The story of the rich, wild life of writer Hunter Thompson.

Works on the website Lib.ru

Hunter Stockton Thompson(English) Hunter Stockton Thompson) (July 18, Louisville, Kentucky, USA - February 20, Woody Creek, Colorado) - famous American writer and journalist, founder of gonzo journalism.

Biography

Early years

A native of Louisville, Kentucky, Thompson grew up in the Cherokee Triangle area and attended Louisville Boys' High School. His parents, Jack (died in ) and Virginia (died in ) were married in . After his death, Jack left three sons- Hunter, Davison and James were raised by their mother, who was a severe alcoholic.

Suicide

Football season is over

“No more games. No bombs. No walks. No fun. No swimming. 67. That's 17 more years than 50. 17 more than what I needed or wanted. Boring. I'm always angry. No fun for anyone. 67. You are becoming greedy. Act your age. Relax – it won’t hurt.”
Shot.
On February 21, 2005, Hunter Stockton Thompson was found at Owl Farm in Woody Creek near Aspen, Colorado with a gunshot wound to the head. There were no witnesses to the incident; Thompson's wife, Anita, who lived with her husband, left home shortly before fatal shot. There was no one else in the house at that time. The writer's body was found in the hallway by his son, Juan Thompson.
Accident? Hardly. Thompson was too good with a gun.
Suicide?
Can this be called suicide? Most likely, Thompson simply ended his life as a warrior, performing a sad ritual on himself. “Recently, injuries and illnesses began to haunt him - he suffered a broken leg and surgery on his hip.” Thus he overcame old age.
“I think he made a conscious decision. He lived his 67 years admirably, he lived the way he wanted - and was not prepared to suffer the indignities of old age, says Douglas Brinkley, a historian and friend of the writer. - It was not an irrational act. It was a well-planned act. He wasn't going to let anyone dictate how he should die." The writer’s widow Anita expresses similar thoughts: “For Hunter, as a master political moves and a supporter of the idea of control, it was completely normal to decide to end one’s life according to one’s own schedule, one’s own with my own hands, and not give power over yourself to fate, genetics or chance. And although we will regret it bitterly, we understand his decision. Let the world know that Hunter Thompson died with a full glass in his hands, a fearless man, warrior." - Rolling Stone

Thompson died in his heavily fortified home in Woody Creek, Colorado, on February 20 at 5:42 p.m., from a self-inflicted gunshot to the head. He was 67 years old.

Thompson's son (Juan), daughter-in-law (Jennifer Winkel Thompson) and grandson (Will Thompson) were visiting him the weekend of the suicide. Will and Jennifer were in the next room when they heard a shot, however, the shot was mistaken for a fallen book and they continued their conversation before checking; "Winkel Thompson continued to play 20 questions with Will, Juan continued to take photographs" Thompson sat at his typewriter with the word "advisor" written in the center of the second page.

They told the press that they did not believe his suicide was driven by despair, but was a well-thought-out act after many painful medical procedures. Thompson's wife, Anita, who was at the gym at the time of her husband's death, spoke with Thompson on the phone as he took his life.

Artist and friend Ralph Steadman wrote:

“...25 years ago he told me that he would feel really trapped if he didn’t know that he could kill himself at any moment. I don't know if it was courage or stupidity or what else, but it was inevitable. I think the truth that united everything he wrote was that he meant what he said. If this is a performance for you, well, good. If you think this has enlightened you in any way, well, that's even better. If you're wondering if he went to heaven or hell, rest assured, he'll check them both out, find out which one Richard Milhouse Nixon went to, and go there. He never tolerated boredom. But there should be football there too - and peacocks..."

3 months later Rolling Stone released what was announced last words Thompson, written in marker four days before his death. The note was titled "Football season is over."

