_The Atlantic Monthly's_ Unbound web site contains a special feature devoted to "Gonzo" journalist Hunter S. Thompson. This site contains two parts: Writing on the Wall, a multimedia interview with the journalist conducted by Matthew Hahn; and Sven Birkirts' (author of The Gutenberg Elegies: The Fate of Reading in an Electronic Age) essay entitled Strange Pollen: Dr. Hunter Thompson and the Spirit of the Age. In Writing on the Wall, Thompson addresses such issues as the effect of the Internet on the future of journalism, his status as a "classic" author, the end of Richard Nixon's presidency, and the state of modern US politics, among others. Of course, the interview is much more entertaining when excerpts are experienced in RealAudio or RealVideo, as Thompson in the flesh is so much more than Thompson on the page. Strange Pollen is an interpretive, biographical essay, whose title is inspired by what Thompson wrote a friend in the mid 60's when trying to describe the social ferment in America: "Strange pollen is in the air." This site is an interesting and entertaining portal to a unique American personality. Note that it is unknown how long this site will be available, and that the interview contains some profanity.
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