Audio By Carbonatix
The late Hunter S. Thompson, never a predictable character, surprised even his most ardent fans when he took up the cause of Lisl Auman, a Colorado woman sentenced to life without parole after Denver police officer Bruce VanderJagt was killed in 1997 by her white-supremacist friend — after she had already detained in a police car. Thompson’s public and passionate protests were undercut by a cruel irony: The legendary gonzo journalist died just weeks before Auman’s conviction was reversed by the Supreme Court.
Still, Boulder-based writer Matthew L. Moseley — author of Dear Dr. Thompson: Felony Murder, Hunter S. Thompson, and the Last Gonzo Campaign — wants to make it clear that his book is the story of a young woman’s struggle for justice as much as it is a document of the last years of one of America’s most outrageous activists.
“This book is unique because no one else has shown Hunter at work as a campaign strategist in his last and greatest crusade — one that freed a young woman from prison,” says Moseley. “But it isn’t about Hunter per se. He’s a character in a much larger drama that unfolded in the Colorado criminal justice system. This book isn’t about a lifestyle of drugs and guns, but chronicles a media and communications campaign, so it’s as much a political book as anything else.”
Moseley will discuss and sign Dear Dr. Thompson tonight at 7 p.m. at Tattered Cover LoDo, 1628 16th Street; the event is free. For info, call 303-436-1070 or visit www.tatteredcover.com.
Tue., June 15, 7:30 p.m., 2010
When news happens, Westword is there —
Your support strengthens our coverage.
We’re aiming to raise $50,000 by December 31, so we can continue covering what matters most to this community. If Westword matters to you, please take action and contribute today, so when news happens, our reporters can be there.
