a friend who just staged a ragged sort of folk festival that sold out both nights. He asked me about Rosalie Sorrels because he met her once. I mentioned you & said you now had a vicious group. He seemed interested … but he got nervous when I asked about money. Not much available on that end, I think, but maybe if you signed up for the next folk fest. He could sell you to that place where Bruce Innes was making $3000 a week last yr. You couldn’t get that for starters, but $1500 would be bottom, I think … and once you got here we could put you to work doing political rallies. I’m running for sheriff, anchoring a Freak Power slate.
The main question would be your availability—and how much cash you’d want. I don’t see much trouble lining up a gig that would pay all travel expenses, etc. … and if you feel like giving it a whirl I’ll turn the whole thing over to Mike Solheim36 & let him play promoter, handle all details, etc.
Let me know how you’re fixed for action in Sept–Oct. or even late Aug. Also check with Rosalie if she’s around. Maybe we can get [Eric] Von Schmidt up at the same time.
In a nut, what’s fairly certain is a gig that would cover all your expenses … but a guaranteed money-maker is something else. Do you have a tape of the group? I have stuff of yours & Rosalie’s. Give it some thought & send a group-tape if you feel like taking a chance on it. Otherwise, we can probably get you like $30 a night solo anytime you want to come out. But with a bit of planning we can do a lot better. Send word. …
Hunter
TO WARREN HINCKLE, SCANLAN’S MONTHLY:
Hinckle had commissioned Thompson to review The Police Chief magazine for Scanlan’s.
July 28, 1970
Woody Creek, CO
Dear Warren …
Here’s the Police Chief thing—far longer & more twisted, of course, than our original concept. About halfway thru the bugger I suddenly realized that I was onto a very rich vein. Maybe it dawned on me when I suddenly looked over the top of my typewriter & saw a book titled The Weapons Culture. Then I looked to my left & saw a whole shelf of books about Weapons, Crime, Violence, Guns, Killing, Rape … jesus, the whole room is full of them.
Anyway, what occurred to me was a regular feature on Weaponry—in the style of Dr. Hippocrates. The nation is full of potential bomb-throwers & snipers who know nothing about the technical aspects of their chosen Trades. I think we should help these people, and I can think of no better way than to capitalize on my new-found conduits into the official Police Establishment. We can drive the fuckers crazy by discussing the pros & cons of all their newest weapons—small but important things like the fact that Army Surplus gas masks are no good against the new “improved CS.” And addresses of companies which make the new masks, so that freaks can rip them off.
Given the rude temper of these times, I daresay this is a stroke of fucking genius. We can create, with Raoul Duke, a virtual clearing-house for information on all forms of violence. Answer all questions, dispense strange advice of all sorts … and meanwhile keep a fine tap on The Police Chief & other cop books, in order to expose everything they come up with. Also things like “How to Seize a Floating Rib, How to Choke a Vicious Dog” …& other small items like “Why Slash Tires When It’s Easier to Cut Off the Inner Tube Stems.”
No doubt the FBI would visit you very soon after the first column appeared, so you’d have to protect my identity if at all possible. In fact I decided to use my well-worn pseudonym, Raoul Duke, so as not to blow my cover with The Police Chief & all the various agencies, supply houses, etc. that I’ve written to, asking for information & weapons. If I signed this piece or any other with my right name, they would soon have me blacklisted in every corner of the Police Establishment. But now, since I’ve already established myself with The Police Chief, I suspect the rest will be easy. We could actually order police weapons and test them, then publish the results. We could buy a fucking pepper fog machine & test it in Golden Gate Park at a Shriners’ Picnic. Jesus, the possibilities are massive & totally open-ended. Every freak in the nation would buy the magazine to keep posted on the newest weaponry … how to neutralize it, steal it, use it, etc. I see a vast market for this kind of information, and I see no reason why we can’t dispense it quite legally.
Ponder this idea—a regular monthly Weapons feature by Raoul Duke—and let me know. I am already into that scene very heavily, as an adjunct to my Sheriff’s campaign, so the first wave is already on order. As the Chief Magistrate of Woody Creek, my legal credentials are unimpeachable. I am also a member of the PBA, the NRA37 & the Aspen Racing Association. These are important. …
Meanwhile, FYI, I’m enclosing my only three copies of The Police Chief—for excerpting. You’ll note that I quoted mainly from the June issue, which seems like the heaviest—note the cover, and also the ads. But I must have these back. I tried not to cut or mark them, so you could reproduce anything that looks ripe.
