Great post Dave, on one of the more interesting characters in contemporary USA.

I love your writings when you are in this more considered mode, thank you.

What does everyone call Hunter S. Thompson and his writings "gonzo"?

WTF does "gonzo" mean? I thought it was a muppet...

Why* does...

what 'Gonzo' means is a blurred line between fiction and reality... specifically referencing journalism. The term was coined for Hunter (though not by him) and really only applies to Hunter.

hunter is my favorite living American writer. Hunter is a god to me, how fucked up is that? Back in August, I did a piece on Hunter here as well. You can find it here if you are interested.

"what 'Gonzo' means is a blurred line between fiction and reality..."

Well, no wonder he's a liberal! :)

Don't forget Dr. Gonzo.

And where on earth did you get the idea Thompson was a liberal, RJ?

Not just liberals are anti-Bush.

Dave

No comment on the oft-aired rumor that "Duke" of Doonesbury comics is based on Hunter S. Thompson? (Even to the dark glasses and cynical "whatever works" prose...)

That seems like well-tread ground. The parallels are obvious, though Trudeau has taken the character pretty far from its origins.

Dave

The character Duke is positively based on Thompson, which still irks Thompson. He is cheesed because Trudeau never asked his permission.

excellent review Dave, and as an ardent fan who drifted away over the years, you have convinced me a return is worthwhile.

I've always thought Thompson fundamentally a libertarian at heart, which in a sense is neither right nor left. He seems to hate authority in general and perceives Bush and the hereditary elite to be pillars of authority. He would also be a populist were it not for the fact that he is an outrageous snob.

For me, in the end his political worldview makes very little sense and doesn't hold together, but he can be a brilliant stylist with great energy, and a very keen observer, even if he usually fouls up his interpretation of those observations.

I never got much into this column because I think gambling is antithetical to a "real" appreciation of sport, reducing it immeasurably.

Gonzo journalism. Where did it go?

How did we come from Tom Wolfe to HST to to Jeff Gannon/Guckert.

Where have all the good journalists gone...

blogs - sorry, couldn't resist

He's dead now, BTW. Committed suicide.

FYI...

Link here:

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/21thomp.html

RJ, are you kidding? When did Hunter S. Thompson kill himself? Or are you referring to someone else?

Dave

Here

The irony is rich... :-/

Jesus, he did it this afternoon. What the hell. What a tragedy. I'm stunned. It seemed like he had gotten his life on a more positive track recently. I wonder what brought him to this. I sure would like to get more details. There's a very brief piece on it in the Denver Post.

I imagine more details will come out in the next few days. A real loss.

Dave

More here...

Mr. Thompson! We came to praise you, not to bury you! :-(

More...

EVEN MORE

HUNTER S. THOMPSON
KILLS SELF-

"Yeah, we rocked the vote all right.
Those little bastards
betrayed us again ."
(hst2004)

-IT'S TRUE
LIBERALISM IS A
MENTAL DISEASE!

L.

All of these reports you're citing are just reformulations of the AP wire piece. No new news to be had. Give it a couple of days and we may find out the reasons.

Dave

I will miss him ... BIG HUG for Juan, Jen, Willam and Anita... who never be able to fill the hole left in there lives by the man in spite of the myth and legend attached to his life.

I guess it's not really fair to talk about a person in certain ways once they're dead and can't defend themselves, but I'm going to in this case. I never read Hunter S. Thompson, nor do I really care for him or his opinions for that matter. I've always viewed many people of the so-called counter-culture as hypocrites, and I'd have to say Thompson among them. People like him attacked Western culture for its "decadence and depravity" and were intent on bringing about big changes. To a certain extent, there was some justification for this; but on the other hand, here they are either becoming drug-freaks, alcoholics, hedonists, new age freaks, cultists, etc. or complete and total sell-outs. Aside from being hypocrites, I think many of these counter-culture people were and in some cases are still lost people trying to delude themselves and others into believing that their supposedly non-conformist lifestyles have legitimacy. Sadly, this is not the case. And the fact that he was cowardly enough to go and shoot himself only emphasizes this fact. A man who possess dignity and self-love, who values human life and respects himself as well as others, does not commit suicide. So many people revere him, his writings, evidently, are influential. But his final act shows that it is not deserved.

