January 2019 Auction Ends Thursday, January 31st, 5pm Pacific
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 1/31/2019
Exceptional Hunter S. Thompson typed letter signed, dated 14 September 1959 from his home in Louisville, Kentucky, where he lived for a few months after working at ''Time'' magazine in New York. Thompson here writes to his friend Paul Semonin on a myriad of topics, with fantastic quotable lines throughout, giving the reader a glimpse into the mind of this young 22-year old wordsmith master.
Letter reads in part, ''I give you a thought, my man, for the season: 'The child that sucketh long is shooting up......'
'Shooting up?' you ask. 'Shooting up where?' And I shall say to you: 'Shooting up the soft and hairless leg of God, in search of fiery loins to rub against his own.'
And Summerfield shall have no dominion.
And thus ends the hairy part of my letter. Not much news here: got a card from [mutual friend David Porter] Bibb, spent a beer-fogged evening with Mason [Morris] before he left---it never occurred to me to show him the manuscript; called Mac [John Macauley Smith]---he's gone to Aspen Colorado for 'eight years,' according to the best information I could get---write him care of General Delivery, Aspen; spent a few pleasant evenings with Hannah Boone K[irby], also one or two with Judy Booth; intend to get out to LaGrange to see Butler [Bob, a high school friend in prison at the time] sometime soon; driving to Nashville tomorrow to see Davison; wrote William Styron, asking for his agent's name and address---received excellent letter in return, wrote immediately to agent, should hear from her soon; have been requested to do article on 'The Dry Rot of American Journalism,' (my title) for new paper in Puerto Rico---after threatening in an earlier letter to kick the editor's teeth in and ram a bronze plaque far into his small intestine; life in general fairly pleasant here, not writing consistently enough, but making good progress; in a nutshell, life is good today, but tomorrow is a black and threatening mass of poverty and terror.
And lad, they ask me about you. They're curious! A few sample reactions: 'What [t]he hell's he doing up there?' Or better still: 'What the hell is he doing up there?'.....'I saw him. Where? Right down there by that Pandora's Box place; and boy, did he look grubby!.....'What's wrong with Semonin?'......'Aw hell, he'll get over it!'......'What's he do---hang around all that jazz and poetry stuff?'......'Artist? Aw come on, be serious!'.....'Say, what's this about Semonin? I hear he's gone beatnik!'
And so on and so on. Actually, kid, I'm beginning to think they're right. You dirty fake! You foul and rotten fraud! Com'on now Paul, come on back here where you belong. No sense in this foolishness......
Speaking of foolishness, have you checked on the Norwegian Lines thing, or are you still as unreliable as ever? I take that back! Just hang onto my little brown no-handled bag. Willis was very encouraging about the Norwegian bit. Says it's a great life, but no money. Do check.
Thanks for vague word on Forbes bit. I've become disgusted with the whole thing now, however, and hereby announce my intentions to run rough-shod and un-rubbered over and into anyone who gets in my way. How's that.....eh?
'Fugitives such as myself' may take advantage of your bounteous hospitality. Your 'cabin' sounds like it would loom large and imposing beside the Old Kentucky Home. You should rent those extra bedrooms out to transient prostitutes, and thereby pay the rent. But that's none of my affair; and besides, the child that sucketh long tells me to remind you that sex is always king. / Cheers: [signed] HST''.
One page letter, single-spaced, measures 8.5'' x 11''. Some chipping to top edge, and toning to paper, overall in very good condition with a dramatic signature by Thompson in red ink.
Hunter S. Thompson Letter Signed -- Fantastic Letter With Dozens of Quotable Lines: ''...have been requested to do article on 'The Dry Rot of American Journalism' (my title)...''
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