disinformation | todd fahey: gonzo reality-smasher

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todd fahey: gonzo reality-smasher
by Alex Burns (alex@disinfo.com) - December 20, 2000

Considered to be a conspiracy writer par excellence, Todd Brendan Fahey is also one of the most illuminating renegade minds in contemporary America.

Often compared to famed gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson (whom he has interviewed several times), Fahey is best known for 'Wisdom's Maw: The Acid Novel (1996), a 'factionalization' of the sobering links between the CIA's MK-ULTRA program, LSD and other ethneogens research, and the 1960s Counter-cultural Revolution. Although these dark vistas had been previously charted by books such as Martin A. Lee and Bruce Shlain's 'Acid Dreams: The Complete Social History of LSD: The CIA, the Sixties, and Beyond' (1986) and Jay Steven's 'Storming Heaven: LSD and the American Dream' (1998), Fahey managed to capture the enigmatic nonlinear experiences that many neuronauts have experienced as altered states of consciousness. 'Wisdom's Maw' was considered so subversive in its exploration of mind-control and rumoured assassination programs, that despite being hawked around New York City for five years by two book agents, the original manuscript was rejected by over two hundred publishers!

Out of the ashes of this Ordeal, Fahey founded 'Far Gone Books', which has continued to publish truly alternative poetry and social commentary. Drawing upon three years in the maelstrom of far-Right politics in Arizona during the mid-1980s, Fahey's most recent book 'Hell Bottled Up! Chronicles Of A Late Propaganda Minister' (2000) offers some disturbing revelations about John McCain, a Republican candidate for the 2000 US Presidential Campaign. Thus, Fahey's work serves as an invaluable and necessary corrective to the slick 'Madison Avenu' designed media campaigns to sell political candidates.

Having interviewed key revolutionary figures such as Laura Huxley, Timothy Leary, Ken Kesey, John Perry Barrow, R.U. Sirius and others, Fahey's life has increasingly become larger-than-life in his pursuit of the truth. Fahey esaped to Utah's Salt Lake City during the early 1990s after perceptions he was being tailed by intelligence agents. He is rumoured to be living perhaps on the Mongolian steppes, an obscure island in the Indonesian archipelago, or a Peruvian mountain village. But you can still reach him via email for interview (fargone@fargonebooks.com).

The Annotated 'Eyes Of The World'
A brief note by university-era Todd Fahey about the possible real meaning of a 'Grateful Dead' lyric.

More From Rod's Spam Box
A brief provocative note suggesting that Oliver Stone may be interested in filming Todd Fahey's book 'Wisdom's Maw: The Acid Novel' (1996).

Furious Green Thoughts: Wisdom's Maw
Todd Brendan Fahey explains some key background issues relating to the CIA's MK-ULTRA program to the magazine Green Furious Ideas, in this succinct article.

Acid Humour: Todd Fahey
Spike Magazine runs an interview with Todd Fahey that was originally published in Britain's Carbon 14 zine. Covers the controversy surrounding his book Wisdom's Maw: The Acid Novel (1996), the perils of self-publishing with 'Far Gone Books', LSD, Hunter S. Thompson and more. A revealing and diverse introduction to Todd Fahey.

Fear And Loathing In Amsterdam: The Smoke Abortion
Hired by 'Smoke' magazine to file a report of Amsterdam, Todd Fahey blurs LSD's nonlinear thinking and hard-hitting gonzo tactics into a subversive new paradigm of self-disclosure.

Hunter S. Thompson Interview
Courtesy of 'The Book Report', Todd Fahey has posted a 1997 interview with gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson about the millennium, the importance of choosing good friends, his letters collections and more. A snapshot of Thompson's persona in the late 1990s.

The Original Captain Trips
This seminal article by Todd Fahey appeared in 'High Times' magazine (November 1991), a profile of the enigmatic Al Hubbard ('Captain Trips'), who was an early 'True Believer' proponent of using LSD-25 in psycho-therapy.

Hunter S. Thompson: The Champion Of Fun
Originally appearing in 'Fling' magazine (March 1991), this is a fun profile of gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson, with some revealing psychological observations by Todd Fahey.

