Literary Las Vegas

In the middle of the desert, Bugsy Siegel gave birth to an "American Monte Carlo" for the masses. Once Elvis was king, now Wayne Newton shares the throne with Siegfried and Roy. But for some, the home of The Strip, sequins, boas, and neon is more than a blight on the American cultural landscape - it is a source of literary inspiration. Editor Mike Tronnes has expertly collected the best of these writings into an incisive, witty anthology that reveals the heart and soul of this unique and provocative place. Literary Las Vegas includes classic writings from some of the most esteemed authors and cultural observers of our time: Tom Wolfe's seminal article about the essence of Vegas and Jane O'Reilly's account of an evening spent with the ladies' room attendants in a casino. John Gregory Dunne writes about Jackie Kasey, a lounge comic whose twenty-year career defines obscurity. Susan Berman reflects on being the daughter of notorious mobster Davie Berman in 1950s Las Vegas. Here is Joan Didion on Las Vegas weddings and Albert Goldman on Elvis's revival as the quintessential Las Vegas act. Richard Meltzer surveys the cultural landscape and focuses his gaze upon television and Mr. Entertainment himself, Wayne Newton. And what book about Las Vegas would be complete without Hunter S. Thompson's infamous retelling of Dr. Gonzo's trip, accompanied by Raoul Duke, to Circus-Circus, Las Vegas's first family entertainment casino. Marc Cooper recounts his tour of the new Vegas with his agent, Big Vig. Others add idiosyncratic and original views and voices to this melange that delves into the place's popular myths and peeks into the hidden world beyond the images.