R.I.P.

Hunter Stockton Thompson, 1937-2005.

Creator of "gonzo journalism," author of Fear and Loathing, journalist with an unconventional opinion regarding objective reporting who wrote with a wry sense of sarcastic humor, sharp, witty, sometimes debauched...

*raises invisible glass*

This hit close to home. My professor knew him personally, which makes me only two degrees of separation from him! Reminds me of what Ernest Hemingway once said, that you need to have a horrible childhood to be a great writer. By extension, I suppose one needs an achingly unfulfilled life in order to become an exceptional reporter...?

Read more: Denver Post—Hunter S. Thompson shoots self in head: "Fear and Loathing" author dead at 67
[Bad username or site: polykleitos / @ livejournal.com]'s LJ entry links to this NYTimes article.

ETA [Feb. 22]: A great tribute post posted from a J-school professor, posted in [Bad username or site: journalists / @ livejournal.com].