Author Hunter S. Thompson Dead At 67

cuffedlinks · 02-20-2005

ASPEN, Colo. (AP) - Hunter S. Thompson, the acerbic counterculture writer who popularized a new form of fictional journalism in books like "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," fatally shot himself Sunday night at his home, his son said. He was 67.

"Hunter prized his privacy and we ask that his friends and admirers respect that privacy as well as that of his family," Juan Thompson said in a statement released to the Aspen Daily News.

Pitkin County Sheriff Bob Braudis, a personal friend of Thompson, confirmed the death to the News. Sheriff's officials did not return calls to The Associated Press late Sunday.

Juan Thompson found his father's body. Thompson's wife, Anita, was not home at the time.

Besides the 1972 drug-hazed classic about Thompson's time in Las Vegas, he is credited with pioneering New Journalism - or "gonzo journalism" - in which the writer made himself an essential component of the story.

An acute observer of the decadence and depravity in American life, Thompson wrote such books as "Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail" in 1973 and the collections "Generation of Swine" and "Songs of the Doomed." His first ever novel, "The Rum Diary," written in 1959, was first published in 1998. Other books include "Hell's Angels" and "The Proud Highway." His most recent effort was "Hey Rube: Blood Sport, the Bush Doctrine, and The Downward Spiral of Dumbness."

cuffedlinks · 02-21-2005

Zachw945 was to help write a book with Hunter last February...one year ago...

I wonder how that ever worked out?

James...did you ever happen to get in touch with him?

roni · 02-21-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by cuffedlinks

Zachw945 was to help write a book with Hunter last February...one year ago...

I wonder how that ever worked out?

James...did you ever happen to get in touch with him?

Shit, I met him once - at at U of Colorado - U of Missouri football game.

As good as his books were, I loved the descriptions in Rouse's Boys on the Bus. His [Hunter's] description of Hubert Humphrey's campaign style as similar to a rat in heat were right on target, and I was a big Hubert Humphrey fan.

02-21-2005

For those of us that survived the 60's relatively intact, Hunter was an icon. He lived on his own terms and apparently died on his own terms.

Beachnutt · 02-21-2005

He's still an icon. My kids love his books. The 60's are NOT dead!

jtm1631 · 02-21-2005

There were some great quotes in the paper this morning from Thompson. I think it's time to dust off the old books and give them another read.

sctx · 02-21-2005

so all those wild stories about the possible effects of long term excessive drug and alcohol use are actually true ?

Beachnutt · 02-21-2005

Nah, it's all just a myth. Ask my EX.

docloch · 02-21-2005

It's a great loss to American culture. I dug out my copies of "Fear and Loathing On The campaign Trail 1972" and "Generation Of Swine" today. Packing them to re-read on the beach in Playa next week.

Rest in peace, Doctor T

Sol · 02-21-2005

I read the news of Hunter Thompson's passing in the local newspaper this morning. What a loss... I enjoyed reading his books and articles he wrote for Rolling Stone magazine when I was in high school and in college. I thought he was so outrageous, but at the same time someone who produced some intriguing work. A piece that comes to mind is one he wrote while he camped-out with the Hell's Angels. If we recall their reputation, it was very difficult for an outsider to hangout with these folks, much less write about them.

For you Hunter Thompson fans, I would like to recommend Oscar Zeta Acosta's Autobiography of a Brown Buffalo, and The Revolt of the Cockroach People. Both of these books have a somewhat similar style as Thompson's earlier works. At one time, Zeta Acosta and Thompson were friends. Unfortunately the former, disappeared on a fishing trip off of the coast of Mazatlan. In fact, the character of the attorney in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is based on Zeta Acosta.

jsadair · 02-22-2005

"I wouldn't recommend sex, drugs or insanity for everyone, but they've always worked for me."

"America... just a nation of two hundred million used car salesmen with all the money we need to buy guns and no qualms about killing anybody else in the world who tries to make us uncomfortable."

Hunter S. Thompson

Good-bye Uncle Duke

CaroleLB · 02-24-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by jsadair

"I wouldn't recommend sex, drugs or insanity for everyone, but they've always worked for me."
Hunter S. Thompson

I lift a Heinekin to the Father of Gonzo.

ELECTRA · 02-28-2005

The guy shot himself in the head. To me that is like Huberous (sp?).
I don't care what you did in life, what greatness you accomplished etc. By putting a bullet in your own head your are no better then any "armed and dangerous" criminal.
Some would say "but hey, at least he just shot himself.." He would have shot you too if you walked in on him.....

What a shame.

Babaloo · 02-28-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by ELECTRA

The guy shot himself in the head. To me that is like Huberous (sp?).
I don't care what you did in life, what greatness you accomplished etc. By putting a bullet in your own head your are no better then any "armed and dangerous" criminal.
Some would say "but hey, at least he just shot himself.." He would have shot you too if you walked in on him.....

What a shame.

Whaaa????

02-28-2005

Electra, put down the bong and step away from the table.