You’ll also notice, on pg. 39 of the June issue, an Advance Registration form for the 77th annual Police Chief conference in Atlantic City, Oct 3–8 … and I suspect I’d be eligible to attend this function as a righteous member … and I also see that they list a registration space for guests. See pg. 40. Perhaps Stead-man might like to come along & we could check into the Parlor Suite at the Traymore (hq). This looks like a winner—a fine load of material for Raoul Duke, in addition to a straight chunk of the Thompson/Steadman Report. We could slip Duke straight into Enemy headquarters, then use his column to report anything heinous for use under my own real byline.
Let me know about this. It looks like a winner to me—particularly since it follows hard on the heels (as it were) of the America’s Cup races just a few hundred miles north. I’ve lined up a 50-foot yacht for that one, I think, but I won’t be sure until next week. The candidate for County Surveyor is going to NY in a few days to check it out. The boat belongs to an ex–Aspen ski instructor & freak/drifter; he charters it in the Caribbean in the winter, and in Connecticut in the summer. This weekend he’s taking out John Lindsay & party … and I think he’d get a boot out of particpating in Scanlan’s America’s Cup coverage. We could seize the boat for expenses, then rent out space to selected members of the Freak Press—sail right into the midst of the Newport fleet, flying the red & black flags of anarchy & revolution, launching mace canisters off the bowsprit & hire the Grateful Dead to perform on the foredeck. Old Newport hands would break down & start vomiting at the sight of this fiendish vessel full of crazies. Paint a huge red fist on the balloon jib & a motorcycle hanging in the dingy rack. It would be a rotten outrage, but if we called it the Scanlan’s Press Boat I suspect it might prove out to be a good investment. Or at least a very weird trip …
So consider these things: 1) A regular weapons feature by Raoul Duke, 2) Reservations for Steadman/Thompson at The Police Chief’s convention, and 3) Covering the America’s Cup from Scanlan’s Press Boat, complete with the Grateful Dead. (I can confirm the boat by Aug 1, if necessary. The races are around Sept 15–20.)
OK for now,
Hunter
TO U.S. SENATOR WALTER F. MONDALE:
Minnesota Democrat Walter F. Mondale had succeeded his mentor, Hubert H. Humphrey, in the U.S. Senate. In 1976 he would do so again as the first Democratic vice president since Humphrey, and again in 1984 as his party’s presidential nominee—unsuccessfully, again just like Humphrey. The difference was in Mondale’s sincerity and refusal to go along to get along in Washington.
July 31, 1970
Senator Walter F. Mondale
Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C.
Dear Sen. Mondale …
At some point in your hearings on the Migrant Labor nightmare, you said something I’d like to use in a book I’m currently working on for Random House. I heard it on TV & expected to read it somewhere in the press, but nobody seemed to pick it up. To the b
est of my memory, what you said runs something like this: “The capacity of this nation to inflict pain & suffering on those without power is virtually unlimited.”
Would you be kind enough to send your own correct version of that quote? I’d rather not have to quote you on the basis of a quick & left-handed memory.
Thanks,
Hunter S. Thompson
Box 37
Woody Creek, CO
81656
P.S.—Your Face the Nation appearance last Sunday was one of the most encouraging political developments I’ve seen in a very long time. You came across very straight—despite the cheap, half-brainless context. And I know that’s not easy. If you decide to run for President or anything else, let me know if I can help. —HST
TO PAUL KRASSNER, THE REALIST:
Krassner had asked Thompson to write a pre-election piece on his campaign for sheriff of Pitkin County.
August 12, 1970
Woody Creek, CO
Dear Paul …
Yeah, your letter got thru & found me in the middle of writing almost exactly the piece you asked for—but I’ve already agreed to give it to Rolling Stone. Wenner asked about a month ago.
What I can do for The Realist, however, is a piece looking back on the election, saying a lot of things that I’m having to be coy about in this Rolling Stone gig. Like there’s a lot of strategy that I have to skirt because lining it out right now could hurt our takeover bid. My sheriff’s campaign is only one part of the overall plot—and I have to keep it under control, in public, so as not to fuck the rest of the action.