At the time, the piece was hailed as a breakthrough in journalism. This rambling first-person story was more about the experience of watching the race and the atmosphere surrounding the race than the race itself. The Louisville-born journalist had returned to his hometown with British illustrator Ralph Steadman, and in a drunken stupor on deadline produced a stream-of-consciousness essay that would leave a lasting impression on the Derby, transform Thompson’s literary career and create Gonzo journalism - a new, widely imitated genre of reporting and writing that places the author as a central character in the story. Scanlan’s Monthlywas one of those short-lived magazines nobody would remember, except for one 1970 article: “The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved,” by Hunter S. Born: July 18, 1937, Louisville, Kentuckyĭied: February 20, 2005, Woody Creek, Colorado
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |