As an independent scholar, Hemmingson wrote the meditation, Gordon Lish and His Influence on Twentieth Century American Literature[2] a short TV studies monograph on Star Trek (Wayne State Univ. Press), and an ethnographic research project, Zona Norte (Cambridge Scholars). At the time of his death he was working on a biography of Raymond Carver, set for publication in 2014 by McFarland & Company.Hemmingson was a prolific writer, often publishing 2-3 books a year. According to one reviewer, "Hemmingson has written over fifty books, and his experience shows. Not only does he inform the stories in This Other Eden with tangible details of the publishing industry, but he also imbues his characters with personalities that are displayed through his skillful use of highly individualized dialogue for each person."He was a staff writer at the San Diego Reader from November 2004 through January 2014. The last public article he wrote for the San Diego Reader was a critical music review of the rookie project, Million Dollar Mixtape by San Diego recording artist The Toven released in 2012. The review was published by the San Diego reader on January 6, 2014 just three days before his death on January 9, 2014. For the Many of the photos that accompany his articles there were taken by San Diego's iconic brand photographer, Chris Morrow. In 2010 he joined the staff of Pacific San Diego Magazine.