An unfortunate but fitting end to a dysfunctional ingrate. Perpetually critical of the system that allowed his criticism, and no better than a child rebelling against his parents while using ten dollar words! Vocabulary does not equal intellect (though his was colorful), and contradiction does not equal insight! The greatest insight is objective, not subjective! I suppose he finally realized, after all this time and effort, that he was WRONG! What a sad, sad man.

Nice sick comments. How can someone who has never read Thompson's writing have the gall to comment on what he wrote? Perhaps if you were less ignorant you would be less opinionated as well. Lord knows I didn't agree with Thompson on a lot of things, but despite that it was impossible not to be impressed by his writing and his insights. But then I made the effort to read his work before dismissing him like an ignorant fool.

Dave

Special crossword puzzle for Hunter S.
http://www.grosswords.com/huntersprint.htm

I couldn't help but make an instant connection with Hemingway after hearing about HST's suicide, as I'm sure many others have. It would be unfair to say that the good Dr. was copying Hemingway; he was more original than that. Still, a quick re-reading of HST's "What Lured Hemingway to Ketchum?" essay* conjures up an eery similarity between the life Hemingway led there and HST's life on Owl Farm in Woody Creek (as HST described it). "Here, at least, he had mountains and a good river below his house; he could live among rugged, non-political people and visit, when he chose to, with a few of his famous friends who still came up to Sun Valley." Just replace Sun Valley with Aspen, and the statement could fit HST. Perhaps something will come out during the next few days (weeks, months?) of post-mortems on what led to HST's suicide: frustration with waning literary powers compounded by illness(?), who knows? I am sorry he is gone, but glad he was here.

*A 1964 essay HST wrote for the National Observer on his visit to Hemingway's home. It's in my copy of The Great Shark Hunt (p.429 in 1982 paperback)

Believe whatever you like, Dave, if it makes you feel better. I'm sorry if the opinion I have of the man is different than yours and is upsetting to you.

And, no, I am not sick. I might be more sympathetic toward him if he were a victim in this situation, but he died from his own hand. That's the sick part...not my statement about it.

And the true irony with this banter is that you feel compelled to criticize me for being opinionated, and yet you laud him for being so. Double standard, perhaps?

What I was suggesting by my "fitting end" comment was that the man lived on his own terms, and died on his own terms as well. But what some may see as insightful writing, others may interpret as opinionated venting. That is something which *is* possible not to be impressed by.

So, I suppose I'm glad I didn't dismiss him like an ignorant fool either. I guess we have that in common.

rip

Ah, but it was GOOD opinionated venting, not just crappy crankfodder. And that's the difference between greatness and just being irritating.

Dave

First off RIP. Christ this blows. I can only assume that if in fact this is an actual suicide it would stem from the good Dr. witnessing one too many decades of assbackwards politics, with our planned reforms (New Social Security Reforms, Foreign affairs, Environment, etc) as a cherry on top. That or.. I know this sounds nuts.. But seeing that no-one actually witnessed the act and taking into consideration his anti-bush stance who's to say he wasn't assassinated, you cannot "disappear" a man like that...Hey JimAnn and John, what is you collective problem with the man, considering you haven't read his works and the depth of your research on him more than likely doesn't go past a posting on MSN or a read through of a crossfire transcript what the hell. Don't you guys have better things to do than write trite 2nd year college criticisms about a guy who you could have card less about 24 hours ago.. Aren't you guys supposed to be out burning abortion clinics and driving around in SUVs? If and when our dear emperor dies I won't be posting pathetic resourceful messages about my opinions...

I am not 100% sure it was a suicide, yet, I guess because it's so damn disappointing and hard to accept that this great American would take the coward's way out and die by his own hand. It could be a Hemingway-esque concession to an increasingly decrepit body, one which he could live in no longer, or maybe he was murdered by some hateful right-wing bastard who snuck out the house after the act, like a shit-eating dog in the night? Regardless, he is sorely missed, and we will not see his like again. R.I.P.

