Utila

I have at least found out the pirates have taken me off Roatan to the neighboring island of Utila. Here they have hidden me among the white slave traders and forced me to be a servant. Curiously I believe my wife has not noticed my absence. I am well fed and the shakes have stopped but I am without passport or camera. I am sure my swimming skills lack the stamina to swim the distance to Roatan should I even escape. Calling on Hunter Thompson's experience in Curse of Lono, I am going to try an pass myself off as a reincarnation of an island God. Providing of course I can find out about one or if they even have one!

My case of rum is about gone, having to use it to bargain heavily to stay off of outhouse duty...funny when you say it fast!! Ha. I have thrown an empty in the ocean to try and signal help...current goes the other way. Bastards. Maybe someone in Costa Rico will save me.

Care and wishes

C

Peyote

Lophophora williamsii ~ Peyote

Peyote. Father to the psychoactive alkaloid known commonly as mescaline. A popular past time in the '70's was "eating peyote". Hunter Thompson's references to mescaline and ingesting mescaline are numerous throughout his works. Mescaline could be referred to as "organic LSD".

Peyote is a small spineless cactus that grows commonly in south Texas and throughout Mexico. The dried peyote plant resembles a "button" and caused the term "peyote button" to be coined. This is how I knew them in the '70's.

Peyote Buttons

"In consciousness dwells the wondrous,
with it man attains the realm beyond the material,
and the Peyote tells us,
where to find it."
Antonin Artaud, The Tarahumars (1947)

As you will recall from my very first post, Artaud was also featured in a quote. The man apparently was a very deep thinker...and possibly on mescaline as he was thinking.

“Peyote is reported to trigger states of “deep introspection and insight” that have been described as being of a metaphysical or spiritual nature. At time, these can be accompanied by rich visual or auditory effect.”

Wikipedia

Peyote has been used for well over 5000 years in Native American ceremonies, for things similar to a vision quest, as well as for medicinal purposes ranging from toothache and childbirth pain to skin diseases and diabetes. The peyote extract (peyocactin) also has proven to contain strong anti-microbial agents. Study results:

"Peyocactin proved effective against 18 strains of penicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, several other bacteria, and a fungus."

Another reference Hunter makes in various writings involve his time in San Francisco during what is known as the Beat Generation. He was friends with at least two authors who frequently used mescaline to inspire their creativity.

You may have heard of Ken Kesey. He wrote the book One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest while working at a psychiatric ward. He admits to choking down 8 peyote buttons and was inspired to write the narration of the first three pages while in his mescaline heightened state.

Allan Ginsberg was also a friend of Hunters and credited a peyote-induced state for some of his writing in the controversial poem, "Howl". Written in 1954, this poem was actually put on trial for obscenity and banned or confiscated at book stores. A judge eventually ruled it was not obscenity. I have linked to the poem and also put it on a page at the top of the blog. It is very interesting and lengthy...literally one. long. sentence. Read and you be the judge.

Peyote has been exempt as any kind of drug or controlled substance for Native Americans for use in ceremonial activites. To the extent that they may enter, "No" on an armed forces application about whether or not they have ever used illegal drugs...truthfully.

The DEA has classified peyote as a Schedule I controlled substance but with the allowed uses for Native American religious ceremonies and other grey areas, it seems a little unclear of the legality of growing, transporting, etc. this tiny little cactus.

I think Hunter Thompson liked his mescaline and did much of his writing in various states of mescaline influence.

Any experience with peyote or mescaline? Has anyone seen the film Altered States with John Hurt?
One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest?

~Veritas Aequitas~

The Owl Farm

Owl Farm. Hunter Thompson's "fortified compound" as it were and self-proclaimed. A part of a larger ranch that had been sub-divided into smaller parcels. Owl Farm was still a rather large property. Nestled in the mountains of Colorado and as Hunter liked to refer to it at "8000 feet".

