I love good stationary (I think England makes the best stationary in the world second to the Japanese maybe), office supplies, typewriters, and letters. There are two typewriters, both manual, one with French keys and the other with English keys, in the flat, but I don't write as often on them as I used to. Now it's mostly emails or letters in ink.
I get a lot comments from people about my letters and emails. It often makes me think perhaps I should try to revive the genre of the epistolary novel. One of my favourite novels in the world is epistolary - Les Liasons Dangereuses. Though I've never even attempted at writing anything along the lines of ann epistolary novel myself, reading the letters of Hunter S. Thompson does inspire and has inspired me. My "Open Letters" are my attempt to give Gonzo his due, though I usually write them as if they are being written by someone else.
Here are two of my favourite Hunter S. Thompson letters, one is a cover letter and the other was written to a Hollywood producer named Holly and sent via fax about The Rum Diaries (perhaps his best work). Johnny Depp and Benecio del Toro are both cc'd.
Enjoy!
I get a lot comments from people about my letters and emails. It often makes me think perhaps I should try to revive the genre of the epistolary novel. One of my favourite novels in the world is epistolary - Les Liasons Dangereuses. Though I've never even attempted at writing anything along the lines of ann epistolary novel myself, reading the letters of Hunter S. Thompson does inspire and has inspired me. My "Open Letters" are my attempt to give Gonzo his due, though I usually write them as if they are being written by someone else.
Here are two of my favourite Hunter S. Thompson letters, one is a cover letter and the other was written to a Hollywood producer named Holly and sent via fax about The Rum Diaries (perhaps his best work). Johnny Depp and Benecio del Toro are both cc'd.
Enjoy!
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| Click to see a larger copy. |
HOLLY SORENSON / Shooting Gallery / Hollywood / Jan 22 '01
Dear Holly,
Okay, you lazy bitch, I'm getting tired of this waterhead fuckaround that you're doing with The Rum Diary.
We are not even spinning our wheels aggresively. It's like the whole Project got turned over to Zombies who live in cardboard boxes under the Hollywood Freeway... I seem to be the only person who's doing anything about getting this movie Made. I have rounded up Depp, Benicio Del Toro, Brad Pitt, Nick Nolte & a fine screenwriter from England, named Michael Thomas, who is a very smart boy & has so far been a pleasure to talk to & conspire with...
So there's yr. fucking Script & all you have to do now is act like a Professional & Pay him. What the hell do you think Making a Movie is all about? Nobody needs to hear any more of that Gibberish about yr. New Mercedes & yr. Ski Trips & how Hopelessly Broke the Shooting Gallery is.... If you're that fucking Poor you should get out of the Movie Business. It is no place for Amateurs & Dilletants who don't want to do anything but "take lunch" & Waste serious people's Time.
Fuck this. We have a good writer, we have the main parts casted & we have a very marketable movie that will not even be hard to make....
And all you are is a goddamn Bystander, making stupid suggestions & jabbering now & then like some half-bright Kid with No Money & No Energy & no focus except on yr. own tits.... I'm sick of hearing about Cuba & Japs & yr. Yo-yo partners who want to change the story because the violence makes them Queasy.
Shit on them. I'd much rather deal with a Live asshole than a Dead worm with No Light in his Eyes.... If you people don't want to Do Anything with this movie, just cough up the Option & I'll talk to someone else. The only thing You're going to get by quitting and curling up in a Fetal position is relentless Grief and Embarrassment. And the one thing you won't have is Fun...
Okay, That's my Outburst for today. Let's hope that it gets Somebody off the dime. And if you don't Do Something QUICK you're going to Destroy a very good idea. I'm in the mood to chop yr. fucking hands off.
R.S.V.P
(Signed)
HUNTER
cc:
Depp
Benecio
M. Thomas
Nolte
Shapiro
