Hunter S. Thompson: 20 Years After His Death
Imagine a world in which Fear & Loathing on the Campaign Trail '24
Next month marks the 20th memorial of Hunter S. Thompson, the father of Gonzo journalism. Born on July 18, 1937, in Louisville, Kentucky, he was the first of three children. His father struggled with alcoholism and eventually abandoned the family when Hunter was 14 years old.
During his high school years, young Hunter was known for his rebellious spirit and a keen interest in sports, especially football. After graduating high school, he briefly attended Brown University but left to pursue a career in journalism.
By the 1960s, he was fearless neck deep in the exploration of American counterculture. With a sharp eye for detail and a reckless love for the absurd, Hunter was known for his willingness to became part of the chaos of a story by injecting himself into the narrative.
Gonzo journalism blends facts with fiction and often weaves the journalist's own experiences and opinions. This approach eschews traditional detachment and objectivity, emphasizing a first-person perspective that immerses readers in the story through a mix of subjectivity, narration, immersion, and critique.
Hunter favored work that explored the human condition. Sex, Drugs, and Rock ‘n Roll. His frenzied writing (may I recommend his audiobooks for a slightly less maddening ride) blends fact with fiction and often paints a bizarre picture of a culture teetering on the edge.
So, I liked the word ‘gonzo’ and it seemed to be what I was doing… a mixture of humor and kind of a high-stomping style. A bit more active than your normal journalism.”
Hunter S. Thompson
He married Sondi Wright in 1963, and the following year announced the birth of Juan Fitzgerald Thompson. The couple separated in 1980. In 2003, Hunter married his long-time partner, Anita. Financial issues prompted Anita to sell some rights to Hunter’s work and likeness in 2008. In 2016, Juan published “Stories I Tell Myself: Growing Up With Hunter S. Thompson.”
Hunter S. Thompson wrote numerous books throughout his career, with the most notable being around twenty major works including books, compilations of essays, and collections of his most significant articles. His most famous titles include:
“Hell’s Angels: The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs” (1966)
“Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” (1971)
“Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72” (1973)
“The Rum Diary” (1998)
"Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,” considered his best seller, remains a cult classic with its vivid portrayal of the counterculture and the disillusionment of the 1960s and early 1970s. The book's unique blend of fact and fiction is a graphic depictions of a drug-fueled subculture that resonated with post-Vietnam America.
In his later years, Thompson embraced a more reclusive lifestyle, retreating to his Colorado sanctuary. Hunter S. Thompson died by suicide on February 20, 2005. He was found at his home in Woody Creek, Colorado, having taken his own life with a gunshot wound, marking the end of both a turbulent life and brilliant writing.
Thompson left a note before his death, which, as one would expect, was not traditional good-bye. It was more of a manifesto of despair over the what he saw as the decline of the American dream and the growing disillusionment in society. At the time of his death, Hunter S. Thompson's net worth was estimated to be around $5 million.
On August 20, 2005, Johnny Depp hosted a private memorial for Hunter. Friends including, Sean Penn, Bill Murray, Jack Nicholson, Senator John Kerry and George McGovern, watched as the remains of Hunter S. Thompson were shot out of a cannon. In the background, Tibetan drummers played on.
Speaking of George McGovern
Hunter S. Thompson’s “Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72” transcended traditional political journalism by capturing the electrifying and chaotic energy of that moment in time. Hunter was the unapologetic voice of a disillusioned generation while simultaneously pulling the curtain on the political machine.
Hunter embedded with McGovern’s team as a journalist for Rolling Stone. Soon it became all to evident that Hunter was more than willing to share his front-row seat to the absurdities, corruption, and frenetic pace of the campaign trail. What unfolded - in real-time for the readers of Rolling Stone - was a mix of Hunter’s reckless antics and the absurdity of the political landscape.
It’s like reading about 500 pages of pure kinetic energy. Again, may I recommend it in the audio format especially if you’re on blood pressure meds. If you have an aversion to psychedelics, maybe just watch the full recap of it by the key players.
The raw honesty creates a unique narrative voice that engages readers and challenges them to consider the underlying truths about the political candidates, the media, and the electorate. Hunter’s fearlessness allows him to delve into the moral ambiguities of the politicians he covers, showcasing not just their public personas but also the flaws and contradictions that shape them.
Hunter recognized the noble intentions of candidates like George McGovern without ignoring the harsh realities of a political system heavily influenced by money, media manipulation, and backroom dealings.
One of the most striking aspects of “Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72” was its exploration of the media’s role in shaping political narratives. Hunter served as both participant and observer, which allowed him to dissect the relationships between candidates, journalists, and the electorate. His sharp critique of the mainstream media highlighted how it often contributes to the spectacle of politics rather than providing in-depth analysis.
“It was the most accurate and least factual account of that campaign.”
Frank Mankiewicz
In a sense, Hunter saw himself as a last bastion of truth-telling amidst a sea of sensationalism. Through the course of the 1972 campaign, Hunter’s work increasingly revealed his deep concern about the future of American democracy. The 1972 campaign was depicted not merely as a contest between candidates but as a fight for the very soul of the nation. For Hunter, the rest - Sex, Drugs, and Rock ‘n Roll - was just a microcosm for the larger societal issues of the time.
Hunter’s wit is unrelenting. Sometimes comical. Sometimes tragic. There's an underlying sense of urgency as if he was on a time limit to push American’s to face the future of governance and the condition of democracy.
Hunter’s irreverence and unabashed honesty endeavored to inspire readers to question the narratives they are fed and to consider the importance of their political engagement and the cost of their vote on the neighborhoods around them. At its core, “Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72” was a clarion call and it remains relevant to this day as the American political landscape continues to struggle with the truth.
Compiling the Rolling Stone articles into book form was no easy task. Hunter’s editor recalled, "Hunter had an uncanny ability to capture the chaos of the moment while still holding a mirror to society's flaws. Every phrase may have been incendiary, but there was a method to his madness, a deeper truth waiting to be unveiled."
This year marks the 20th year that Americans have not heard Hunter S. Thompson’s voice. Imagine a world where “Fear & Loathing on the Campaign Trail ‘24” exists.