The original ranch was some rather large piece of land and owned by a lady named Margaret Arlian. She made cheese, wine and, brandy. Sometime in the later '40's or early '50's she sold the ranch to Otis Smallwood and his family. After some period of time they were gone and Al and Alma Barbier moved in. During the time the Barbier's owned the ranch, the main house burned down. This gave them the opportunity to build a home in the style they wanted...a log cabin as it were. As well as a dairy barn. That same house is the one still there today with the famous Kitchen where Hunter would hold court until all hours of the night. They sold eggs and milk and then became the first to subdivide property, before zoning was even heard of in rural Colorado. In the early '60's they sold what was left of the ranch to the Sandersens. The Sandersen's son Billy, who was killed in Vietnam, was buried on the ranch property.

The ranch was divided up some more and Hunter ended up with the parcel containing the main house and dairy barn (since turned into a guest house) on Woody Creek Rd. He then named the site Owl Farm.

Owl Farm is in the Aspen area and considered part of Pitkin County, Woody Creek, CO. This is all near the highly popular Snowmass ski resort community. John Denver's home as well as the home of Prince Bandar bin Sultan, Arabian ambassador to the US, are located in the gated community of Starwood Residential Estate. And across the road from Owl Farm is John Oate's house.

Hunter used the Owl Farm setting in many of his letters, papers, and stories as well as referencing the raising of peacocks, the terrorizing neighborhood owls, the casual walking out the door to fire off a few rounds and generally enjoying the peace and quite of this solitude. Friends and local officials were always stopping by to gather in the Kitchen and gamble on sports events, or even plan Hunter's run for Sheriff of Aspen. He did most of his serious writing here.

Entrance to Owl Farm in the winter

At some of these gatherings he would grab one of his books or papers and have one of the people attending read a passage he indicated. If they were not reading with the right tone or emotion, he would stop them and have them start over. Apparently this would be the highlight of the evening and great fun was had by all.

As mentioned in a previous post, Hunter took his own life at age 67 in the study of  Owl Farm while he was working on his latest column for ESPN called "Hey Rube". Johnny Depp saw to Hunter's greatest wish, that his ashes be shot into the sky from a tower 153' tall that was to be built on the property. At the top of the tower was Hunter's symbol that he used at least since the run for Sheriff, the double-thumbed fist clutching a peyote button. The event took place in August of 2005, right where Hunter wanted it to be... in his "big backyard".

 

Anita Thompson, his wife of two years before his death, still lives on the property. He is also survived by his first wife Sandy and their son Juan.

Hunter and Anita in happier times

Selah

LSD-25

Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (acid))

LSD. The holy grail of spiritual awakening in the counter-culture days of the late 60's. And on the plus side, almost non-existent addictivity!  The name however conjures up thoughts of drinking from a car battery or some other equally horrific "acid" source. When most times it is a small drop of liquid (tasteless) on absorbent paper (blotter) that is put under the tongue to dissolve. So I've been told.

Hence the term "blotter acid".

LSD causes different reactions in different people but many report intensified awareness. Altered visual effects (the melting wall or rippling carpet). Some get very intensely "into" something, quite often music. Some see imaginary things as products of their own mind. For those not mentally unstable or damaged to begin with, it is an awakening. So I have been told.

This appears to have been one of Hunter's favorite sources of recreation and inspiration. To what degree it's hard to say. When he states in Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas that among other drugs, he had a large number of sheets of high quality blotter acid it gives the impression he lived on it. Sadly another chief effect of LSD is the quick build up of a tolerance to its mind-expanding effects. Taking it more than a couple times a week greatly diminishes the result. So I have been told.

Acid has been a largely misunderstood drug from the 60's primarily due to the government testing soldiers with it for mind control possibilities. LSD has been used to treat alcoholism and in psychotherapy treatments.

Now how about this? In Switzerland from 2008 - 2011 they have been experimenting with end of life anxiety treatment using LSD for terminally-ill patients. Results are promising and no negative results have been reported. Really? And who would have done this reporting...the dead?

Flash backs have really been non-existent and are more of an urban legend. No record of anyone ever dying of an Acid OD has been found and tests show there are no long-term physiological effects on the brain or the rest of the body.

