The Kitchen Readings: Untold Stories of Hunter S. Thompson

We’ve all seen the Johnny Depp and Bill Murray versions of Hunter S. Thompson--a larger-than-life madman, swilling booze with one hand and piloting classic cars with the other. But while Hunter’s legendary exploits in “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,” and “Hell’s Angels” and his other Gonzo tales are the public side of the man, there were very few people who were there when he let his guard down. Sheriff Bob and Michael Cleverly were there from the beginning of HST’s Woody Creek days to the fateful moment three years ago when he signed off for good.

THE KITCHEN READINGS is an intimate portrait of the private Hunter; these guys were there when the documentary cameras stopped rolling. As is the case in many less-infamous homes, Hunter’s de facto base was his kitchen--a place where he could see the TV, grab ice from the freezer, and fire off a few rounds of ammunition with equal aplomb. There he would hold court for a never-ending stream of locals, celebrities, friends, lovers, camera crews, children, and fans.

Braudis and Cleverly have recreated the reminiscences of all of Hunter’s antics throughout his Woody Creek years--from the day he replaced his guard dogs with guard peacocks to the nutty, off-kilter fans who would show up uninvited and meet with a less-than-cordial (and armed) HST to the time the mayor’s daughter was accidentally treated to a XXX video in a Kentucky Derby party mix-up to the final homage to Hunter that was a Hollywood-style blowout, replete with his ashes being shot out of a giant Gonzo fist.

THE KITCHEN READINGS is an essential keepsake for any Hunter fan. Sheriff Bob and Cleverly bring the man to life in a way that no Hollywood film ever could.

Michael Cleverly is an Aspen-area artist. He has been a columnist for the Aspen Times Weekly since 2000. Both Michael and Bob were close friends of Hunter in Woody Creek.

Bob Braudis has been the sheriff of Pitkin County, Colorado, since 1986. Both Michael and Bob were close friends of Hunter in Woody Creek.