Monday, February 21, 2005

Hunter S. Thompson, RIP

Hunter S. Thompson. Even if you didn't come to love him in for his drug-addled craziness in the 70's, you came to love him for his rare ability to not only tell the truth, but make you see it from his perspective. No matter how you felt about him -- or his politics -- you couldn't deny the talent, the force, and that people in the media world (much wiser than me) called on him for his insight and opinions. And many got them unasked for. When I was fresh out of college and first exploring the wide world, I loved Rolling Stone. Between those oversized pages, I discovered voices that later I'd come to know as some of my favorite writers in the world telling their truths on stories that were overlooked and underreported. And offering a fair amount of commentary along the way: Tom Wolfe, Ken Kesey, Joe Eszterhas, PJ O'Rourke, and Hunter S. Thompson.

Before I read anything else, I think I'll re-read Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. I hope I can always find the courage to live on the edge of my own life the way Thompson lived on the edge of his. We'll miss you, Duke.

1 Comments:

At Mon Feb 21, 08:49:00 PM, Blogger Erudite Redneck said...

Major sense of loss .. I was so caught off guard by the news, I still don't know what to say, or write, so I will say and write nothing. Other than this: I b'lieve I will reread "Hell's Angels," the book, because he really was a great reporter, not just of the gonzo variety -- and that's where it all started for him.

 

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