I will say this, if this were available in the US for easing anxiety for terminal illness...count me in.

Mahalo

Jimson Weed

Datura Stramonium - Jimson Weed

Today finds us diving into the "seedy" side of Hunter Thompson's writing references. And to start, we have to look to the Jimson Weed. Known in some circles as the Devil's Trumpet or the softer version...Angels Trumpet.

Either way, the slightest amount above medicinal dose and depending on your religion, you will be seeing one or the other.

Datura Stramonium is a member of the nightshade family and possesses belladonna alkaloids atropine and scopolamine. This has been used to treat asthma and as a pain killer in early surgery. However, it is also a hallucinogen and deliriant  that produces intense visions that may last for days.

This of course is what Hunter is relying on whenever he mentions using a "bit of the jimsonweed". He even referred to using it on his wedding night in 2003 at the age of 65. True or not it is hard to figure. But several of his papers reference the use. Curiously he almost never uses the word marijuana in his writing.

It is really unknown if he ever really smoked the jimmy weed or if he did, was there any productive writing?

But Jimson Weed is just the tip of the iceberg for the Gonzo journalist of our age. Saturday will enlighten you a wee bit more.

Until then, stay upright.

~Tempest Fugit~

Imagination

 

The other half of the Hunter Thompson recording duo was the deeply disturbed fantastically imaginative artist, Ralph Steadman. In usual Thompson fashion, fate played a part in the selection of the artist who would graphically document Hunter's twisted visions. It occurred on the Kentucky Derby assignment when the original artist who was to meet Thompson at the Derby to illustrate his writing, couldn't make it. Last minute replacement recommended by Hunter's editor, was Ralph Steadman. Who was an artist in England at the time, flew over and joined Hunter in what would become the hilariously satire-laden story, The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved. A biting retribution for the wrongs of HST's youth growing up in Kentucky and the Southern "code". The two together formed a life-long bond of boundless imagination when art imitated life...in a fun house! Some of Steadman's artwork can be found here.

With the theme today being imagination, I want to take this time to recognize four writers whose work I have enjoyed, admired, and most importantly...require more of! I believe many of you are familiar with them but for those who are not, please give them an opportunity to entertain you as they have me.

Alex J Cavanaugh

I met Alex online back when he was just about to explode with his site and also his publishing career. He has always been a faithful and constant commenter on my site and was extremely instrumental in doubling my followers during my first A-Z campaign.

 

 

When  CassaStar came out I had already committed to return the favor by buying, reading, and reviewing the book. It is in a genre I like a lot (Sci-Fi) and I was prepared to enjoy the story. But....

 

 

 

 

 

 

WOW! I loved this book. I read it over the period of about 4 days. Not   because I am a slow reader or the book was complicated but because I was not wanting it to end. The book showed what great imagination and storytelling ability Alex possessed. At the end I was sad for it to be over. Then I found out a second book (CassaFire) was coming out...same excitement thing for me except I actually WON a signed copy in one of his giveaways! Amazing, considering how many people must have entered for it.

 

Now we have the final book of the trilogy (CassaStorm) coming out this fall and I can not wait. I still say, some producer somewhere is missing a great movie series opportunity.

~~~~~~~

Nancy S Thompson

I met Nancy from last year's A-Z Challenge. We seemed to have bonded over our mutual appreciation for the band, Alice In Chains. And we have frequented each other's blogs ever since. And boy am I glad I did...

I read The Mistaken as soon as it was available. I immediately found myself immersed in, and actually felt a part of, this story. The premise showed great imagination on Nancy's part and the intricate and well-woven story was just captivating.  For her first novel I was blown away with how really GOOD it was. I could feel Tyler's pain, rage, sadness, humanity...all of it. The visuals that were always in my mind as I read, were exactly what I expect from a good book. And this one is tremendous! IF you have not already picked this one up, do it. I can't wait for her next work! Love your stuff, Nancy!!