Bibliography

Mr. Leary, he's dead
Songs of the Doomed)
The Rum Diary)
Kingdom of Fear)
Hell's Angels / Hell's Angels. A Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs (1967)
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Wild Journey into the Heart of the American Dream / Fear and

Loathing in Las Vegas. A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream (1971)

Fear and Loathing: On the Campaign Trail "72 (1973)
The Curse of Lono (1984)
Generation of Swine: Tales of Shame and Degradation in the 80s (1989)
The Great Shark Hunt: Strange Tales from a Strange Time (1991)
Better than Sex (1995)
The Proud Highway: Saga of a Desperate Southern Gentleman (1998)
“Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”, (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas) - directed by Terry Gilliam, starring: Johnny Depp, Benicio Del Toro. Hunter Thompson starred in short episode this film.
"The Rum Diary" - in leading role: Johnny Depp. Status: the film has been announced. Production will begin after Johnny Depp finishes filming another film. Res Ipsa Loquitur.

Works on the website Lib.ru

Biography

Early years

A native of Louisville, Kentucky, Thompson grew up in the Cherokee Triangle area and attended Louisville Boys' High School. His parents, Jack (died in ) and Virginia (died in ) were married in . After his death, Jack left three sons - Hunter, Davison and James - to be raised by their mother, who was a severe alcoholic.

Suicide

Football season is over

“No more games. No bombs. No walks. No fun. No swimming. 67. That's 17 more years than 50. 17 more than what I needed or wanted. Boring. I'm always angry. No fun for anyone. 67. You are becoming greedy. Act your age. Relax – it won’t hurt.”
Shot.
On February 21, 2005, Hunter Stockton Thompson was found at Owl Farm in Woody Creek near Aspen, Colorado with a gunshot wound to the head. There were no witnesses to the incident; Thompson's wife, Anita, who lived with her husband, left the house shortly before the fatal shot. There was no one else in the house at that time. The writer's body was found in the hallway by his son, Juan Thompson.
Accident? Hardly. Thompson was too good with a gun.
Suicide?
Can this be called suicide? Most likely, Thompson simply ended his life as a warrior, performing a sad ritual on himself. “Recently, injuries and illnesses began to haunt him - he suffered a broken leg and surgery on his hip.” Thus he overcame old age.
“I think he made a conscious decision. He lived his 67 years admirably, he lived the way he wanted - and was not prepared to suffer the indignities of old age, says Douglas Brinkley, a historian and friend of the writer. - It was not an irrational act. It was a well-planned act. He wasn't going to let anyone dictate how he should die." The writer’s widow, Anita, expresses similar thoughts: “For Hunter, as a master of political moves and a supporter of the idea of control, it was completely normal for him to decide to end his life on his own schedule, with his own hands, and not to give power over himself to fate, genetics or chance. And although we will regret it bitterly, we understand his decision. Let the world know that Hunter Thompson died with a full glass in his hands, a fearless man, a warrior." - Rolling Stone

Thompson died in his heavily fortified home in Woody Creek, Colorado, on February 20 at 5:42 p.m., from a self-inflicted gunshot to the head. He was 67 years old.

Artist and friend Ralph Steadman wrote:

Three months later, Rolling Stone released what were said to be Thompson's last words, written in marker four days before his death. The note was titled "Football season is over."

Bibliography

Mr. Leary, he's dead
Songs of the Doomed)
The Rum Diary)
Kingdom of Fear)
Hell's Angels / Hell's Angels. A Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs (1967)
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Wild Journey into the Heart of the American Dream / Fear and

Loathing in Las Vegas. A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream (1971)

Fear and Loathing: On the Campaign Trail "72 (1973)
The Curse of Lono (1984)
Generation of Swine: Tales of Shame and Degradation in the 80s (1989)
The Great Shark Hunt: Strange Tales from a Strange Time (1991)
Better than Sex (1995)
The Proud Highway: Saga of a Desperate Southern Gentleman (1998)
“Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”, (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas) - directed by Terry Gilliam, starring: Johnny Depp, Benicio Del Toro. Hunter Thompson starred in a short cameo of this film.
“The Rum Diary,” starring: Johnny Depp. Status: the film has been announced. Production will begin after Johnny Depp finishes filming another film. Res Ipsa Loquitur.

Hunter Stockton Thompson, famous American writer and journalist, founder of gonzo journalism, born July 18, 1937, Louisville, Kentucky, USA.

