Sportswriter and best-selling author, Hunter S. Thompson, lived a life on the edge.
Hunter S. Thompson pioneered a writing genre called Gonzo Journalism, which is a writing style without reference to objectivity, and where the writer is often a part of the narrative. He wrote several best-selling books, too, including Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
Hunter S. Thompson was born July 18th, 1937 to a middle-class family in Kentucky. Thompson’s life changed when his father died when he as 14 years old. Rebellious and desperate for attention, Thompson started using drugs and began acting out. He also started writing.
In 1956, he lied his way into getting his first sportswriting job–saying he had loads of experiences when he didn’t.
After discharge, Thompson moved again…and again…to Pennsylvania and, then, to New York City, where he worked for Time Magazine. That job didn’t last long (fired for insubordination), and neither did the next (fired for damaging office equipment and verbally assaulting a client) or the next (periodical went out of business).
His big break came in 1967 when he wrote Hells Angels about The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club.
A few years later (1971), Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas was published to critical acclaim. It was a book about a drug-fueled trip to Las Vegas.
Despite experiencing writing success, Thompson committed suicide in 2005. It was the end of a life lived on the edge. “I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone,” Thompson once said, “but they’ve always worked for me.”
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, help is there at the National Suicide Prevention Hotline, 1-800-273-8255.
If Hunter S. Thompson’s life teaches us anything, it’s this: you can leave a legacy without taking your life.