~~~~~~~~

Milo James Fowler

I read Milo's work just because I like his cool name!! Just kidding, man. I read Milo's work because it is good, it is insanely original, and it makes me laugh from time to time. I do not know how his thought processes work but it is a little off center. And that's the good part. His Coyote Cal epics remind me of the movie Cowboys and Aliens, only this is more like Gunsmoke.

Milo has sooo much work out there I doubt he sleeps. Or maybe he can write while he sleeps. Or there is a pod beside his bed...something!!! I have read a ton of his work since the stories are short and there is not a one I have not enjoyed. If you crave a little twisted bent to your reading, Milo is your guy. Thanks for the entertainment, man.

~~~~~~~~~

Clarissa Draper

I believe I ran into Clarissa an A-Z or so ago. Her informative blog and creative A-Z posts keeping me coming back for more. Her imaginative foray into writing was the Sholes Key. I must say I saw the book cover staring me in the face every time I visited her site. but it took me awhile to actually but buy the book. I downloaded it to my Kindle and took it to Belize on vacation.

 

I could not put this book down once I started it (obviously I did or my wife would have killed me, on vacation and all). I love a good mystery, growing up a voracious fan of Agatha Christie, and this was a great mystery. Imaginative storytelling and constant "what's going to happen next" anxiety. Again, I had very vivid images of what I was reading and got pulled right into the action. I am eagerly awaiting the next output from Clarissa.

~~~~~~~~

I am proud to know each of these authors by their works and their blogs. I consider them friends.

Please take time to visit each of these wonderful writer's blogs (click their Names to go straight there). None will disappoint and who knows, you may make a new friend.

Hunter S. Thompson - Legend And The Man

"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro"

Hunter S Thompson the man, the myth, the legend. His life was a strangely long and fulfilled one, given all his indulgences. He married twice and has one son from his first marriage. Five other pregnancies resulted in 3 miscarries and 2 who died soon after birth.

From the streets of Kentucky to the isolation of the Owl Farm in Woody Creek Colorado, the life and times of Dr. Thompson were varied, inspired, and inspirational. The well documented use of drugs and alcohol fueling some of the most creative writing to ever be put down on paper. The oft quoted phrase included in the photo above speaks volumes to that fact. He would tell people there were much better reporters then he because he almost never tried to "reconstruct a story". Inserting himself into the mix and flavoring it with metaphors and twisted facts and fiction...the final creation was, in the words of Tom Wolfe, "part journalism and part personal memoir admixed with powers of wild invention and wilder rhetoric."

Hunter ran for Sheriff in 1970 in Pitkin County, CO. The ticket was the Freak Power Party and several other offices were being contested by this hastily created "alternative" party. In the end, Thompson was such a threat to win that the Republican candidate withdrew to consolidate the voters on the Democratic side and the Dems withdrew their candidate for count commissioner.  The fix was in so to speak.

He was an avid member of the NRA and an early supporter of NORML, serving on the group's advisory board for over 30 years up until the time he died.

He kept numerous weapons on his Owl Farm "fortified compound" and fired them regularly on his property. A self-proclaimed weapons expert.

Thompson's books, as I have mentioned in previous posts, are a joy to read. The action and verbiage mixing fact and fiction just pull you right along like a magic carpet ride. The list of his works can be found by clicking the link on his name at the beginning of the post. Along with a better detailed chronology of his life than I could give time to here.

In the end, he went out as he wanted...on his own terms. The only spooky part is, he had called his wife who happened to be in town at the time, and asked her to come home and help him finish his ESPN2 column for the night. He actually cocked the shotgun while laying the phone down on the table. She mistook the cocking sound for keys being typed on his typewriter so she hung up...just as he pulled the trigger. His son and family were visiting and in the next room. At first his son thought some books had fallen off the shelves when he heard the shot, and didn't come in for a few minutes.

After calling the police, Juan (Hunter's son) went outside and fired 3 shotgun blasts into the air to "honor his father".

Johnny Depp funded the funeral that went exactly to Hunter's specification (see my E post). Many celebrities attended the blasting of Thompson's ashes into the sky. Among them, Jack Nicholson, Sen. John Kerry, George McGovern, Bill Murray, and of course, Depp himself.

