If you have never read him and wondered why people love Hunter S. Thompson, here is a glimpse why:
Weird behavior is natural in smart children, just as curiosity is to a kitten. I was no stranger to it myself, as a youth growing up in Kentucky. I had a keen appetite for adventure, which soon led me into a maze of complex behavioral experiments that my parents found hard to explain. I was a popular boy, with acceptable grades & a vaguely promising future, but I was cursed with a dark sense of humor that made many adults afraid of me, for reasons they couldn’t quite put their fingers on…
But I was a juvenile delinquent. I was Billy the Kid of Louisville. I was a “criminal”: I stole things, destroyed things, drank. That’s all you have to do if you’re a criminal. In the sixth grade I was voted head of the Safety Patrol – the kids who wear the badges and stop traffic during recesses and patrol. It was a very big position, and the principal hated that I was voted to it. She said, “This is horrible. We can’t have Hunter doing anything. He’s a Little Hitler.” I wasn’t sure what that meant, but I think it meant I had a natural sway over many students. And that I should probably be lobotomized for the good of the society.
and this:
That story has no moral – at least not for smart people – but it taught me many useful things that shaped my life in many fateful ways. One of them was knowing the difference between Morality and Wisdom. Morality is temporary, Wisdom is permanent… Ho ho.
(Via Tim Blair)
Venomous Kate
I have to confess: I’ve always liked Hunter and his gonzo journalism. Yes, I know he’s a raving radical leftist twit. But he’s a damn fun read anyway.
IB Bill
The Doc had his moments. One advantage he had is he was an outstanding writer. His ideas got old; his gig got ripped off and played out by Gary Trudeau, too. But for a brief, shining moment, the doc was the man.
Back in the day, Hunter was seen as on the edge for riding with the Hell’s Angels. Now, Sonny Barger himself has an autobiography out. Sigh. The doc made you feel the dream of the 60s — things were going to be different — and then never really adapted when Nixon was gone.