“Everybody is looking for someone who can stand up in the wind. It is lonely standing up and crowded lying down. I refuse to be an anchor for other people’s dreams – but then I refuse to anchor mine to anyone else. So I have no choice but to stand up and piss into the wind.” 

Hunter S. Thompson – The Proud Highway

I have always liked that quote. Whenever I begin to doubt my innermost feelings and question my beliefs, I always turn to that piece of Gonzo Wisdom. The resulting effect is like pissing on an electric fence at two in the morning after a long haul in the local bar. Instant sobriety and a clarity of mind that is hard to match.

I have always viewed the internet and computers in general with a vicious contempt, a bit like my attitude towards closing hours at the local watering hole. However since my last post I have had a slight change in heart thanks to a certain member of the tribe – Brandon W. He is Anita Thompson’s editorial and research assistant and he decided to throw us all a bone here at Totally Gonzo, after our recent threat of self-mutilation and religious devotion regarding the lack of Gonzo news. Here is what he had to say regarding Anita’s upcoming book – Ancient Gonzo Wisdom: Interviews with Hunter S. Thompson

“Patience. No need for self-mutilation, your insatiable thirst for all things Gonzo is soon to be satisfied.

I’m writing in order to inform you and your readership that the galleys of the forthcoming Ancient Gonzo Wisdom: Interviews with Hunter S. Thompson, as edited by Ms. Thompson, will be available by the end of the summer. It’s a remarkable and expansive collection of interviews and conversations with The Good Doctor, ranging from 1967 – 2005. Her book is a comprehensive compilation of the most important, widely read interviews published in Playboy, Rolling Stone, Esquire and The Paris Review; but, what separates it from the rest are the rare Gonzo gems and never-before-published interviews, many of which only his wife had access. Author and essayist Christopher Hitchens is writing the forward for the collection.

In essence, Ancient Gonzo Wisdom is an oral history of Hunter S. Thompson and his era through decades of published interviews and private transcribed conversations. It contains stories, anecdotes, insights into his written craft, and social observations while magnifying Hunter’s brilliance and intellectual prowess. The book illuminates his evolution along with his determination to hold the line his entire life.

I just wanted to pass this on because this book is an important addition to Hunter’s legacy as a profound man of letters and canon of written work. Ultimately, it captures the endurance and continued importance of Hunter’s spoken words and ideas. Don’t worry – in addition to enlightening Gonzo genius, the book also contains the usual suspects: Wild Turkey, Chivas tumblers, peacocks, crooked politicians, journalism odysseys, and explosions.”

Thanks for that Brandon, it arrived just in time, I was ready to book my flight to Nepal and shave my head bald. Now thanks to your timely intervention I have booked a holiday to Spain where I plan on securing a fine bottle of black absinthe and running amok on a nudist beach. The rest of my money I will waste with pleasure.

Ok for Now,

Ron Mexico