I have included 3 brief videos below. The first is a long clip from the 4 part session Buy The Ticket, Take The Ride videography of Hunter's life told by the people who knew him (very good, save it- listen later. The 10:50 mark starts great stuff on Where The Buffalo Roam), the second is a stirring reading of Hunter's suicide note by Nick Nolte, and lastly is the trailer from Where The Buffalo Roam. I am still struck by how EXACT Murray's voice and inflections are to Thompsons.
 













~Res Ipsa Loquitor~



FIn

Factotum and The Fear

"To begin, this post has no real structure. That is not to say many of my posts do, but to know that up front relieves me a little."

~Exordium~

Factotum ~ Latin for "do everything"

Fear ~ 1) a distressing emotion aroused by an impending threat; 2) something that causes a feeling of dread or apprehension


Gonzo journalism made Hunter Thompson a factotum. This is a strange word to describe a person (in my mind) as it sounds more likely to be describing an object or a legal paper. However in its rawest meaning it describes Thompson to a tee.

Consider his many writing assignments at different publications. Low rent rags and high end tabloids. Newspaper columns and books. How many journalists write as burning a wit at the politics of a presidential election and also dive to incredible detail on football playoffs and the Super Bowl. Having breakfast with Teddy Kennedy and Jimmy Carter before Carter's run to the White House and having attended the last days of Saigon during the War.

His book on being a newspaper man in Puerto Rico in the 50's and attending a law enforcement officer's (LEO's) convention in Las Vegas...after navigating the treacherous bat country in the White Whale. Soon to be the Red Shark. And Hunter's epic novel on a year spent living, partying, and generally "telling it right" among the Hell's Angels.

He not only did everything but he did it with a passion. Whether it was raising peacocks at 8000 feet of altitude ("everyone knows peacocks can't live at that altitude") on his Owl Farm in Woody Creek, Colorado. His do everything (and sometimes all altogether) attitude towards drugs, alcohol, and guns.  Hunter betting $70,000 with an Arab prince who lived down the road from him and when he won, the Prince skipped but left his sister with Hunter for a year as sort of flesh collateral. He regularly had the Sheriff, the Coroner, and Ed Bradley over for sporting events.

Many of HST's books and even articles contained the recurring theme of Fear and Loathing. His take on Fear was a little hazy at times, when he referenced it. The word was almost always capitalized and appeared to be given the respect you would give a grizzly bear standing ten or eleven feet way. It felt like something was just out of reach of him describing the details like an incomplete painting or thought.

The Fear was there.

Whether talking about the Bush years (Part 1, 2 and 3). Al Davis and the Raiders. Or his most fear-inducing antagonist...Richard Milhous Nixon. The periodic Fear of what was coming next, I think gripped him occasionally and caused some of his best writing.

Hunter says it best in this quote:

"I understand that fear is my friend, but not always. Never turn your back on Fear. It should always be in front of you, like a thing that might have to be killed. My father taught me that, along with a few other things that have kept my life interesting."

-Hunter S. Thompson ( Quotes from Kingdom of Fear : Loathsome Secrets of a Star-Crossed Child in the Final Days of the American Century )

In the end it was said that (true or not) part of his despair and eventual suicide was due to the fact he could not stand the idea that Dubya had won another term and the country was going to be stuck with the "child-president" for four more years.

~Res Ipsa Loquitor!~

The Edge

Sorry, not the guitar player from U2.

This is the Edge.

Hunter Thompson's Edge.

Through the books I have read so far, one of Hunter's themes, either in your face or subtly, is his pursuit of the Edge. His description of the Edge is pretty much as you might imagine, an extreme pushing of the limits. Of many things.

This manifested itself in the one very intensely descriptive flat out motorcycle ride down the coast highway of California. The 3AM, helmetless, 110 mph flash down the twisted curve infested roadway. Maybe at times with no headlight and only available moon or starlight to guide him. Pushing the speed in the turns to the limits of the tires grip on the road. No goggles and tears peeling back from his eyes and drying instantly...making the road a literal blur. Believing no other vehicle was on the road that night, in either direction. Surviving this night to only do it again when the notion struck.

