The genesis of the article has been described by Thompson as akin to "falling down an elevator shaft and landing in a pool of mermaids."[2] Faced with a deadline and without any coherent story for his editors, Thompson began tearing pages from his notebook, numbering them, and sending them to the magazine. Accompanied by Ralph Steadman's sketches (the first of many collaborations between Thompson and Steadman), the resulting story, and the manic, first-personsubjectivity that characterized it, were the beginnings of gonzo journalism.
The article is less about the actual Kentucky Derby – indeed, Thompson and Steadman could not actually see the race from their standpoint – than the revelry surrounding the event. Thompson's depiction includes the events in Louisville, his hometown, in the days before and after the Derby, and Steadman captured the debauched atmosphere in his surreal drawings. Thompson provided up-close views of activities in the Derby infield and the grandstand at Churchill Downs, and a running commentary on the drunkenness and lewdness of the crowd, which he states in the article as the only thing he was focusing on. The narrative ends with Thompson and Steadman's realization that, by participating in the drunken pageantry of the event, they had become exactly what they had originally planned to caricature.
Shortly after Thompson's suicide in 2005, Steadman recalled his first impression of Thompson at the Kentucky Derby to the British newspaper The Independent:
I had turned around and two fierce eyes, firmly socketed inside a bullet-shaped head, were staring at a strange growth I was nurturing on the end of my chin. "Holy shit!" [Thompson] exclaimed. "They said I was looking for a matted-haired geek with string warts and I guess I've found him." ...This man had an impressive head chiseled from one piece of bone, and the top part was covered down to his eyes by a floppy-brimmed sun hat. His top half was draped in a loose-fitting hunting jacket of multi-colored patchwork. He wore seersucker blue pants, and the whole torso was pivoted on a pair of huge white plimsolls with a fine red trim around the bulkheads. Damn near 6-foot-6 of solid bone and meat holding a beaten-up leather bag across his knee and a loaded cigarette holder between the arthritic fingers of his other hand.[3]
Releaseedit
The article was first released in the June 1970 edition of Scanlan's Monthly. It was later reprinted in Tom Wolfe's 1973 anthology The New Journalism and in Thompson's 1979 anthology The Great Shark Hunt.
Receptionedit
The article was not widely read at the time, but Thompson did garner attention from other journalists for its unusual style. In 1970, Bill Cardoso, editor of The Boston Globe Sunday Magazine, wrote to Thompson, whom he had met on a bus full of journalists covering the 1968 New Hampshire presidential primaries. Cardoso praised the piece as a breakthrough: "This is it, this is pure Gonzo. If this is a start, keep rolling." Considered the first use of the word "gonzo" to describe Thompson's work, Thompson took to the word right away, and according to Steadman said, "Okay, that's what I do. Gonzo."[4]
Referencesedit
^Peter Richardson, Savage Journey: Hunter S. Thompson and the Weird Road to Gonzo University of California Press, 2022.
^Sullivan, James (February 21, 2005). "Hunter S. Thompson Dies". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
^"Hunter S. Thompson RIP: 'I would feel real trapped in this life if I didn't know I could commit suicide at any time'". The Independent. 2005-02-22. Archived from the original on 2022-06-18. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
^Martin, Douglas (March 16, 2006). "Bill Cardoso, 68, Editor Who Coined 'Gonzo', Is Dead". The New York Times. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
External linksedit
MacCambridge, Michael (3 May 2013). "Director's Cut: 'The Kentucky Derby Is Decadent and Depraved,' by Hunter S. Thompson". Grantland.
Mosser, J. (Spring 2012). "What's Gonzo About Gonzo Journalism?" (PDF). Literary Journalism Studies. 4 (1): 85–90.
Kiernan, M.P. (2015). Hunter S. Thompson and gonzo journalism as literature (Master's thesis). Eastern Washington University.
