Blog - Hunter S. Thompson, An American Revolutionary

2008-07-18 19:00:11

From our People search at http://www.ovationtv.com
Hunter S. Thompson was a writer and journalist who blew apart
conventional concepts of objective reporting: he was part and parcel of
the 1960s counter-culture, and a crazed chronicler of its demise.
Thompson never set out to simply report a story: topics would morph
between reality and fiction, often shifting to disjointed musings on
his own drug-induced behavior. Raised in Kentucky, Thompson first
started writing when he joined the Air Force in 1959, assigned as the
sports editor for the base’s newspaper. After being given an early
discharge, Thompson wrote sports material for a publication in Puerto
Rico and was a correspondent in South America for the National
Observer. In 1965, The Nation asked him to write a story about the
California-based Hells Angels. Thompson spent a year living and riding
with the bikers. The book, Hells Angels: The Strange and and Terrible
Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs, was published to great reviews.
Much of his subsequent writing was in the music magazine Rolling Stone.
The now-classic Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1971) was first
released as a series in Rolling Stone. Thompson also covered
presidential election campaigns for the magazine. Through the late
1980s, Thompson wrote a column for the San Francisco Examiner and spent
much of his time at his compound in Colorado. He was an avid member of
the National Rifle Association, and also championed the legalization of
marijuana. After the release of the film Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
(1998) Thompson found more fans in a new generation of readers.
Thompson died in 2005 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. His funeral
literally encapsulated his life, as his ashes were shot from a cannon
along with fireworks to the tune of Bob Dylan’s "Mr. Tambourine Man."
Where the Buffalo Roam is based on the life of Hunter S. Thompson and airs this Saturday, click title for showtimes.

Related Links:
Hunter's bio on Wikipedia
Totally Gonzo: A blog dedicated to TOTAL COVERAGE of everything Hunter S. Thompson
Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas directed by Terry Gilliam

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