It's very ignorant to say that suicide is necessarily a cowardly act. I think it's quite short-sighted to reduce it to being either "cowardly" or "brave" or whatever - do you think things are black & white like that? It's usually a lot more complex. In fact it's usually due to mental illness or a feeling of powerlessness. I lost a family member to it a few years ago. It does cause family and friends great pain, but I'm not so sure that the people who do it are capable of comprehending that when they do it. The only thing worse than losing a loved one to suicide is listening to ignorant people rush to judgement about it without taking the circumstances into account.

"You get the sense that at the same time he's saying the most outrageous things he realizes that they're at least 50% paranoia, but that he embraces and revels in the madness and that gives his ranting a crazed appeal beyond its actual content."

That's funny, I feel the same way about Dick Cheney.

Who knows what caused him to do this. When I first heard the news, my first thought was that this act was completely out of character. I started to wonder why, or what exactly it was about his character which made this so surprising. I think it's the fact the it's a pathetic act, not in a condescending way, but in the way that you look at desperate helplessness. Hunter Thompson never struck me as someone who was desperate or helpless. I can't agree with the people who call him cowardly, because that would be presuming he took the easy way out. In his life he was never accused of that, he always took simple situations and turned them into complete chaos.

I anticipate there being conspiracy theories in the coming years. It's easy to understand, in the story of Hunter Thompson suicide seems like a tacked on ending. But I think his reasons were his own. None of us have the right to get angry about it, and we definitely don't have the right to criticize him or use this a way to marginalise his entire life and what he stood for. If you dissagreed with Hunter politically, using his death to reaffirm yourself is about the saddest, most vile thing you can do. Especially when we are talking about a man who's closest friends were people who he dissagreed with.

There is nothing wrong with being opinionated, as long as opinion is informed. How can anyone presume to comment without knowing what they are commenting about?

Believe what you like about the 'good doctor'. However, if you choose to comment, at least have the decency to base it on something...

Hunter was, to me, more than a man, more than a leader, he was the only person, whom i could find truth in. Some call him crazy, but if you were to ask me, i would say he was the most sane peron on this earth. Its only downhill from here.....

"when the going gets weird, the weird turn Pro" HST

the Curse of Lono is finally fufilled...the greedheads and swine can rejoice...i can almost hear the Tin Man with his gravelly chortle pulling his hand out of the Shrub's ass for a second so he can squirt some Iraqi's blood onto the corners of his rusted mouth, enabling that shark like smile....fuck them...i refuse to allow this Horror to drown me in the Kingdom of Fear

a giant has fallen in the Wilderness...none of the "legit" Citizens will do more than a token Notice...but the freaks,the outlaws,the strange, the thinkers, the Doomed....they will notice.

among the Tribe of the Weird there will be much Lamenting and consuming of peyote buttons as we Spirit Walk and rail against the gods as to why our Shaman has been taken from U.S.

the gods won't Answer, of course...they never do, and now there is one less Voice to put our muddied feet on the Path...one less Visionary to rub our noses in the fact that the Emperor is ALWAYS naked...you can almost hear the cackling from Hell as Nixon jerks off violently in small souled glee...

when most of the hippies that had tuned in,turned on and dropped out shed their tye dye clothes for the yuppie suits and BMW's of Reagan's 80's...becoming the fascist neo-Cons, epitome of all they had railed against, Hunter stood firm on the slippery muck of Principle and Truth...spewing the Words that helped tear away the Veil of Corporate propaganda and hauling us out of the rut induced by cowardly, politically correct, right-think.

he was not the kind of man that burst thru a concrete wall spitting dust and looking good doing it, he was more the guy who watched that Freak consume the room, and then picked up all the loose change on the floor after the bar fight...but he always "stomped on the terra", leaving indelible boot prints on the necks of our Spirits as he gnawed on the Skull of Truth with his very own teeth.

so wash down that mescaline with a quart of Wild Turkey, spark a joint and wait for it all to kick in...give the good Doctor the mother of all Wakes that he deserves....

me...i'll be wondering who is going to feed the mojo-wire with the flotsam of America's id, and wailing and gnashing my teeth in the realization that half a continent away in the quiet snows of Owl Farm the peacocks are crying....


30

He'll be missed. An unsurprising end to a remarkable life.

