Praise for The Footloose American
Winner of the Maine Literary Award for Nonfiction
"Woven into Mr. Kevin’s encounters with salt workers in Colombia and tin miners in Bolivia are lucid explanations of American foreign policy in Thompson’s time, and South American politics, past and present. Not only does Mr. Kevin fill us in on the careening journey that helped define Thompson as a journalist, but he also delivers an engrossing and opinionated travel guide to modern Latin America." – The New York Times
"Kevin is, like his model, an observant and witty writer. . . . This is fine, historically well-researched travel writing in the tradition of Bruce Chatwin." – Booklist
"A travel story that doubles as a hell of a ride through modern-day South American culture." – Esquire
"Brian Kevin has written a marvelous travel romp following the Proud Highway of Hunter S. Thomson through Latin America. Kevin is a helluva good writer and, if the Gonzo King were alive, he would give The Footloose American a thumbs up." – Douglas Brinkley, Professor of History at Rice University and literary executor of Thompson's estate
"A refreshing addition to the library of books written with inspiration from Hunter. This one made me realize that Hunter’s legacy is indeed making its way through the hearts and minds of the next generation of writers and thinkers." – Anita Thompson, Hunter's widow
"Brian Kevin's journey through South America in the footsteps of gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson is a tour de force. He has brought back a wonderful kaleidoscope of unforgettable characters and keen insight, wrapped in frequent moments of hilarity. This is the work of a first-class writer from whom will we be hearing a lot more in the years ahead. I look forward to every page." – Scott Wallace, author of The Unconquered: In Search of the Amazon's Last Uncontacted Tribes
"Is there a point to another ‘in the footsteps’ narrative? Emphatically yes. Brian Kevin's decision to follow the journey that created the perspective one of the seminal writers of our time, Hunter S. Thompson, does more than offer a needed understanding of Thompson's origins. Kevin's journey through South America reconsiders what it means to be a journalist, a traveler, a gringo, and an American. Plus, it's a great travel narrative on its own." – Scott Huler, author of On the Grid and No-Man's Lands
“An informative, captivating adventure across South America with a guide both searching for echoes of his antihero and seeking his own growth experience. Recommended for Thompson fans as well as travel buffs interested in a wide-ranging exploration of the region.” – Library Journal
"A nonfiction mashup — part memoir, part literary biography, part travelogue, and part international news report. What Kevin uncovers about Hunter S. Thompson’s apotheosis as a sui generis American voice is just as valuable and interesting as what he has to say about South America today." – Los Angeles Review of Books
"Brian Kevin has achieved a miraculous first with this brilliant travelogue that follows Hunter S. Thompson's journeys through South America shot into the prism of the modern travelers aesthetic. The vividness of Kevin's writing makes for great reading and his stories bring to life the immediacy and romantic allure of the Latin experience." – Andrew Zimmern, Creator of Bizarre Foods on the Travel Channel
"In this meticulously rendered quest, Brian Kevin reveals that before the screeching bats and blood-sucking lizards, Hunter S. Thompson was an earnest, quixotic—even innocent—young writer trying to learn how the world worked. The Footloose American illuminates how Thompson's sharp eye for truth, honed on the back roads and backrooms of South America, would soon fall on fissures in his own country as they cracked wide open in fear and loathing." – Mark Sundeen, author of The Man Who Quit Money