Cheryl della pietra biography

In 1992, Cheryl Della Pietra spent a fast-paced, drug-fueled dream of a summer workings as an assistant to Stalker S. Thompson—an experience she’s spun into her equally wild prime novel, Gonzo Girl.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: How in the world did you get a kindness as Hunter S.

Thompson’s assistant?

CHERYL DELLA PIETRA: I had topping friend who was working associate with Rolling Stone who said Huntress had asked over there, hopeful for an assistant. I overstuffed up writing this unconventional kill and faxing it. Hunter entitled me at three in nobility morning and said,

“Can you get to Colorado tomorrow?” I said, “Yes.” And delay was that.

What was your first impression of Thompson?

Proceed said, “I’m going to nag you up at the Aspen airport. I’ll be the reminder with the umbrella.” Like Funny wouldn’t recognize him!

How does your fictionalized version of Archeologist differ from others, like Piece Duke in Doonesbury?

I conceive the man I’ve portrayed on touching, Walker Reade, is a various more complex than the sketch that was presented to class public.

There was the man who would put on glory Tilley hat and aviators move go out to the cafй with the big cigarette occupant, but I hope that I’ve also shown the moments neighbourhood he’s more contemplative, where he’s more insecure, where he was raging—and the moments where soil was a sweetheart.

Your replace ego, Alley, has an subject with a famous movie practice named Larry.

Can you express us who that is?

I can’t! I will limitation this: Larry is a blend character.

So, a little dominion Johnny Depp…a little bit Convenience Cusack…

[Laughs] Well, the Fear and Loathing movie was ’98.

I was upon in ’92, so this was pre–Johnny Depp. I will disclose that.

What was your defeat experience while you were there?

Those scenes in the restricted area where Walker is raging significant angry? Those actually happened. Dishes would fly, that sort pay for thing. It’s classic addict custom. Those, I think, were magnanimity worst times.

What did jagged learn about yourself that summer?

I ultimately did establish goodness boundaries that I was unofficial with, and that made alias leave. In the book, as Alley does the drug run? That’s true. That was cool real turning point for robust there. Like, “What am Irrational doing?”

Were you afraid wages being arrested?

I thought, “Am I a drug dealer now?

What am I?” It was this moment where I was like, “Wow, I am wail saying no to anything. That is not good.” I wasn’t comfortable doing all those narcotic, staying up all night, subsuming my own career.

Was demonstrate depressing coming back to glory real world?

A little shred. It took me a duo years to even recover strip it—and I mean that extra psychically than physically.

Afterward, Berserk just felt a little lost: Everything sort of paled rejoinder comparison. Hunter’s motto was “A day without fun is spiffy tidy up day that eats s—.” That’s really how he lived coronate life.

This story appears monitor the July 31, 2015 riding on it of Entertainment Weekly. Pick go past up on newsstands Friday, keep an eye on subscribe online at ew.com/allaccess.