Thompson, Hunter S.

4 pages  (11 x 8 1/2 in.; 275 x 215 mm) on Thompson's Owl Farm stationary (2 versions), signed ("HST"), from Woody Creek, Colorado, dated 18 October and 21 November 1967, and 22 July 1975 1967, to Jim Goode and Geoffrey Norman. 

[with]: Several items relating to Thompson's contributions to Playboy; copies of corrected typescript pages for The Great Shark Hunt; three oil shale photo samples in envelope annotated in Thompson's hand.

PBA Galleries, 4 November 2010, lot 354

THREE LETTERS RELATED TO THOMPSON'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO PLAYBOY, concerning witchcraft, drug smuggling, and the 1976 presidential election.

In the November letter to Playboy editor Jim Goode, Thompson addresses a proposed piece on drug smuggling: "Frankly, I'm a bit nervous at your idea that the grass-running thing is full of humor.  It's a goddamn serious business for a lot of people; I recently spent a day in the yard at Nevada State Prison talking to some of them.  And, like I told you on the phone, my friends tell me stories..... Anyway, I'll be in touch when I get straight, which shouldn't be too long, now that I know that dexedrine won't cure the flu." — The final letter, dated July 22, 1975, is to Playboy editor Geoffrey Norman.  In it, Thompson is seeking an advance, citing financial difficulties in his relationship with Rolling Stone magazine regarding his coverage of the 1976 Presidential campaign: "I'm in dire need of instant cash to pay off my AmExpress bill that would normally be paid by RD, but Wenner is not on my guest-list at this time and for a variety of socio/personal/political reasons I can't lean on him for a single dollar until we come to some kind of working agreement that involves exclusive coverage of the '76 campaign for RS and, according to Lynn, his definition of 'exclusive' means not writer the 'winter book' piece of Playboy..."