Hunter S. Thompson’s best known work of journalism, “Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas" began as a 250 word photo caption assignment for Sports Illustrated at a motorcycle race in Las Vegas. It then grew into a story that ran as a two part series in Rolling Stone in 1971. Then almost 42 years ago in July of 1972 it was published as a novel by Random house and the rest is gonzo history. Below are six online articles about this book that was truly an original piece of literary work back in 1972 and then there’s the MBIP coming attractions for next week.

The Best Book on the Dope Decade - The book got a great review from the NY Times back in 1972. And check out this line from the final paragraph, it seems we’ve truly come full circle: “The suggestion is that to drop acid in 1966 was to seek the flower at the heart of the cosmos, but to shoot heroin in 1972 is to hide from the pain of the President's face.”

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson - Not everyone loved the book. Check out this review from October, 1972 from the New Republic. Some people just didn’t get the joke.

Top 10 Savagely Insane Quotes from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - Within this collection is one of the best openings to a book ever: “We had two bags of grass, seventy-five pellets of mescaline, five sheets of high-powered blotter acid, a salt shaker half full of cocaine, and a whole galaxy of multi-colored uppers, downers, screamers, laughers...and also a quart of tequila, a quart of rum, a case of Budweiser, a pint of raw ether and two dozen amyls...Not that we needed all that for the trip, but once you get locked into a serious drug collection, the tendency is to push it as far as you can. The only thing that really worried me was the ether. There is nothing in the world more helpless and irresponsible and depraved than a man in the depths of an ether binge. And I knew we'd get into that rotten stuff pretty soon."

Hunter S. Thompson and America's "High Water Mark" - This passage from “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” is Hunter S. Thompson’s best piece of writing in my opinion. It’s the perfect epitaph for the sixties that anyone has ever written. For me, it’s his high water mark.

Johnny Depp's Savage Journey Into 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' - For years they tried to make “Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas” into a movie and there were several failed attempts. In 1998, Terry Gilliam and Johnny Depp finally made the movie and this tells the tale of the making of that film which had Hunter Thompson’s blessing.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Movie CLIP - The High Water Mark - For me, the best part of the movie, is from the best part of the book, "The High Water Mark" passage I mentioned previously. Johnny Depp does a great reading of this passage. I love the line, “You could strike sparks anywhere.” Five words that sum up the sixties. Genius writing.

Last night I had dinner at the Country Club BBQ and then saw Chris Kattan at the Jukebox Comedy Club. I got to meet Chris after the show and you can see a photo of the two of us tomorrow! For this week’s chicken entree in the 13 month’s of chicken tour, I went to a place that’s famous for cheeseburgers to see if they do a chicken sandwich as good as they do a burger. On Wednesday I think I’m finally going to do yet another, “Can I Eat My Lunch In Here” awkward episode. I’m going to attempt it at a lawyer’s office here in town that has the same name as a dive bar in the East Village of New York City. Thursday I’m going to do a “Places In Peoria” segment and Friday will feature some frozen food. Saturday will be more suggestions from posts from the past and then we’re back to the Sunday Links. The wheel keeps spinning round and round. See you all tomorrow!

Related Posts: Sunday Links: Andy Warhol, The Assassination of Robert Kennedy and The Runaways.

Ooh, Las Vegas, ain’t no place for a poor boy like me...

Surprise link...click on it, I dare you!

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Weekly Church of Rock Plugola!

I do a weekly MBIP segment on the radio show The Church Of Rock which is broadcast live on Sunday nights, worldwide out of Oregon on Sunday nights. Every week I pick a song and give a little talk about it before the song is played on the show. The hosts of the show are Rev. Derek Moody (some of you know him as Bloody Mess) and Sister Tracy. The show starts at 9PM CST and my segment will air around 9:15PM! The song I chose for this week is "Behind The Wall of Sleep" by The Smithereens. I was once a guest on a radio show in New York City that the lead singer, Pat DiNizio hosted. It was an awkward moment in time and I'll tell that story tonight. You can listen live by streaming from the KSKQ website right here! You should also check out the Church of Rock YouTube channel with archived interviews with everyone from GG Allin to Davy Jones!