Another angle on the Edge was his love of Wild Turkey and/or Rum. There was never enough drink or enough people to drink with. Everything went better with a drink or several in the bag. Whether it was covering the Super Bowl or the Kentucky Derby. Or a crazy presidential race as only can be described in Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail, 1972.

Hunter's obsession with gambling. On everything. Whether it was handicapping political races, horse races (not his favorites), basketball, football. He even once took all the white players on the left half of the TV screen against the black players on the right half. I don't even remember the sport. Being a sports writer for much if not all of his life, there was not much of a limit to how far he would go to place a bet, or a friendly wager as it were.

And then the drugs. His stories of acid, hash and other mind-altering substances are rampant throughout his writings. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas has the whole gamut from ether to cocaine. I mean how else do you identify Bat Country? Whether he truly did all these things, seems left to the reader's imagination. You suspect after a while that no human could have lived that long doing what he claims to have done, well, except Keith Richards and Steven Tyler.

The most "out there" Edge that Thompson pushed was the year he spent living with the Hell's Angels. The rides, parties, interaction with the law and local communities, Sonny Barger, an Angel leaders funeral, and of course in the end his own beat-down by the Angels before he departed. This book is the first book of his I read and I recommend it highly. It defies and defines his brilliance.

Finally he left this life as he lived it...on his terms and going over the Edge. He is certainly missed to this day.

His suicide note titled Football Season Is Over was left for his wife and printed in Rolling Stone. This is it:

"No More Games. No More Bombs. No More Walking. No More Fun. No More Swimming. 67. That is 17 years past 50. 17 more than I needed or wanted. Boring. I am always bitchy. No Fun – for anybody. 67. You are getting Greedy. Act your old age. Relax – This won’t hurt."

And then he shot himself. As a true gun lover and self proclaimed "weapons expert", nothing could have been more fitting.

The funeral was the final over the top act of this man's existence.



And that was his funeral. RIP, HST.


Last line from Where The Buffalo Roam:

"But I don't think I'll believe he's dead, until I can gnaw on his skull with my very own teeth...because it still hasn't gotten weird enough for me"

Bill Murray

Today's B post is all about the A-list comedian/actor that is Bill Murray. One of my all time favorite actors and a true comedic genius.

The first time I came to know Bill Murray was like many others out there...the true heyday of Saturday Night Live (SNL). Every skit that he was in was a raging success and along with Dan Akroyd and John Belushi, made the show a cult hit. For three seasons he was my impetus for watching.  And when he left, I was quite bummed.

However it did not take long for him to earn a new place in my viewing.

To begin his run of movies for me was his portrayal  of Hunter S. Thompson in what is my favorite movie, Where The Buffalo Roam.  This movie was not critically accepted and to that I simply say (in true Thompson fashion), "Balls". There is no doubt after watching the Gonzo documentary of HST's life, that Murray was and always will be the quintessential Thompson character. The mannerisms, voice, speech inflection, and the eerie physical similarities are truly remarkable. I advise anyone who has never seen this movie to give a view...or several. As well as the documentary.

Obviously Caddyshack, Ghostbusters, Stripes, What About Bob, and Groundhog Day are all classic Murray comedy performances.

Rushmore, Lost In Translation and Broken Flowers were all critically acclaimed films and LIT garnered numerous award nominations including a Best Actor Academy Award bid (he lost that year to Sean Penn for Mystic River).

His only attempt at directing was the movie Quick Change which I actually liked a lot. Starring Murray, Geena Davis, Randy Quaid, Jason Robards, Stanley Tucci, Phil Hartman and Tony Shaloub...not too shabby a cast, and a hilarious story. Didn't make a lot of money but again, I liked it.

His latest film, Hyde Park On Hudson, where he portrays FDR during a critical time of WWII, is on my list of next to watch.

Then I am going back to the beginning and watch each one of his films that I have never seen. Movie Mission for 2013.

