As dramatic as his style of journalism was, so was the way in which he ended his life: with a gunshot to his head. Hunter S. Thompson, author of the brave new participatory style of journalism that came to be called ‘gonzo’ for his ‘anything goes’ approach, died yesterday in what appears to be an apparent suicide.
He died after a self-inflicted gunshot to his head at his Colorado ranch Sunday. He was 67. The director of investigations for the Pitkin County, Colo., Sheriff's Department, Joe di Salvo, said that officials found no clue as to why the writer chose to take his own life.
His friends said he had been in pain from back surgery and an artificial hip, although that had hardly caused any dramatic changes in his behavior. They said they noticed nothing unusual about his behavior in the days before he killed himself.
Jann Wenner, publisher and long time friend of Thompson, said "He lived longer than any of us expected already," alluding to the drugs and other excesses that had left Thompson in poor physical health.
His style was rooted in the 60s which perhaps explained why drugs, alcohol and a rebellious attitude pervaded throughout his work. He was more than a public wild man. He wrote sometimes brilliantly, sometimes sloppily, but he was always the maverick writer. He chose to write about politics and popular culture. He even defied the very principles of objective journalism by often becoming the central part of the story.
His ‘gonzo’ journalism became a rage because there was no slavish devotion to the truth but rather a keen attention to the grey area between fact and fiction. People enjoyed his style because it explored and even reflected the dark recesses of the American dream.
He would always use first person narratives and fiction as his trademark techniques. Using insights he would flesh out the truth of a story even if it wasn’t accurate. This method made the maximum impact and endeared him to the masses.
Most people who encountered Thompson either as a colleague or acquaintance or a friend, all have a memorable story about him.
Tom Wolfe, the foremost proponents of literary journalism, said “He was the greatest comic writer in the English language in the 20th century. He not only wrote about but personified the wild personal freedom that began in the 1960s. . He was something totally new in journalism and in literature." Thompson was often compared to Wolfe.
Another senior journalist, a peer of Thompson, said “He wasn’t particularly interested in history. He was more a writer of the moment. While every journalist worked to appease the gods sitting behind editorial desks, Thompson marched to a different drummer.”
Even as an editor, “He was brilliant” said another associate. “He knew hooks. He knew how to catch the reader's eye and hold attention. He broke a lot of rules for all of us and that's always a help.''
His antics were legendary. He was known in some circles as an eccentric. His fondness for alcohol, drugs, guns and good times gave enough material to cartoonists to caricature him. Thompson even appeared in Gary Trudeau's Doonesbury cartoon strips as the bald-headed, chain smoking Duke. The name Duke was borrowed from a character in Thompson's 1972 book ‘Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas’ which became a runaway hit and was also made into a movie starring Johnny Depp in 1998.
Thompson was often streets ahead of his more serious colleagues while covering national events. The 1972 presidential contest coverage turned into the now famous ‘Fear and Loathing ….’
He wrote a total of 18 books. Among his other famous books is the Air Dance Iguana, Gumbo Limbo, The Mango Opera, and of course, the 1966 publication "Hell's Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga."
What was an assignment of investigative work on the biker group turned into a book that became the best seller, “Hells Angels” selling over 2 million copies.
An art critic friend of his said ``His take on almost everything was almost always tragicomic. He was its fierce and funny bard.”
“He wrote most eloquently and his work seemed driven not only by alcohol and hallucinogens but also by the suspicions and sensibilities that one finds in the underbelly of our society.”
In his last days he had taken refuge at his farm house in Colorado. Here he grew palm trees and indulged himself with mescaline and music.
His famous ‘gonzo’ style began sometime in the 70s when a story he did for the Derby. The story was highly praised by another writer Bill Cardoso who called the piece a “real Gonzo”. With that praise was born ‘gonzo journalism’. The success of this article and his later work took him to the Rolling Stone magazine where he could write exactly what he felt. He tried to broaden the scope of the magazine away from its narrow focus of rock and roll.
He later strayed into politics, running unsuccessfully for sheriff of Pitkin County. When it came to writing about his personal demons, he minced no words. Yet what drove him to kill himself may never be known.
One clue is offered by biographer McKeen who said “Thompson imagined ending his life on a winding mountain road.” His concept of death, said McKeen, was “to come down that mountain road at a hundred and twenty and just keep going straight right there, burst out through the barrier.”
