Prof. J. Barrett
Lit2000
4 December 2008
Hunter S. Thompson: Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die.
On July 18th 1937 in Louisville, Kentucky Jack Thompson and Virginia Thompson would give birth to their first of three sons. The world would welcome Hunter S. Thompson. Hunter would become very interested in sports from a young age (Whitmer 7). Hunter was fourteen years old when his father passed away (Whitmer 9). In high school he was very active in a writing club; however, he would be ejected after being convicted of robbery. Because of this incident he was sentenced to sixty days in jail. Hunter would go on to only serve thirty days in jail, but he was required to join the air force. While in the air force he would pick up a job writing the sports column for the base paper. After serving roughly two years, Hunter would be released on an honorable discharge. His colonel stated that “…this airman, although talented, will not be guided by policy…” “Sometimes his rebel and superior attitude seem to rub off on other airmen staff members” (McKeen 6).
After his exit from the air force Hunter would go on to have numerous columnist jobs. Hunter S. Thompson never received any degrees from universities although he attended Columbia University in New York City for a short while. (Carroll 32). Hunter would end up living in Puerto Rico for some time; this backdrop would prove to be the main inspiration for The Rum Diary.
Hunter’s career would end up being launched by his 1966 book Hell’s Angels: The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs. He would be the first journalist to spend a year riding around and living with the notorious gang. During this time he would record their road rallies, home lives, as well as sexual escapades. His main intention was to (in this rare instance) objectively describe the gang while revealing the media’s vicious portrayal of the members.
Hunter is also famous for his book Fear... [continues]
Lit2000
4 December 2008
Hunter S. Thompson: Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die.
On July 18th 1937 in Louisville, Kentucky Jack Thompson and Virginia Thompson would give birth to their first of three sons. The world would welcome Hunter S. Thompson. Hunter would become very interested in sports from a young age (Whitmer 7). Hunter was fourteen years old when his father passed away (Whitmer 9). In high school he was very active in a writing club; however, he would be ejected after being convicted of robbery. Because of this incident he was sentenced to sixty days in jail. Hunter would go on to only serve thirty days in jail, but he was required to join the air force. While in the air force he would pick up a job writing the sports column for the base paper. After serving roughly two years, Hunter would be released on an honorable discharge. His colonel stated that “…this airman, although talented, will not be guided by policy…” “Sometimes his rebel and superior attitude seem to rub off on other airmen staff members” (McKeen 6).
After his exit from the air force Hunter would go on to have numerous columnist jobs. Hunter S. Thompson never received any degrees from universities although he attended Columbia University in New York City for a short while. (Carroll 32). Hunter would end up living in Puerto Rico for some time; this backdrop would prove to be the main inspiration for The Rum Diary.
Hunter’s career would end up being launched by his 1966 book Hell’s Angels: The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs. He would be the first journalist to spend a year riding around and living with the notorious gang. During this time he would record their road rallies, home lives, as well as sexual escapades. His main intention was to (in this rare instance) objectively describe the gang while revealing the media’s vicious portrayal of the members.
Hunter is also famous for his book Fear... [continues]
Cite This Essay
- APA
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(2011, 06). Too Weird to Live. StudyMode.com. Retrieved 06, 2011, from http://www.studymode.com/essays/Too-Weird-To-Live-713482.html
- MLA
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"Too Weird to Live" StudyMode.com. 06 2011. 06 2011 <http://www.studymode.com/essays/Too-Weird-To-Live-713482.html>.
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"Too Weird to Live." StudyMode.com. 06, 2011. Accessed 06, 2011. http://www.studymode.com/essays/Too-Weird-To-Live-713482.html.