One quirky fact, Murray has never had an agent or a manager and only fields offers for scripts and roles using a voicemail set up on a personal phone number. He doesn't check it very frequently and even after auditioning for several roles, he missed many opportunities because he never checked the VM. Two of those roles being Willie Wonka in Charlie and The Chocolate Factory (this prize role went to Johnny Depp, ironically*) as well as Eddie Valiant in Who Framed Roger Rabbit (Bob Hoskins got the role after Harrison Ford wanted too much money).

*ironically = Johnny Depp played Hunter S. Thompson in Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas and reprised the role in the HST Rum Diary film (both books were infinitely better than the movies to me). So I guess there is one degree of separation between Murray and Depp, for what it matters.

Outside of show business, Murray is a fixture at many sports events and dabbles in ownership of some minor league teams. He is probably known most famously for his appearances in some outrageous get-ups at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am golf event every year. And two years ago he and his pro partner D. A. Points actually won the pro-am.  This year after a bad shot near a sand trap he flopped into the bunker on his back and proceeded to make a "sand angel" much to the delight of the gallery.

Bill Murray, really one of my favorite guys and one I would choose to hang out with and have a few beers.

Because it still hasn't gotten weird enough for me...

Atavistic

~Exordium~

 Today is the kickoff for the 2013 April A-Z Challenge. This is the third year I have participated. As with both prior years, I look upon this month of daily deadlines with nervous anticipation. Though I have struggled to get ahead of the wave as it were, I know I will still have days of frantic writing during the month. Coupled with the impending week long absence due to a vacation out of the country, I know days of anxiety are looming.

With that said but barely coherent, I am again themeless this year. I will however be making many ventures into my delightful discovery of the depths of the writing genius of my new favorite journalist/author, Hunter S Thompson. Not every post will be dedicated to an HST topic but several will. Though not a writer of any measure myself, I am easily drawn to who I would have been had I started writing 30 years ago. Some of the style I use during the Challenge will be reflective of that (I hope).

I hope you enjoy sharing my journey through this A-Z and I look forward to visiting some old friends and making some new ones as I visit the sea of blogs in this years entry.

Off we go...

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URGENT: A quick shout out and appreciative tip of the cap to Arlee Bird over at Tossing it Out. He is patient zero for this most mentally harrowing thing we call the A-Z Challenge. After starting this by himself... three short years later the list of participants has grown monstrously huge. Requiring minions this year, that's right minions to help all the hosts patrol the list of bloggers taking part in the insanity. They are the mosh pit monitors of this blogapolooza!! Thanks Lee for bringing the great people of the blogosphere together for a month of fun!!

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I start off this years A-Z Challenge with a brainteaser.

 

 

Quote:

 

"It is almost impossible to be a doctor and an honest man, but it is obscenely impossible to be a

 

psychiatrist without at the same time bearing the stamp of the most incontestable madness: that of

 

being unable to resist that old atavistic reflex of the mass of humanity, which makes any man of

 

science who is absorbed by this mass a kind of natural and inborn enemy of all genius."

 

-Antonin Artaud

 

 

As you will see throughout this Month of April, I will make references often to the writings of Hunter S. Thompson. Hopefully they will be in educational and varied ways. Maybe you will be encouraged to explore his works. I love his style, use of arcane as well as made-up language, the edgy way he wrote. I have fallen down the Hobbit hole and embarked on the mission of reading all his works. I must say I have made great progress in that regard (7 books down, 5 to go), however I will leave expansion on that subject for a later post in this Challenge.

 

Atavistic.

 

This is a word often used in Hunter's writing to describe a myriad of things. I had never heard of this word and had no idea what it meant. I read it so often and in so many of his letters and articles that I finally looked up the dictionary definition. (Yes, I read this word several times in several books and did not know the meaning. I assumed it would just come to me. Let's move on.) It goes something like this:

 

atavistic - adjective

 

      ~throwback

 

       ~of or relating to reversion to a former or more primitive type

Now what I want to know is what does this above quote from Artaud mean to YOU? I need some interpretive inspiration.

Please comment with your thoughts.

Until tomorrow...