Native of Louisville, Kentucky Thompson grew up in the Cherokee Triangle area and attended Louisville Boys' High School. His parents, Jack (died 1952) and Virginia (died 1999) married in 1935. After his death, Jack left three sons: Hunter, Davison and James, to be raised by their mother, who was a severe alcoholic.

Hunter was arrested in 1956 for robbery. After crashing his employer's delivery truck, he joined the United States Air Force before mandatory military enlistment. After working in the information services department at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida in 1956, he became sports editor of the base's own newspaper, the Main Courier. He also wrote to several local newspapers, which was against the rules. Air Force.

He retired in 1958 as a pilot second class with a recommendation for early retirement from his commanding officer. After the Air Force, he moved to New York and, under the GI Bill of Rights, attended Columbia University's Basic Studies School, where he took classes in short story.

During this time, he briefly worked at The Time magazine as a copywriter for $50 a week. While working, he typed F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby and Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms, explaining that he wanted to learn the authors' writing styles. In 1956, Time fired him for insubordination. Later that year he worked as a reporter for the Middletown Daily Record in New York. He was fired from that job after destroying a candy machine and getting into a fight with a local restaurant owner who turned out to be a leaflet deliverer.

In 1960 Thompson moved to San Juan, Puerto Rico to take a job with the sports magazine El Sportivo, which soon folded. But moving to Puerto Rico allowed Thompson travel around Caribbean Sea And South America, writing freelance articles for several American Daily Newspapers. While in Puerto Rico, he became friends with journalist William Kennedy. Thompson also served as South America correspondent for the Dow Jones weekly National Observer. For an eight-month period in 1961, he lived and worked as a security guard and caretaker in Big Sur Hot Springs before it became the Ezalin Institute. Living in San Francisco in the 1960s, Thompson received a doctorate in divinity from the Post Church.

During this time Thompson wrote two novels (Prince Jewelfish and The Rum Diary) and offered many short stories. "" was eventually published in 1998 after Thompson gained fame. Kennedy later noted that he and Thompson were both failed novelists who turned to journalism to make a living.

Published in 1971, A Wild Ride into the Heart of the American Dream was a first-person account of a trip to Las Vegas with 300-pound Samoan lawyer Dr. Gonzo. a character created by Thompson's friend, Mexican-American (Chicano) lawyer Oscar Zeta Acosta), whose purpose was to cover the legendary Mint 400 motorcycle race, and then a police drug conference. During the trip, they “with a lawyer” search for the American Dream, constantly under the influence of drugs.

« The trunk of our car resembled a mobile police drug lab. We had at our disposal two bags of weed, seventy-five balls of mescaline, five blotters of fierce acid, a salt shaker with holes full of cocaine, and a whole intergalactic parade of planets of all sorts of stimulants, trunks, squealers, laughers... as well as a quart of tequila, a quart of rum, a case of Budweiser , a pint of crude ether and two dozen amyl" - an excerpt from the book "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Wild Journey in the heart of the American dream».

Ralph Steadman, who collaborated with Thompson on several projects, contributed ink illustrations.

Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail "72 is a collection of Rolling Stone articles he wrote covering the campaign of President Richard M. Nixon and his unsuccessful opponent, Senator George McGovern. The book focuses primarily on the primaries. democratic party and its failure, thanks to the split between different candidates; McGovern was praised, while Ed Muskie and Hubert Humphrey were ridiculed. Thompson sought to become a harsh critic of Nixon, both during and after his presidency. After Nixon's death in 1994, Thompson described him to Rolling Stone as a man who "could shake your hand and stab you in the back at the same time," and he said
« his business papers it's worth walking down one of those open drains that empty into the ocean in south Los Angeles. He was a pig, not a man, and a dupe, not a president. He was an evil person- evil in the sense that only those who believe in the physical existence of the Devil can understand him».

On May 9, 1963, he married his longtime girlfriend Sandra Conklin (aka Sandy Conklin Thompson, now Sondi Wright). On March 23, 1964, their son Juan Fitzgerald Thompson was born. After 19 years life together and 17 years of marriage, Hunter and Sandy divorced in 1980, remaining close friends until Hunter's death.