A quart of wild turkey to the fallen master,

I grew up in the South in the 1950s and '60s, where it was illegal to teach evolution in public schools, schools that were segregated by race, conditions created and supported by conservatives, unopposed by the moderates of the time. Now I see the Republican congress spending us into deficit and blaming it on the "liberals". Meanwhile our President hasn't vetoed any of these spending bills, including spending billions on a purposeless war in support of Islamic fundamentalist Shiite factions. Reading the works of people such as Hunter Thompson is refreshing and rational in comparison.

When I heard the report, I couldn't believe it. Mr. Thompson, to me, was one of the few truly original souls who had the means (and the balls) to look all the yuppie doosh-bags right in the eye and say, "SCREW YOU!!!" He was the common man's watchdog, keeping an eye on the falseness and corruption in the cess-pool of "politics".

He was a rebel, a poet, and a patriot. Prizing freedom and individuality over correctness and conformity. To those plugged in to the system, he was a lunatic. For me, he articulated the thoughts running through my head. His talent as author is undeniable. He never sold out, and neither will I.

As for his suicide, I know he had his reasons. I think he believed that he had served his time, and utilizing free-will, took his own life. To christians, this seems cowardly. To a free-thinker, it was merely HIS DECISION. For us, who respected and admired him, it is a tragedy. I feel very sad for his wife, and family.

I only hope that another rebel will arise and finish the battle Hunter began. The Bush Reich will fall, tyranny always does in the face of peace, love, and understanding- but not without a fight. Mr Thompson, the underground will never forget you, RIP.

He will be missed. Fear and Loathing 2005.

One thing I want to disagree with:

Committing suicide is about the LEAST-cowardly thing a human being can do.

My guess is that he had a new physical problem that resulted in chronic pain. Or perhaps there was a new, tragic emotional pain. Drug users don't like pain much, so he excersized his Free Will and decided to see what was on the other side. He lived a highly successful life and crammed more living into it than most mortals even dare to dream about. He will be sorely missed by his comrades and reviled publicly by his foes, even in death. No one can or will take his place, for he was a unique individual and they broke the mold; he truly lived "outside the box". Avoiding pain with a bullet to the brain makes sense to me, but it also makes sense that the Good Doctor faked his death so he could disguise himself and attend his own wake--you heard it here first! Obviously this is all wishful thinking and speculation. Or is it?

well, at least he didn't shoot himself twice in the head like Gary Webb. Or threw himself in front of a car like JH Hatfield. Or fell out of the sky like Paul Wellstone. or fell out of a window headfirst without shoes and socks like John Kokal.

"The media buys the gov't line far too readily"

BTW, Gonzo Journalism is more than just "a blurred line between fiction and reality... specifically referencing journalism". It is the art of inserting yourself (as the journalist) into the written piece as a central character. HST was the master at it, and even if he didn't invent it, he definitely perfected it as no one ever has or will again. The bottom line is that it informed and entertained while also challenging the reader's assumptions and (sometimes) core beliefs.

Maybe it was no coincidence that Dr Thompson and Sandra Dee died 800 miles and five years apart but on the same day. He 67 in Colorado and she 62 in California. He the rabid Gonzo journalist and she the perfect celluloid teenager of the late 50's and 60's. We recognized them as mass media figures of polar extremes but were they lovers - platonic or otherwise? Were they a pair of special alter egos distant in public but in the privacy of their own thoughts and traded, encoded email messages the closest of confidants? As Madison asked of Jefferson on his death bed on July 4th, perhaps Hunter's last words before pulling the trigger were "Is the Dee dead?" We may never know but such is death to his or her own - separate, personal and hidden from the rest of humanity.

RIP to them both.

