SHORT TAKES : Late Was Better for Thompson

“Gonzo” journalist Hunter S. Thompson was more than fashionably late to a free-form “lecture,” but the packed house that waited for him didn’t care.

The irreverent writer and syndicated columnist arrived two hours late before fielding questions Wednesday from a feisty crowd of 700 who paid $17.50 each for an evening with the literary anti-hero.

He was asked about his recent court case in Colorado that started when a former X-rated film producer accused him of sexual assault.

“I wouldn’t have taken her to a concert around the corner,” he said.