'Gonzo Girl': A Hunter S. Thompson roman à clef thrill ride - Newsday
Photos Summer books: 10 hot reads Author Cheryl Della Pietra spent a few months in 1992 as the assistant to infamous "gonzo" journalist Hunter S. Thompson ("Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas"), helping him write what turned out to be "Polo is My... Walker Reade is Thompson, Ally Russo is Della Pietra, and most supporting characters are identifiable as well: Hans Bauer is RS editor Jann Wenner, Larry Lucas is John Cusack, Tommy Jagger is Johnny Depp, though he's only mentioned in passing as... Della Pietra evokes the legendary insanity of the scene at Thompson's Aspen compound -- peacock coop, shooting range and all, in glorious and often very funny detail. Reade's living quarters: "The decor is best described as deer hunter meets sports bar meets quilting bee meets Architectural Digest. Reade's restaurant order for two: "Five of the porterhouse steaks. One clams casino. One clams oreganata. A side of creamed spinach. A side of potatoes Anna. A side of french-fried potatoes. Reade's writing routine: "The general rule is hands on the typewriter by 2 a. m. ". The problem is, Reade can't write the way he used to. Among the many glaring flaws of the pages he's produced so far is "one big problem that has never before been... " So as the sun rises each morning, with a few last lines of coke and a pot of coffee to keep her going, Ally runs across the breezeway to her room with. Source: www.newsday.com
