Self-styled "gonzo journalist" Hunter S. Thompson has ended his own strange, tumultuous life. Sad, but somehow predictable: how else would he -- could he -- have ended his journey?
James Lileks observes (tip via Instapundit):
"File under Capote, Truman – meaning, whatever you thought of the latter-day persona, don’t forget that there was a reason he had a reputation. Read 'Hell's Angels.' That was a man who could hit the keys right."
Michelle Malkin has more links.
Kevin Aylward at Wizbang makes this observation:
Thompson's legacy - gonzo journalism - in many ways was the first manifestation of the form of writing many of us practice today, though not nearly as well. I'll be the first to say it... Thompson was the grandfather of the blogging movement.
That may be true. Thompson surely had an impact, including on my own collegiate mind during the sordid 1972 presidential campaign -- his articles in Rolling Stone were eye-opening to a freshman starting to awaken to the wider world.
That said, it's hard to keep Lileks's admonition firmly in mind given Thompson's abject decline after the 1970s. Was he really that talented? Or was it all a soft-bellied illusion bound exclusively to those times, like the psychedelic music of the 60s that seemed profound but feels so empty now? We'll have to check back in a decade or two. For now, RIP, "Uncle Duke."
Posted by Alan at February 21, 2005 08:48 AM