Podcast Summary
Podcast: New Books Network
Episode: Kevin J. Hayes, "Understanding Hunter S. Thompson" (U South Carolina Press, 2025)
Date: September 7, 2025
Host: Caleb Zakrin
Guest: Kevin J. Hayes (Professor Emeritus of English, University of Central Oklahoma)
Overview
This episode explores the life and legacy of Hunter S. Thompson through the lens of Kevin J. Hayes's new book, Understanding Hunter S. Thompson. Hayes and host Caleb Zakrin dive deep into Thompson’s early influences, his meteoric rise as a journalist and originator of “gonzo” journalism, his literary output, sharp decline, and enduring myth. The conversation strikes a balance between admiration for Thompson's originality and a frank look at the self-destructive traits that shaped his later years.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Kevin J. Hayes’ Introduction to Thompson (02:50)
- Hayes discovered Thompson after college, starting with Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. He found it “wonderful,” but was initially disappointed with Curse of Lono and paused reading Thompson.
- Rediscovered Thompson with Hell’s Angels while traveling: “It was wonderful. In fact, I think I like it more than Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas now... it was really Hell’s Angels that solidified my interest in Thompson.” (03:32)
2. Thompson’s Early Life & Personality (05:03)
- Characterized as a wild, charismatic prankster from his youth, a trait that stayed with him.
- Hayes concludes: “He was lazy, and I think his laziness really affected his work ultimately.” (05:28)
- Thompson’s early promise gave way to resting on his reputation post-Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail.
3. Literary Influences & The Great Gatsby Obsession (06:38)
- Thompson was an avid reader of American classics, especially The Great Gatsby, which he deemed “the greatest book in the history of American literature.”
- Hayes identifies Thompson’s veneration of Gatsby as a personal creative roadblock: “He always helped Great Gatsby up as the thing to emulate, and he could never come close to it.” (07:08)
4. Early Journalism and South American Reporting (07:37)
- Hayes highlights overlooked early work: “His South American writings... are entertaining and... show the makings of a very good journalist... they really show he put a lot of work into them.” (08:15)
- Urges evaluating Thompson’s early journalism on its own merit, not merely as proto-gonzo.
5. Big Sur and Literary Experimentation (09:17)
- Thompson’s move to Big Sur to write The Rum Diary: lived as a caretaker, surrounded by literary figures and counterculture.
- Noted for upsetting Big Sur locals by naming them in his articles, betraying their desire for privacy.
6. On Thompson's Eccentricity and Decline (11:30)
- Hayes: “I think he's a genius. But I also think that he was an alcoholic and a drug addict... In his later writings, it's just pitiful because... he could hardly put two sentences together.” (11:30–12:35)
- Editors were offering huge sums for short articles Thompson could no longer produce due to his deteriorated state.
7. Relationship to the New Journalism Movement (13:50)
- Friends with Tom Wolfe; both were pioneers of New Journalism.
- Hayes distinguishes: “Thompson would immerse himself... much more thoroughly” than Wolfe (14:33).
8. The Emergence and Definition of Gonzo Journalism (15:30)
- Gonzo as a subset of New Journalism, but a style only authentically performed by Thompson himself.
- Distinctives: “Drugs and alcohol are part of the stock and trade... It's only from that warped perspective that you can write your gonzo journalism.” (16:35)
- Ralph Steadman is equally essential as gonzo’s illustrator.
9. The Golden Years: 1967–1973 (18:42, 38:27)
- Hell's Angels, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail are identified as his key works.
- Hayes: “All of his best stuff was written and published... in a period of six or seven years.” (38:53)
- After Campaign Trail, rapid decline as Thompson relied on his reputation and the “gonzo” persona.
10. Influence as Political Commentator (22:52)
- Rolling Stone's Jan Wenner instrumental in shaping Thompson as a political commentator.
- Wenner both facilitated and exploited the “Fear and Loathing” brand for magazine sales.
11. Thompson as Letter Writer (29:23)
- His letters were stylistically powerful but, over time, revealed growing entitlement and self-pity.
- Early letters read as a “Bildungsroman,” while later ones become “very pushy and needy.” (30:25)
12. Late Career and ESPN Stint (31:35)
- By this period, Thompson was deeply unreliable; editors assigned to hound him for work.
- “It was really the... low point, I think, in his journalistic career.” (32:24)
13. Editor’s Role in Thompson’s Output (33:38)
- Hayes repeatedly credits editors for motivating and shaping Thompson's later work: “He really needed hand holding to get it done.” (34:19)
14. Death and Legacy (34:55)
- Shots himself with his grandson present, following a long, tragic decline due to addiction.
- Hayes: “...it's just so sad... I think that we need to... concentrate on his... unique style, his originality and just kind of ignore everything after about 1973.” (36:01)
15. Partnership with Ralph Steadman (39:51)
- Steadman’s visceral illustrations inseparable from Thompson's literary identity: “As soon as you see an illustration from Ralph Steadman, then you think of Hunter Thompson.” (41:06)
- Steadman’s legacy continues in modern commercial art and packaging.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “It was really Hell's Angels that solidified my interest in Thompson.” — Kevin J. Hayes (03:25)
- “He was lazy, and I think his laziness really affected his work ultimately.” — Hayes (05:28)
- “He always helped Great Gatsby up as the thing to emulate, and he could never come close to it.” — Hayes (07:08)
- “He was the great writer and, you know, they should pay his way.” — Hayes, on Thompson’s attitude later in career (30:02)
- “There's only one person who can write gonzo journalism, and that's Hunter Thompson. And there's only one person who can illustrate gonzo journalism, and that's Ralph Steadman.” — Hayes (16:07)
- “All of his best stuff was written and published... in a period of six or seven years.” — Hayes (38:53)
- “It’s just such a tiny amount of time for his great works to be published.” — Hayes (38:57)
- “He just became a parody of himself.” — Hayes (27:30)
- “He shoots himself, with his little grandson was in the house... It’s just so sad.” — Hayes (35:04)
- “As soon as you see an illustration from Ralph Steadman, then you think of Hunter Thompson.” — Hayes (41:06)
Important Timestamps
- 02:50 — Hayes’ introduction to Thompson’s work
- 05:03 — On Thompson’s wild childhood and laziness
- 06:38 — Thompson’s literary influences and Gatsby obsession
- 07:37 — South American journalism and overlooked early work
- 09:17 — Big Sur article and The Rum Diary
- 11:30–13:07 — Thompson’s genius, addiction, and decline
- 13:50 — Friendship and rivalry with Tom Wolfe, New Journalism
- 15:39 — Gonzo journalism and Steadman’s pivotal role
- 18:42 — The mythic Sixties and Thompson’s canonical works
- 22:52 — Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail: political commentator era
- 29:23 — Letter writing’s dual revealing nature
- 31:35 — ESPN era and journalistic “low point”
- 34:55 — Death, legacy, and enduring influence
- 39:51 — Ralph Steadman's contributions
- 41:47 — Steadman’s commercial artwork and continued relevance
Tone & Takeaways
The conversation is admiring but clear-eyed, combining enthusiasm for Thompson’s innovations and enduring myth with honest accounts of personal and creative decline. Hayes calls for future generations to celebrate Thompson’s truly unique early work, separating the lasting literary output from the personal excesses and later self-parody. Ralph Steadman receives equal credit for cementing gonzo’s cultural impact.
For students, journalists, and fans, Hayes’s guide and this interview clarify what keeps Thompson’s work vital—his inventiveness, style, and ability to dramatize the American experience from the margins, despite or even because of his flaws.