02-20-2005	#1 (permalink)
cuffedlinks añejo Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: The City of Presidents Posts: 15,998	Author Hunter S. Thompson Dead At 65 ASPEN, Colo. (AP) - Hunter S. Thompson, the acerbic counterculture writer who popularized a new form of fictional journalism in books like "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," fatally shot himself Sunday night at his home, his son said. He was 67. "Hunter prized his privacy and we ask that his friends and admirers respect that privacy as well as that of his family," Juan Thompson said in a statement released to the Aspen Daily News. Pitkin County Sheriff Bob Braudis, a personal friend of Thompson, confirmed the death to the News. Sheriff's officials did not return calls to The Associated Press late Sunday. Juan Thompson found his father's body. Thompson's wife, Anita, was not home at the time. Besides the 1972 drug-hazed classic about Thompson's time in Las Vegas, he is credited with pioneering New Journalism - or "gonzo journalism" - in which the writer made himself an essential component of the story. An acute observer of the decadence and depravity in American life, Thompson wrote such books as "Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail" in 1973 and the collections "Generation of Swine" and "Songs of the Doomed." His first ever novel, "The Rum Diary," written in 1959, was first published in 1998. Other books include "Hell's Angels" and "The Proud Highway." His most recent effort was "Hey Rube: Blood Sport, the Bush Doctrine, and The Downward Spiral of Dumbness." Last edited by cuffedlinks; 02-21-2005 at 08:29 AM..

02-21-2005	#10 (permalink)
Sol añejo Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: The Gem State Posts: 16,176	RIP Hunter S. Thompson I read the news of Hunter Thompson's passing in the local newspaper this morning. What a loss... I enjoyed reading his books and articles he wrote for Rolling Stone magazine when I was in high school and in college. I thought he was so outrageous, but at the same time someone who produced some intriguing work. A piece that comes to mind is one he wrote while he camped-out with the Hell's Angels. If we recall their reputation, it was very difficult for an outsider to hangout with these folks, much less write about them. For you Hunter Thompson fans, I would like to recommend Oscar Zeta Acosta's Autobiography of a Brown Buffalo, and The Revolt of the Cockroach People. Both of these books have a somewhat similar style as Thompson's earlier works. At one time, Zeta Acosta and Thompson were friends. Unfortunately the former, disappeared on a fishing trip off of the coast of Mazatlan. In fact, the character of the attorney in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is based on Zeta Acosta. Last edited by Sol; 02-22-2005 at 09:43 PM..

02-22-2005	#11 (permalink)
jsadair way into it Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Tulsa, OK Posts: 116	Died the way he lived. "I wouldn't recommend sex, drugs or insanity for everyone, but they've always worked for me." "America... just a nation of two hundred million used car salesmen with all the money we need to buy guns and no qualms about killing anybody else in the world who tries to make us uncomfortable." Hunter S. Thompson Good-bye Uncle Duke

02-21-2005	#2 (permalink)
cuffedlinks añejo Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: The City of Presidents Posts: 15,998	Zachw945 was to help write a book with Hunter last February...one year ago... I wonder how that ever worked out? James...did you ever happen to get in touch with him?

02-21-2005	#4 (permalink)
Hac Ptui Guest Posts: n/a	For those of us that survived the 60's relatively intact, Hunter was an icon. He lived on his own terms and apparently died on his own terms.

02-21-2005	#5 (permalink)
Beachnutt añejo Join Date: May 2004 Location: Upstate New York Posts: 4,584	He's still an icon. My kids love his books. The 60's are NOT dead!

02-21-2005	#6 (permalink)
jtm1631 añejo Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Denver, CO and loving it Posts: 2,490	There were some great quotes in the paper this morning from Thompson. I think it's time to dust off the old books and give them another read.

02-21-2005	#7 (permalink)
sctx my own peon Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Body in San Marcos Tx....Tankah in my mind Posts: 37,180	so all those wild stories about the possible effects of long term excessive drug and alcohol use are actually true ?

02-21-2005	#8 (permalink)
Beachnutt añejo Join Date: May 2004 Location: Upstate New York Posts: 4,584	Nah, it's all just a myth. Ask my EX.

02-21-2005	#9 (permalink)
docloch beachaholic Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Madison, Wisconsin Posts: 363	It's a great loss to American culture. I dug out my copies of "Fear and Loathing On The campaign Trail 1972" and "Generation Of Swine" today. Packing them to re-read on the beach in Playa next week. Rest in peace, Doctor T

02-28-2005	#13 (permalink)
ELECTRA reposado Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: CALGARY, ALBERTA, CANADA (unfortunately) Posts: 1,080	The guy shot himself in the head. To me that is like Huberous (sp?). I don't care what you did in life, what greatness you accomplished etc. By putting a bullet in your own head your are no better then any "armed and dangerous" criminal. Some would say "but hey, at least he just shot himself.." He would have shot you too if you walked in on him..... What a shame.

02-28-2005	#15 (permalink)
Hac Ptui Guest Posts: n/a	Electra, put down the bong and step away from the table.

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