Thompson died at his home in Woody Creek, Colorado, on February 20, 2005, at 5:42 p.m., from a gunshot wound to the head. He was 67 years old.

Thompson's son (Juan), daughter-in-law (Jennifer Winkel Thompson) and grandson (Will Thompson) were visiting him the weekend of the suicide. Will and Jennifer were in the next room when they heard a shot, however, the shot was mistaken for a fallen book and they continued their business before checking; “Winkel Thompson continued to play 20 questions with Will, Juan continued to take photographs.” Thompson sat at his typewriter with the word "Lawyer" written in the center of the second page.

They told the press that they did not believe his suicide was out of despair, but was a well-thought-out act after many painful medical procedures. Thompson's wife, Anita, who was at the gym at the time of her husband's death, was talking to Thompson on the phone when he took his own life.

Artist and friend Ralph Steadman wrote:

« …25 years ago he told me that he would feel really trapped if he didn’t know that he could kill himself at any moment. I don't know if it was courage or stupidity or what else, but it was inevitable. I think the truth that united everything he wrote was that he meant what he said. If this is a performance for you, well, good. If you think this has enlightened you in any way, well, that's even better. If you're wondering whether he went to heaven or hell, rest assured he'll check both, find out where Richard Milhouse Nixon went - and go there. He never tolerated boredom. But there should be football there too - and peacocks...»

After 3 months, American magazine Rolling Stone published what were said to be Thompson's last words, written in marker four days before his death. The note was titled "Football season is over."

In an interview with the BBC in 1978, the writer said that he would like to throw his own ashes from a cannon at a “death party” for his friends. These words were interpreted as the writer's last will, and on August 20, actor Johnny Depp assumed the costs of its execution. The shot was fired from a specially constructed cannon mounted on a 46-meter-high crane. The top of the faucet was hidden under an image of "Gonzo's" six-fingered fist. The writer’s ashes were shot through the “fist” at sunset.

Being in the center of events, writing in the first person, not shunning profanity and seasoning it all with a pinch of lies and fantasy is pure gonzo journalism. Its founder, writer Hunter Thompson, stated at the very beginning of his career that he was not ready to feed people tired clichés. The journalist talked about what really interested him. One of his first known publications about horse racing made a lot of noise in Kentucky. Hunter described in detail the drunken, bloated patrons in clothes stained with whiskey. He even forgot to mention the winner of the race. This report marked the beginning of the gonzo style and introduced the name Hunter Thompson to the world.

Go with the flow or swim towards the goal

Hunter Stockton Thompson was born in 1937 in Louisville, Kentucky. Thompson's first name came from a presumed ancestor on his mother's side, the Scottish surgeon John Hunter. Thompson's father died very early, and his mother eventually began to drink heavily. At the future scandalous journalist There were all the data for playing sports. He was invited to clubs for juniors, but he never went anywhere. Hunter got into journalism, joined a literary club and helped create the yearbook The Spectator. But he was kicked out due to problems with the law. Charged with being an accessory to a robbery after riding in a car with a gunman, Thompson was sentenced to 60 days in jail. After his early release, the writer was enlisted in the US Air Force.

Thompson was only 20 years old when he wrote a letter to a friend who was asking life advice. This happened about 10 years before the journalist wrote his first scandalous report about life with bikers from the Hells Angels motorcycle club. The book appeared in Russian later under the title “Hell’s Angels.” In that letter, Hunter discusses the meaning of life:

“Go with the flow or swim towards the goal? This is a choice we all have to make, consciously or unconsciously. Few people understand this! Think about any decision you've ever made that affected your future: I could be wrong, but I don't see what it could be if not a choice. But why not give in to the flow if there is no goal? That's another question. It's certainly better than swimming in the unknown. So how can a person find purpose? Not a castle in the stars, but a real and tangible thing. How can a person be sure that this is not an illusion? The answer and the tragedy is that we judge incorrectly, we look at the goal and not at the person. We created it, and it requires certain things from us. We adapt to demands that CANNOT be valid.”