On The Net With . . .John Perry Barlow
Written for 'Internet Underground' magazine, Todd Fahey gets the scoop from prominent cyberculture analyst John Perry Barlow regarding the fight for online freedom and the 'Communications Decency Act' (1996), since repealed.

Comes Speak The Cuckoo: Ken Kesey: The 'Far Gone' Interview
A 1992 phone interview with the reclusive author Ken Kesey covers some provocative ground, particularly on the possible use of video camcorders to write new kinds of novels. Offers ample proof that Kesey foresaw the multimedia infested Digital Age in far more depth than the 'Amazonification' of the Internet promises.

Twentieth-Century Neuro-naut: The 'Far Gone' Interview
This interesting September 1992 interview with Timothy Leary by Todd Fahey covers Ken Kesey, Jann Wenner's sell-out to Clinton (Bill, not George), psychedelics, Twentieth century 'right-brain' literature, and the 'reality-smashing' experiences of certain influential personal computer gurus.

Wisdom's Maw: An Excerpt
Courtesy of 'Morpho Review', you can read a brief excerpt from Todd Fahey's controversial book 'Wisdom's Maw: The Acid Novel' (1996), a 'factionalization' of MK-ULTRA conspiracies, featuring 'Beat' icons Neal Cassady and Jack Kerouac.

It's Allright Maw, I'm Only Bleeding
A brief but compelling excerpt from a 'Mondo 2000' magazine interview (1996) with Todd Fahey, about Al Hubbard, dubbed the original 'Captain Trips' for his personal exploration of LSD-25.

Wisdom's Maw: An Excerpt: Cassady's Death
This brief excerpt from Todd Fahey's book 'Wisdom's Maw: The Acid Novel' (1996) "describe Neal Cassady"s fall from the heights of amphetamine usage to his death in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico."

Hell Bottled Up! Chronicle IV: Headhunting, Character Assassination . . .And Assorted Nasty Deeds
An eye-opening gonzo journey into the dark heart of John McCain via the strange twilight world of ultra-right Arizona politics during the 1980s. Gut-wrenching, humorous and confrontational journalism by a propaganda specialist operative stationed at Ground Zero: this is a John McCain story you will not read anywhere else!

Far Gone Books
'Far Gone Books' is an Outsider publishing company in the truest sense of the word. After being rejected by over 200 publishers, Todd Brendan Fahey decided to publish 'Wisdom's Maw: The Acid Novel' in 1996, thus 'Far Gone Books' was formed. You can check out book excerpts, interviews, works in print, poetry and more at this great site.

Acid Dreams
Marin A. Lee and Bruce Shlain's Acid Dreams: The Complete Social History of LSD, The CIA, the 1960s and Beyond (1986) is a ground-breaking required reading expose of the links between the CIA's notorious MK-ULTRA program and the 1960s Counter-culture Revolution. You can read excerpts, study documentation, view a timeline and order a copy here. Todd Brendan Fahey's Wisdom's Maw: The Acid Novel continues this book's research under a fictional guise.

The Lycaeum: Entheogenic Database & Community
One of the best resources for subjective exploration of entheogens, including LSD, Amarita Muscaria, Ibogaine, GHB, Ketamine and more. A valuable source of information to 'grok' Todd Brendan Fahey's writings.

Disinformation Dossier On R.U. Sirius
Check out the Disinformation dossier on R.U. Sirius.

Disinformation Dossier On Timothy Leary
Check out the Disinformation dossier on Timothy Leary.

Hell Bottled Up! Chronicles Of A Late Propaganda Minister
A daring autobiography originally written by then 23-year old Todd Brendan Fahey in 1988, "chronicling three years spent in the maelstrom of ultra-Right politics in Arizona in the mid-1980s." Through this series of excerpts, Fahey unleashes demons that offer very different perceptions of the US Republican Party's 2000 Presidential Campaign. A must-read!

Circuit Traces
'Circuit Traces' is an award-winning e-zine that explores the dark intersection between fringe subcultures and geo-economic intrigue. Great background reading for understanding the writings of Todd Fahey.

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