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February 22, 2005
Dr. Hunter S Thompson (1937 - 2005 )
I was stunned reading Hunter S Thompson killed himself last weekend. The man was a literary god to me and it is hard to believe his body of work is finished. The man was without a doubt the most honest writer I have ever read. You always knew where the self-described political junkie stood; he believed objectivity in the press was a lie and no one was going to accuse Hunter S Thompson of lying.
Everything was transparent to HST and he was vicious in pointing out the absurties of his subjects. His flair with the melodramatic was incredible; in lesser hands it could be a sad prententious joke, but in Thompson's writings, the melodramatic was inspiring. You never knew where the fiction started with Hunter. Who knows if he was really wasted surrounded by cops at a Drug Enforcement convention. It really doesn't matter, he was the kind of guy that you believed would do it.
My favorite book so far has to be Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail,72. Great book chronicling the rise and fall of George McGovern's presendential aspirations. This coupled with his railings against Richard Nixon, which were especially acute facing four more years, was HST at his best. At times I laughed out loud and he educated me in the political process from primary to election.
Dr. Hunter S Thompson was truly a legend in his own time and we are fortunate to have shared that time with him. Like Elvis, his stature will grow with death and soon he will be mentioned in god-like tones. His life was the stuff of myths and legends and HST will outlive us all.
Posted by pmcmahon at February 22, 2005 10:39 PM
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