Gonzo journalism spans the trenchant, Hells Angels The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs, to the outrageously trenchant, Fear and Loathing: On the Campaign Trail 72, to the trenchantly outrageous, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
Again, this year, GonzoFest Louisville organizers asked you to come up with your best Gonzo art and nonfiction journalism and, again, they were not disappointed.
The journalism judges were:
Dug Begley, a native of Louisville who covers transportation and urban development for The Houston Chronicle and who also has contributed to LEO.
Eric Westervelt, a longtime correspondent for National Public Radio, where he had the sometimes frightening, yet always exhilarating experience of covering all three North African revolutions for National Public Radio in 2011.
Stephen George, executive editor of Louisville Public Media, which includes WFPL, WFPK, WUOL and the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting. He was previously editor of the Nashville City Paper and LEO Weekly, and news editor of Insider Louisville.
Michael L. Jones, the first full-time staff writer of LEO, where he continues to contribute cover stories, essays and stories about music, history and culture. He is also author of the book, Louisville Jug Music: From Earl McDonald to the National Jubilee.
Rebecca S. Miller, editorial director at Library Journal and School Library Journal, where she was previously editor-in-chief. Miller began her career as a journalist at Utne Reader.
The GonzoFest art competition judges were:
Grant Goodwine, a multimedia illustrator on the move who likes to make his work loud and hard to ignore. He has shown his work in Salem, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Indianapolis and, of course, Louisville.
Ryan Case, a stay-at-home/homeschooling dad of two amazing children. He spends the night hours creating creatures of all sorts. Through mystic rites and forbidden incantations, he calls upon forces unknown and unseen through his brushes and traps their images on canvas. He also likes to paint dogs.
This article appears in April 12, 2017.