Fear and Loathing by Hunter Thompson

Thompson always loved firearms, explosives, smoked a lot and cursed. His inimitable image with a cigarette in a cigarette holder and Ray Ban Shooter glasses with a bullet hole on the bridge of his nose is familiar to the general public after the film adaptation of the novel “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,” where the role of the scandalous journalist was played by Johnny Depp. The book was published as a short story in 1971 in Rolling Stone magazine, where the writer worked at the time. It describes Hunter's real-life journey with his lawyer friend Oscar Acosta. A sea of drugs, unbridled fun and a passing report about the Mint 400 race, for which the friends came to the city of sins.

The following report, entitled "Fear and Loathing of the '72 Election Race", describes Richard Nixon's campaign, where Thomson strongly criticized the US President. By the way, these two books and an obituary for his friend Oscar, who went missing in 1974, became the basis for another film, “Where the Buffalo Roam.” The role of the writer went to Bill Murray, and the film was released long before the popular film adaptation with Depp. The story turned out to be crumpled and confusing, but the image of Hunter itself was again on top thanks to Bill and the same Ray Ban glasses.

Hunter's books

Thompson published numerous stories throughout his life, starting with a job at The Time where he was kicked out for insubordination. This reason for dismissal often came up later. When the writer moved to Puerto Rico, he had a hard time because the sports magazine where he was going to work closed. During this time, Hunter wrote the stories "Prince Medusa" and "The Rum Diary". In 1965, the story "Hell's Angels" was published. By the way, with the bikers club, about which we're talking about in the story, the journalist traveled for about a year until they beat him to a pulp. It never really became clear what the reason for their quarrel was. But knowing Hunter’s character, one shouldn’t be surprised.

Another stunning novel received the title “The Curse of Hawaii” in Russian translation, where the writer describes his next trip around the islands. Some consider the story to be a continuation of the trip to Las Vegas. It is noteworthy that both books were illustrated by the artist and good friend journalist Ralph Steadman.

Later, the journalist wrote that the previous Hunter Thompson had died and nothing would be the same. Thoughts about suicide appeared in the preface to the novel The Great Shark Hunt. One of the last famous works became the story “The Kingdom of Fear” and “Our People Are Being Beaten” published in 2003! Blood sport American doctrine and a whirlpool of stupidity" 2004.

Hunter Thompson books

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Death of Hunter Thompson

In February 2005, Hunter Thompson died at his home in Woody Creek, Colorado. He was found in his office, and on a piece of paper in the typewriter there was one word: “Lawyer.” The writer shot himself at the age of 67. Some believe that the act was committed out of despair, old age and illness. But those close to Hunter say it was likely a deliberate move. The journalist has said more than once that he likes to be able to kill himself at any moment.

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Hunter Thompson Quotes

Many iconic phrases that became famous due to the film adaptation of the writer’s books were released to the people. Hunter never minced words; he either spoke the truth, or it was sarcasm or fiction. You'll never know for sure.

“In a society where everyone is guilty, the only crime is to be caught. In the world of thieves, the only mortal sin is stupidity,” Thomson was always dissatisfied with society, American dream and existing ideals. He believed that life should be lived to the fullest.

“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of saving beautiful body. Better to slip through a cloud of smoke, get completely spent, completely exhausted, and loudly proclaim, “Wow! What a trip!”

Replying to eternal questions The journalist stated about his addiction to illegal drugs:

“I hate promoting drugs, alcohol, violence or insanity to everyone, but they have always worked for me,” Hunter, as a young man, tried to become the sheriff of Pitkin County in Colorado and decriminalize drugs, which he wrote about in the story “Freak Power in the Mountains.” "

The famous phrase addressed to his friend Oscar in the story “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”, years later, perfectly describes the writer himself:

"Too strange to live, too rare to die."

We won't mention the most famous saying about packets of grass and a bunch of other drugs, it’s already known to almost everyone. History legendary writer I would like to end with a heartfelt (at least according to Hunter) phrase, because he was once called a failed novelist.

“Perhaps there is no heaven. Or is all this just empty talk, the product of the crazy imagination of a lazy drunken hillbilly whose heart is filled with hatred, but who has found a way to live where the real wind blows: where you can stay up late, have fun, drink whiskey, drive through empty streets and not have nothing in my head except the desire to fall in love and not be arrested.”