I'm from KY like Hunter. Something about his writing always inspired me, a nothing white trash kid from the styx, to keep writing no matter what. His death makes me sad. I'm not going to give in to conspiratorial theorization--dead by his own hand or by the hand of another either way an original voice has gone quiet now. And I don't feel much like saying any more. Rest In Piece, Dr. Thompson.--jon

It's terrible that he passed so early, but to be honest, I'm not surprised. Not that I thought he was suicidal or anything, but it fits with his life like the last jigsaw piece. There will be a rush on the latest screenplay from his works, and I'll bet you dollar to donuts it'll be a critical hit.

have to agree with what some of you have mentioned---that this ending somehow seems painted-on and just not right.

the doctor was definitely not on any sort of a down-slope. he was very involved in the community. supportive of good causes. unlike some of his writing appears, he was not cynical. he was enlightened and active. just read some of the stuff from "hey rube." people who were close to him invariably referred to him as a supportive and caring person. he was the force behind that fight for the girl who was falsely convicted of murder. he RALLIED others and had that SENSE--that sense of dignity, decency... outrage. i believe hunter was a moral man. we had heard nothing but positive outlook from him for over four years now. now this...no explanation?

hoping something more will be forthcoming from family. illness? frustration with an inability to write?

Stop the universe I want to get off now it is not a good day when our hereos shoot themselves only days before the death of the DR. did I purchase and read his last books hey rube and kingdom of fear I read everything he wrote when I first discovered the mad word(in high school about 87) a high keen wailing like a qypsy fiddle music that made you want to ravage young girls and burn the property of the dumb rich I have since given up the pursuit of full bore linear weirdness as recreation(and turned pro) this is not a good time to eat acid and play with handguns it is truly the time of the banshee king and I have not read anything since songs of the doomed well we can all hum a few bars now. I only hope that we will see the president in chains soon and anybody who supports him to be chemicaly castrated on that day I will sing the song of LONO and you will know the high crazy wail is not silenced
good journey HUNTER I hope it got weird enough for you

It's quite annoying to hear someone criticising Hunter when they admit they've never read him. Sheer ignorance. He was, at times, a brilliant, insightful writer, not to mention hilarious. He wasn't always right, and at one of the forums I saw him at, he was downright offensive. But who needs perfection?
And I, like many others, see nothing cowardly about suicide. It was his life, he should have a say in when it was over. There are no rules.

Very sad today - yesterday. Me the nonsportsfan reading hey rube just to get a taste once in a while. Now to discover that no one in my office knows about Hunter S. Thompsom - really sadder & darker than before.
Thanks to all the bloggers - this is a misery that really needs company.

I was really shocked when I heard the news yesterday. Why did he do it? I only have a few speculations:

No.1: he had a pretty full life, and felt that his job was done, time to let somone else fight the good fight. Maybe he was just tired...

No. 2: deteriorating health and chronic pain, maybe he felt that he should get rid of himself before he becomes a burden...

No.3: He realized how backwards and corrupt this world is and and decided he'd had enough of this stupid spoon-fed beaurocratic society

No.4: Maybe he wanted to experience the final trip and go out with a bang. Perhaps he ingested every drug known to man, peaked, then, BOOM!! Break on through to the other side! Maybe the drugs didn't do it for him anymore.

Christ, who knows what was going through his mind? Of course I'm thinking out loud. I'm sure there will be more concrete facts in the weeks to come, or at least better speculations.

To everyone on this post who said he was a coward, "F##K OFF!" . What the fuck did you that was so significant? Did you even give a shit about him before he died?

I agree with the person who said that killing yourself is the LEAST cowardly thing a person can do. Hunter was definitely NOT a coward. And for those of you who've never read his work and know little about him, I suggest you do so before pissing on him.

The Doctor Is Out. The Bush is burning and America is doomed. perhaps Jesus will save your silly sheep ass.
Malone

I SAY, we buy a lot of acid, ether, coke, tequila, mescaline, big bags of reefer, some more acid, and go to las vegas.

I have read and loved Hunter S. Thompson. And I am a Bush supporter. And I belive suicide is cowardice. But I still love Hunter S. Thompson. You people make a big deal out of nothing. You sling your words around like a nap sack full of sh*t. Hunter wasn't exactly Republican or Democrate. He hated both. That maybe the best thing one can do. Liberalism and conservativism are both ignorant.
Let us not forget Hunter S. Thompson a truely great writer. No one ever can truely understand him.

jiimaan, in his ignorant rave on a person he knew nothing about, was right about one thing...

"A man who possess dignity and self-love, who values human life and respects himself as well as others, does not commit suicide."

...he gets assassinated.

Why are Repugs so afraid of people like HST?