Alex Fugini-Laws
English
B Block
Thesis Proposal
For my American author I chose to read books written by Hunter S. Thompson. Upon reading I started to think of the origin of Gonzo Journalism. Thompson, who is supposedly the creator of Gonzo, had many influences himself. My rough thesis idea is: Hunter S. Thompson was not the creator of Gonzo Journalism; he just carried it out and put a name to it. I came to this idea from looking at his Wikipedia page and scrolling through his influencers and reading about them. I think Thompson’s influences like William Faulkner gave him the inspiration and ideas to take new journalism to another level.
I would argue that Thompson’s got Gonzo to a famous level through his crazy story telling novels like Fear and loathing in Las Vegas, which captured people’s attention to the writing style. Thompson’s specific style is easy to get hooked on. One approach could be to compare the Gonzo like similarities between Thompson and other authors. Another is to see how Thompson could have taken a style and interpreted it into his own Gonzo. This paper might go into the definition of Gonzo and what does it really mean to see if there is a broader sense to describe his previous writers.
I need to do more reading and research about the writers that influenced Thompson before I start writing, to better argue my point. This would be essential to comparing writing style and how one affects the other. This is going to be challenging because it means a lot more reading and analyzing style. My outside sources may be writing from other authors so I can compare them to Thompson’ s writing.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
post #7
I have read from page 94 to 187
Thompson doesn't really talk about anything new. Its about sports, gambling, and politics. He covered the Honolulu Marathon and the craziness that went along with that.
A rough thesis idea is, did Hunter S. Thompson create gonzo journalism or did he just carry out other peoples work and put a name to it?
Thompson doesn't really talk about anything new. Its about sports, gambling, and politics. He covered the Honolulu Marathon and the craziness that went along with that.
A rough thesis idea is, did Hunter S. Thompson create gonzo journalism or did he just carry out other peoples work and put a name to it?
Saturday, March 29, 2008
post#6
I have read from pg.26 to pg.94
Thompson summarizes the world of sports and politics often relating the two. He starts to say how much he is hating the NFL these days and how sports have only gotten worse. The Lisl Auman cases gets a lot of attention while Thompson bashes on the government for a falsely accused murder. He tells of gambling stories and gives advice on gambling strategies. Thompson wrote about September 11th and how it could affect America.
Thompson is always talking about how stupid are politicians are these days and how the government sucks. He criticizes politicians all the time. this is a big theme that he uses thought his books.
Thompson summarizes the world of sports and politics often relating the two. He starts to say how much he is hating the NFL these days and how sports have only gotten worse. The Lisl Auman cases gets a lot of attention while Thompson bashes on the government for a falsely accused murder. He tells of gambling stories and gives advice on gambling strategies. Thompson wrote about September 11th and how it could affect America.
Thompson is always talking about how stupid are politicians are these days and how the government sucks. He criticizes politicians all the time. this is a big theme that he uses thought his books.
Monday, March 17, 2008
post #5
I finish the last book, Songs of the Doomed, and read to page 26 of Hey Rube.
Hey Rube starts out with explaining why the book is titled Hey Rube. Thompson is referring to the ignorance of Americans in these new days. Clowns and circus freaks would call someone a rube if they were easily fooled. Thompson claims that the vast majority of Americans are rubes to the political world. The book continues with Thompson's commentary on politics and sports.
A theme that has occurred is Thompson refers to other things quite often like Bob Dylan lyrics of excerpts from the Great Gatsby. He uses them as if they were meant to be talking about what he is which could or could not be true.
Hey Rube starts out with explaining why the book is titled Hey Rube. Thompson is referring to the ignorance of Americans in these new days. Clowns and circus freaks would call someone a rube if they were easily fooled. Thompson claims that the vast majority of Americans are rubes to the political world. The book continues with Thompson's commentary on politics and sports.
A theme that has occurred is Thompson refers to other things quite often like Bob Dylan lyrics of excerpts from the Great Gatsby. He uses them as if they were meant to be talking about what he is which could or could not be true.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
post#4
I have read from the 120's to 220
As the book moves into the seventies Thompson gets into politics more. He talks about his planes to run for certain offices and how to get so and so elected. He carefully strategies how to win the 1976 presidential campaign by running in '72. Thompson talks about how he came up with the famed phrase fear and loathing, while riding in a car and worried about getting arrested. Thompson set up a secret meeting of the top political heads to set the platform for the '76 election. Hunter also went to Saigon to cover to action over there near the end of the Vietnam war. At the beginning of the eighties he covers the Pulitzer trial, and southern Florida craziness. "The Silk Road" an uncompleted novel about the Cuban immigration movement(freedom flotilla).
themes
-the American dream is mention several times but is never bluntly stated.
-politics had been a big part of Thompson's life
-craziness, but being right in the middle of it and writing as if it was happening right then
Thompson doesn't really use symbolism in his writing. He does make a lot of references to the American dream, The Great Gatsby, and relating his writing to ideas or charters in The Great Gatsby.
As the book moves into the seventies Thompson gets into politics more. He talks about his planes to run for certain offices and how to get so and so elected. He carefully strategies how to win the 1976 presidential campaign by running in '72. Thompson talks about how he came up with the famed phrase fear and loathing, while riding in a car and worried about getting arrested. Thompson set up a secret meeting of the top political heads to set the platform for the '76 election. Hunter also went to Saigon to cover to action over there near the end of the Vietnam war. At the beginning of the eighties he covers the Pulitzer trial, and southern Florida craziness. "The Silk Road" an uncompleted novel about the Cuban immigration movement(freedom flotilla).
themes
-the American dream is mention several times but is never bluntly stated.
-politics had been a big part of Thompson's life
-craziness, but being right in the middle of it and writing as if it was happening right then
Thompson doesn't really use symbolism in his writing. He does make a lot of references to the American dream, The Great Gatsby, and relating his writing to ideas or charters in The Great Gatsby.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
post #3
Post #3
Alex Fugini-Laws
I have read from somewhere in the 80's to pg.124
Starting on pg.83 Hunter S. Thompson is having dinner with some of his journalism pals down in Puerto Rico when they got into a huge fight, get kicked out and beaten up. For most of the night they were in a Puerto Rican prison trying to get out through a court and someone from the journalism agency comes to get them out. Hunter S. Thompson joins a dancing train and ends up a a party where his friends girl gets to friendly while dancing and they make a scene and get kicked out. From here he talks about the Kennedy assignation, and what is was like to come back to the U.S. Hunter S. Thompson Talks about the 60's era and the famed Ken kesey, and how he first got into acid.
A theme that will always be a constant is the fuzzy line between reality and gonzo. This is an important aspect to Thompson's writing, it can make the difference between okay and excellent. Another theme in the more recant reading is the living on the edge lifestyle and what that brings into ones life.
Alex Fugini-Laws
I have read from somewhere in the 80's to pg.124
Starting on pg.83 Hunter S. Thompson is having dinner with some of his journalism pals down in Puerto Rico when they got into a huge fight, get kicked out and beaten up. For most of the night they were in a Puerto Rican prison trying to get out through a court and someone from the journalism agency comes to get them out. Hunter S. Thompson joins a dancing train and ends up a a party where his friends girl gets to friendly while dancing and they make a scene and get kicked out. From here he talks about the Kennedy assignation, and what is was like to come back to the U.S. Hunter S. Thompson Talks about the 60's era and the famed Ken kesey, and how he first got into acid.
A theme that will always be a constant is the fuzzy line between reality and gonzo. This is an important aspect to Thompson's writing, it can make the difference between okay and excellent. Another theme in the more recant reading is the living on the edge lifestyle and what that brings into ones life.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
blog#2 quote
"...Ben Franklin was never able to lock a door again after the day lighting came down his kite string and fused that key to his thumb.They called it a great discovery and they called him a great scientist; but, in fact, he bawled like a baby for the rest of his life every time he smelled rain in the air."
I think this is really interesting because it takes a new perspective on the discovery of electricity and on Ben Franklin. He sees it as a bad thing when most people see it as a good thing. The detail of him crying every time it rained finishes the idea off really nice.
I think this is really interesting because it takes a new perspective on the discovery of electricity and on Ben Franklin. He sees it as a bad thing when most people see it as a good thing. The detail of him crying every time it rained finishes the idea off really nice.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)