In Joseph Michael Owens’ piece about spending an afternoon with Ralph Steadman he mentions his emails with the artist, both before and after their meeting. Those emails can be found below:
From: Ralph Steadman
To: Joe M. Owens
Subject: Re: “Gonzo” master’s thesis
Date: Thursday, 10 May
Dear Joe
Thanks for your kind comments. Re a meeting- we are here at the studio and house and the numbers are 05555 876543/house, and 05555 123456/studio [Ed. note: not his real numbers, of course]. Why don’t you give me a call when you are in town?
Regards
RALPH
From: Joe M. Owens
To: Ralph Steadman
Subject: Re: “The Curse of Lono” thesis
Date: Thursday, 10 May
Dear Ralph,
Your timing couldn’t be better. Thank you so very much for getting back to me. I’ll be boarding my flight for London tomorrow [arriving VERY early Saturday morning]. Maybe we can set something up for Sunday? I’ll definitely give you a call. I cannot tell you how appreciative I am.
Best,
Joe
From: Ralph Steadman
To: Joe M. Owens
Subject: Re: “The Curse of Lono” thesis
Date: Thursday, 10 May
Dear Joe,
If you fancy a trip into Kent on a train (1 hour) to Maidstone East you could come to lunch on Sunday?? Any good??
RALPH
From: Joe M. Owens
To: Ralph Steadman
Subject: Re: Lono and Lunch?
Date: Saturday, 12 May
Dear Ralph,
I have arrived at my flat in Jolly Old London. The good news: We have a phone here, however there are 2 problems. One – I was told I need a phone card to use it for outgoing calls and, Two – I’m not sure what the number is for receiving incoming calls. Thus, I will be venturing out after a nap [my body is telling me it is 4:00 a.m. and I’ve yet to sleep] and buying a phone card. Is your offer still good for lunch tomorrow? I can definitely make it. A little Tylenol PM tonight, maybe some Ambien, and I’ll be right as rain for tomorrow. I hope all is well.
Regards,
Joe
From: Ralph Steadman
To: Joe M. Owens
Subject: Re: Lono and Lunch?
Date: Saturday, 12 May
Dear Joe
That’s OK. You can get a train from Victoria to MAIDSTONE EAST. It takes about an hour then if you wouldn’t mind, get a Cab outside the station.
We have a guest for the weekend- a writer called Sally Vincent who said she would be delighted to meet a real live American! I said I had never met you and you may be a slob- but then you sound OK to me so let’s all take pot luck….
If you arrive around 12:30- 1pm that would be fine- with your Tylenol eyes- we will be waiting to greet you.
OK
RALPH
From: Joe M. Owens
To: Ralph Steadman
Subject: Re: Thank You
Date: Sunday, 13 May
Thanks again for lunch and the wonderful company. Time really flew by today! I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the opportunity to meet with you. Thanks also for all of the books. I’ll have lots to read on the plane trip home once classes are over. Would it be okay if I touched base with you with more questions about Lono fairly soon?
Thesis work will probably begin this summer after I get back to Iowa. You’ll be hearing from me with regards to the process, so no worries. I also forgot to get a picture of us together so maybe we’ll have to meet up again sometime.
Also, can you email me that bibliography of your stuff? [And whatever books you thought I should check out]. Tell Anna thanks for me too if you will. You were both wonderful hosts!
Good luck with any new projects!
Cheers,
Joe
From: Ralph Steadman
To: Joe M. Owens
Subject: Re: Thank You
Date: Monday, 14 May
Dear Joe
That’s fine but please don’t start haranguing me with loads of questions. It sounds like a lot of hard work—for me! I thought you might have brought a tape recorder with you yesterday. That would have given more working material than I would put in a Q-A email.
The books we talked of were, I think, Desolation Angels, Visions of Cody, Dharma Bums all by Kerouac. William Burroughs, Brion Gysin? Mark Twain and Huckleberry’s reading accent, The BIG I AM- my book on God. Alice In Wonderland published by Firefly Books Ltd of Toronto, Kurt Vonnegut- his latest and last book-A Man without a Country. Bhuddists?? Fear & Loathing on the road to Hollywood?
Stuff like that ought to be on a tape without having to revisit it all again……
How you were going to figure out whether you should be Joe M Owens, or JM Owens or just Joe Owens or even MOJO?!!
Lesson ONE. Always take a tape recorder along or a notebook. I have to tell you that as a journalist of some considerable experience, Sally Vincent was a little shocked that we had dribbled on for five hours, before lunch, during lunch and in the studio but there was no evidence of anything resembling work done. She said that she learned a lot about your cycling and your coach and not much else.
Hey ho! Never mind…..just get to work. You are the lucky one doing the Master’s Degree.
OK. It was nice to meet you.
RALPH
From: Joe M. Owens
To: Ralph Steadman
Subject: Re: Thank You
Date: Monday, 14 May
Dear Ralph,
Thanks a million for the book list; I’ll be buying copies of all. No worries at all about haranguing– I spent the entire train ride home and some time after writing notes. My memory is surprisingly good [Ed. note: this is mostly a lie, my memory typically sucks donkeys; I just lucked out since it was such a memorable experience!].
Apologies for my lack of preparation. I did bring an older tape recorder to London, but somehow, en route, it simply ceased working. [Ed. note: this is completely a lie; soon it will be followed by others like it.] I didn’t even realize until I was leaving for Kent that it had died [another lie—insert “frowny” face here where my shame should be].
In the future, if I have something in need of a more detailed answer, I’ll probably set up a time that is good for you and call on my dime [this is true] if that’s okay? I think yesterday I was a little star-struck [also true] finally meeting someone who’s greatly influenced my academic (and hopefully professional) direction. As I mentioned before, the whole thing has fallen into my lap very, very fast, but it’s definitely what I want to do. Writing a thesis on The Curse of Lono with Ralph Steadman as a source couldn’t be more perfect if you ask me!
OK, enough with my rambling. Thanks again! I’ll be in touch.
JOMO
From: Anna Steadman
To: Joe M. Owens
Subject: Re: Thank You
Date: Wednesday, 16 May
Dear Joe,
I am glad you enjoyed your visit to us. Ralph passed your last email to me, as I am keeper of the diary. Unfortunately, it isn’t possible for Ralph to see you again. But we will read your thesis with interest when it is completed. In the meantime, here is the biography you asked for.
With best wishes,
Anna.
From: Joe M. Owens
To: Ralph Steadman
Subject: Back and working
Date: Wednesday, 6 June
Dear Ralph,
I’m finally back in the states and have begun some preliminary writing on this thesis. Even though it’s been more than three weeks since I was in Kent, it’s still as fresh in my mind as if it were yesterday. I can honestly say I’ve never been this excited about ‘research’ in my life. I’ve already got 11 VERY rough pages of a draft, but I’m quite happy so far.
If you are ever in the Kansas City area and want to get a drink or coffee or both, just let me know, I’ll be there! I’ll for sure keep you posted on how things are coming. I hope to be done no later than next May. Thanks again for the opportunity to sit down with you, your wife and your friends. OK for now,
–Joseph M. Owens
From: Ralph Steadman
To: Joe M. Owens
Subject: Re: Back and working
Date: Friday, 8 June
Dear JOE M.
Good job you are back in the States. It was high time! We don’t need your kind in this country. We have important work to do. I hope you got what you wanted but I sure as hell wasn’t going to do it twice. Remind me to circle around Kansas City on my next trip…
Now get on it and sweat the bastard out. It’s the best way.
GOOD LUCK!!
RALPH
