What kind of kick in the ass would it take, for example, to prod more contemporary writers to stop mailing it in and going belly-up passive in this time of dire crisis, and channel some of the fearless intensity and readability of writers forged in the fire of 1960s California like Hunter S. Thompson and Joan Didion? Then as now, too many in the national press were cautious, callow and cowed, but the new writing out of California had an energy that snapped people awake. It was flat-out fun to follow these writers’ sometimes highly quirky but often deceptively thoughtful takes on the issues of the day.
The example of Thompson at his best looms large now given that his greatest subject was the depravity of Republican President Richard Nixon, who resigned in shame in August 1974 and skulked out of the White House. To grasp the Shakespearian monstrousness of these figures, the first precondition is to wake up and peel off the blinders, even if the horror of that 
experience might feel like taking a two-by-four to the skull.
Let’s air out some collective vision of how courage and originality might be rediscovered in a way that, highly improbably, bursts through the wall-to-wall white-noise that encircles all of us. Come join us for a freewheeling discussion of current events and coverage of politics, featuring Peter Richardson, author of Savage Journey: Hunter S. Thompson and the Weird Road to Gonzo, and Tim Denevi, author of Freak Kingdom: Hunter S. Thompson’s Manic Ten-Year Crusade Against American Fascism.
The discussion will be moderated by Wellstone Center co-director Steve Kettmann, an author and New York Times contributor, and we’ll be happy to take your questions. Food and drinks available (at no cost) afterward.
Saturday, October 15 @ 2:00 PM
Wellstone Center in the Redwoods
858 Amigo Road, Soquel CA 95073 (831) 566-8927
The event is free and we’ll have snacks and beverages available. Please RSVP at info@wellstoneredwoods.org