Hunter S. Thompson is not exactly an individual that comes to mind when we are asked to consider Classical/Parisian Bohemianism. Sure, he wasn't a member of the Algonquin Round Table, or busy taking pictures of Kiki de Montparnasse, but if we were to compile a list of the American Bohemians of the post-WWII era, Thompson would most definitely be on the list, probably next to Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg.
Thompson was born in Kentucky to a middle-class family. While still young, the death of his father forced the family to endure poverty, and Thompson was unable to finish highschool. After joining the Air Force, he then turned to journalism (immediately following his subsequent "honorable discharge" from the military). Initially working in Pennslyvania, he then moved to NYC and became a copy boy for Time magazine. Thompson also got into the habit of copying works such as The Great Gatsby and A Farewell To Arms to properly dissect famous styles of writing. After being fired from a job in Middletown, NY (Thompson 139), he moved to Puerto Rico, but the newspaper then folded and he moved back to the States. It was during his time traveling the Southwestern U.S that he published pieces in Rogue magazine and became immersed in the Bohemian culture in Big Sur, California. He also published several novels, including The Rum Diary, and several short stories while in California.
His longtime girlfriend Sandra Dawn Conklin soon joined him during a stint in Rio, and they were married an had one son before divorcing after losing five more children. