Lexington’s Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning is holding its fourth annual Carnegie Classic Saturday.
The annual event takes a work of literature and provides an evening of entertainment based on its themes, era, and atmosphere. This year’s book is Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson. Carnegie Center Director Neil Chethik says the choice was made both as a tribute to a well-regarded Kentucky writer and because many of the issues Thompson discussed are still relevant today.
“He talks about gay rights, women’s rights, African American rights, the war and our disagreements. That happened all during the 1960s and early 70s, when he wrote this book. The same issues are in the headlines today,” he said.
To capture the spirit of Fear and Loathing, the event will feature psychedelic rock from local band The Other Brothers, a drag show by The Gilded Cage, as well as exhibits by visual artists such as Lennon Michalski. As a nod to the medium that Thompson helped create, Chethik says there will also be a gonzo journalist.
“He’s going to set up a typewriter and invite people to type whatever they see and feel and experience going on, and then when he writes the article for an online publication, it’s going to include all the typings that ended up on that scroll of paper," he said.
The Carnegie Classic begins at 7:00 PM Saturday at the Carnegie Center on 251 West 2nd Street. More information is available online at carnegiecenterlex.org.
