William McKeen

Los Angeles in the 1960s gave the world some of the greatest music in rock 'n' roll history: "California Dreamin'" by the Mamas and the Papas, "Mr. Tambourine Man" by the Byrds, and "Good Vibrations" by the Beach Boys, a song that magnificently summarized the joy and beauty of the era in three and a half minutes. But there was a dark flip side to the fun fun fun of the music, a nexus between naive young musicians and the hangers-on who exploited the decade's peace, love, and flowers ethos, all fueled by sex, drugs, and overnight success. One surf music superstar unwittingly subsidized the kidnapping of Frank Sinatra Jr. The transplanted Texas singer Bobby Fuller might have been murdered by the Mob in what is still an unsolved case. And after hearing Charlie Manson sing, Neil Young recommended him to the president of Warner Bros. Records. Manson's ultimate rejection by the music industry likely led to the infamous murders that shocked a nation. Everybody Had an Ocean chronicles the migration of the rock 'n' roll business to Southern California and how the artists flourished there. The cast of characters is astonishing--Brian and Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys, Jan and Dean, eccentric producer Phil Spector, Cass Elliot, Sam Cooke, Ike and Tina Turner, Joni Mitchell, and scores of others--and their stories form a modern epic of the battles between innocence and cynicism, joy and terror. You'll never hear that beautiful music in quite the same way.

Sex, Drugs, Rock 'n' Roll, and Murder in Los Angeles

Everybody Had an Ocean

Evaluates the career and legacy of the iconic gonzo journalist, drawing on in-depth interviews with Thompson's associates to consider his outlaw reputation, struggles with addiction, and inspiration for such works as Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. By the author of Highway 61. Reprint.

The Life and Times of Hunter S. Thompson

Outlaw Journalist

Looks at an interesting era in the history of Key West, which became the creative center of the world for a number of writers, musicians and others in the 70s, including Jimmy Buffett, Hunter S. Thompson and more. By the author of Outlaw Journalist.

The Moveable Feast of Key West

Mile Marker Zero

Hunter S Thompson (1937-2005) est devenu un mythe de son vivant, comme d'autres écrivains américains avant lui - Twain, Hemingway, Mailer, Kerouac, Burroughs, Capote - avec lesquels il avait en commun cette propension peut-être typiquement américaine : transformer la littérature en spectacle et le spectacle en littérature. Poussant cette logique jusqu'au délire, chargé d'alcool et de drogues, ne respectant que ses propres règles, se mettant lui-même en scène dans des reportages épiques et férocement drôles, notamment pour le magazine Rolling Stone, il a inventé une forme de journalisme hors-la-loi : le Gonzo. En trois livres - le récit de sa vie avec un gang de motards (Hell's Angels), une virée à Las Vegas à la poursuite du Rêve Américain (Las Vegas Parano) et son compte rendu au jour le jour de la campagne de réélection de Richard Nixon (Fear and Loathing : On the Campaign Trail '72) - il a donné voix et sens à l'effondrement des idéaux de la jeunesse des années 60. Son influence sur les générations suivantes d'écrivains et de journalistes est colossale. Une biographie de grande ampleur s'imposait, capable de faire la part entre l'homme, l'écrivain et le personnage. C'est le défi qu'a relevé William McKeen. Comme l'écrit Philippe Manoeuvre dans sa préface : "Le livre que vous allez lire est captivant, fascinant, bien documenté et surtout relativement détaché. Pas facile de le rester en écrivant sur ce Hunter Thompson qui continue d'exercer une destructrice fascination sur sa descendance".

Hunter S. Thompson, journaliste & hors-la-loi

‘An admirable book’ Christopher Hitchens, Sunday Times‘Superb’ Stephen Amidon, Literary Review Hunter S. Thompson changed the way we think about journalism. His writing continues to entertain decades after it was published, melding fact and fiction in a supercharged prose style to chronicle his disgraceful drink- and drug- fuelled adventures. His deep love for America informed everything he wrote, and his heartbreak when America disappointed him was devastating.Thompson’s masterpiece, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, is a classic of New Journalism, portraying the frenetic and furious journey of Duke (the author’s alter ego) as to Sin City with his crazy lawyer and a trunkful of drugs to report on a motorcycle race. Other classic books include Hell’s Angels and The Great Shark Hunt.William McKeen became friends with Thompson after writing a monograph on his work. He has interviewed many of the writer’s associates who would not speak before, from childhood friends to assistants at his Colorado home, getting behind the drink and drugs to reveal a charismatic figure who was happy to be considered an outlaw but took the calling of journalism as his vocation. Outlaw Journalist is the definitive biography of this compelling American icon.William McKeen is a professor of journalism and the author of Highway 61 and editor of Rock and Roll Is Here to Stay. He lives in Florida.

Jean Chance

This first edition reader introduces students to 26 of our greatest literary journalists, from Ernie Pyle to Hunter S. Thompson. It is the most current and complete anthology of the best of literary journalism.

A Reader

Literary Journalism

An anthology of stories by writers who grew up in Florida.

Homegrown in Florida

A true icon of American popular culture, songwriter and entertainer Bob Dylan was a catalyst for changing social currents in the 1960s with memorable songs like "Blowin' in the Wind." Elusive to biographers, Dylan has inspired relatively few substantive accounts, although much has been written about his music. The present study presents an accurate summary of his life and an analysis of his pivotal role in popular music. His more than 400 songs and other writings, recordings, concert tours, and film and television appearances are all fully documented, as are bootleg recordings and recordings of his music by other singers.

A Bio-bibliography

Bob Dylan

McKeen's study reveals how Wolfe brought journalism, once the bastard child of literature, onto a higher plane, where it remains on a par with the novel - as an art form that is not merely the means toward an end but a satisfying end in itself.

William McKeen

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