THE PROUD HIGHWAY: The Fear and Loathing Letters, Volume I.

New York: Villard, 1997. First printing. Very good plus in very good plus jacket.. Presentation copy, first edition, of this collection of the great gonzo journalist's letters, Thompson's own copy from his library, inscribed to his dear friend and co-conspirator Jimmy Buffett and his wife. Thompson and Buffett met in the early-1970s after Buffett bought a home in Aspen, CO near Thompson's. Thompson attended the Buffett's 1977 wedding and shortly thereafter, during Thompson's separation and divorce from his first wife, Buffett took in Hunter's son Juan for a time. Buffett eventually loaned the writer his Florida apartment; soon Thompson was subletting from the singer (and famously running up a phone bill of thousands of dollars, which Buffett reluctantly paid). Thompson was even on stage at one of Buffett's earliest performances of "Margaritaville." "I was probably responsible for his Key West years," Buffett would later recall (Werner and Seymour, 225).

The two remained close for the rest of Thomson's life (Buffett would blurb Thomson RUM DIARY), as testified by the warm presentation in this book ("...we were fated from the start"), which Thompson inscribed and dated (but did not sign/autograph) for the Buffett's just before his 1997 Christmas party. Thompson used his own personal copy of the book, and according to his widow, Anita, Thompson had intended to formally sign and present the book to his friends at the party. But Thompson forgot and the book remained in his library - half-inscribed - until his 2004 suicide.

A epic association between these two epic personalities, artists who practically made careers of being professional party-ers. 9'' x 6''. riginal black and grey boards. In original color photographic jacket designed by Daniel Rembert. Red endpapers. xxxii, [2], 684, [2] pages. Inscribed by Thompson on the left-hand side of double title-page spread: "To Jimmy + Jane / Xmas '97 / Now you know / why we were / fated from the / start." With Thompson's ownership blindstamp embossment to opposite title page. Some bumping and edgewear at extremities. Overall, clean and sound.