April 11, 2024
kentucky, derby, decadent, depraved, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, schola. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources The Kentucky Derby Is Decadent and Depraved news newspapers books scholar JSTOR February 2024 Learn how and when to remove this template message The Kentucky Derby Is Decadent and Depraved is a seminal sports article written by journalist Hunter S Thompson on the 1970 Kentucky Derby which first appeared in Scanlan s Monthly in June of that year The article marked the birth of what would become known as gonzo journalism Contents 1 History 2 Release 2 1 Reception 3 References 4 External linksHistory editThe idea for the story began at a dinner party at the Aspen Colorado home of novelist James Salter Hunter S Thompson queried Scanlan s Monthly editor Warren Hinckle who approved the project and paired Thompson with illustrator Ralph Steadman for the first time 1 The genesis of the article has been described by Thompson as akin to falling down an elevator shaft and landing in a pool of mermaids 2 Faced with a deadline and without any coherent story for his editors Thompson began tearing pages from his notebook numbering them and sending them to the magazine Accompanied by Ralph Steadman s sketches the first of many collaborations between Thompson and Steadman the resulting story and the manic first person subjectivity that characterized it were the beginnings of gonzo journalism The article is less about the actual Kentucky Derby indeed Thompson and Steadman could not actually see the race from their standpoint than the revelry surrounding the event Thompson s depiction includes the events in Louisville his hometown in the days before and after the Derby and Steadman captured the debauched atmosphere in his surreal drawings Thompson provided up close views of activities in the Derby infield and the grandstand at Churchill Downs and a running commentary on the drunkenness and lewdness of the crowd which he states in the article as the only thing he was focusing on The narrative ends with Thompson and Steadman s realization that by participating in the drunken pageantry of the event they had become exactly what they had originally planned to caricature Shortly after Thompson s suicide in 2005 Steadman recalled his first impression of Thompson at the Kentucky Derby to the British newspaper The Independent I had turned around and two fierce eyes firmly socketed inside a bullet shaped head were staring at a strange growth I was nurturing on the end of my chin Holy shit Thompson exclaimed They said I was looking for a matted haired geek with string warts and I guess I ve found him This man had an impressive head chiseled from one piece of bone and the top part was covered down to his eyes by a floppy brimmed sun hat His top half was draped in a loose fitting hunting jacket of multi colored patchwork He wore seersucker blue pants and the whole torso was pivoted on a pair of huge white plimsolls with a fine red trim around the bulkheads Damn near 6 foot 6 of solid bone and meat holding a beaten up leather bag across his knee and a loaded cigarette holder between the arthritic fingers of his other hand 3 Release editThe article was first released in the June 1970 edition of Scanlan s Monthly It was later reprinted in Tom Wolfe s 1973 anthology The New Journalism and in Thompson s 1979 anthology The Great Shark Hunt Reception edit The article was not widely read at the time but Thompson did garner attention from other journalists for its unusual style In 1970 Bill Cardoso editor of The Boston Globe Sunday Magazine wrote to Thompson whom he had met on a bus full of journalists covering the 1968 New Hampshire presidential primaries Cardoso praised the piece as a breakthrough This is it this is pure Gonzo If this is a start keep rolling Considered the first use of the word gonzo to describe Thompson s work Thompson took to the word right away and according to Steadman said Okay that s what I do Gonzo 4 References edit Peter Richardson Savage Journey Hunter S Thompson and the Weird Road to Gonzo University of California Press 2022 Sullivan James February 21 2005 Hunter S Thompson Dies Rolling Stone Retrieved May 4 2016 Hunter S Thompson RIP I would feel real trapped in this life if I didn t know I could commit suicide at any time The Independent 2005 02 22 Archived from the original on 2022 06 18 Retrieved 24 November 2016 Martin Douglas March 16 2006 Bill Cardoso 68 Editor Who Coined Gonzo Is Dead The New York Times Retrieved May 4 2016 External links editMacCambridge Michael 3 May 2013 Director s Cut The Kentucky Derby Is Decadent and Depraved by Hunter S Thompson Grantland Mosser J Spring 2012 What s Gonzo About Gonzo Journalism PDF Literary Journalism Studies 4 1 85 90 Kiernan M P 2015 Hunter S Thompson and gonzo journalism as literature Master s thesis Eastern Washington University Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Kentucky Derby Is Decadent and Depraved amp oldid 1210290956, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
