Gonzo Letters

The man, the journalist... the legend. What is there to say about Dr. Hunter S. Thompson? He was a visionary. A legendary journalist, who broke all the conventional wisdom of the time, he believed that there was a drug for every purpose, and a purpose for every drug. However, most people remember his alter-ego Raoul Duke, not the man Hunter S. Thompson. Likely, the drug-fueled, half psychotic animal who ravaged Las Vegas with his Samoan (actually Chicano) lawyer is who most people remember. But that was Duke, not Thompson. Hunter S. Thompson was a man who took a great deal of pride in his writing, pioneering the now-legendary style known as Gonzo Journalism. He was proud of his doctorate, as well he should have been. He was proud of his wife, his son Juan, his "fortified compound" near Aspen, CO. He enjoyed his owls and peacocks, guns and Chivas. He did believe in a drug for every purpose and a purpose for every drug, but he was not as reckless and experimental with them as his alter-ego Duke. Hunter S. Thompson was a man who truly believed in truth, justice and the American way, although he didn't always believe that the US government was capable of delivering any one of those 3. When Hunter wrote, he spoke his mind, and he didn't give a shit who might disagree, from Sonny Barger to Richard M. Nixon, to George W. Bush. Sometimes, as in the case of Barger, he came away with a few physical reminders of their disagreement. But he still wrote what he thought, and it was still published. From ether-induced stupors, to running for Sheriff, to having his neighbour crash through his barn on a motorcycle, igniting stored fuel and roasting a few live chickens on Superbowl Sunday, Hunter lived life to its fullest, with few regrets. His Gonzo journalism seemed to apply not only to his writing, but to his entire life.

Personally, I admire the way he lived his life, full-steam-ahead, without looking back. I've also been heavily influenced by his writing, and have a tendency to apply a lot of his style to my own writing. Not so much the "gonzo" journalism aspect, but more the "truth in writing" part. When I write, I say what I feel, readers be damned. You may not like my blog, but it will always be what I feel, and will always be the truth, at least from my own perspective.

This site is intended to be, in part, a tribute to Hunter, but also a repository for my personal blog.

"Buy the ticket, take the ride" - HST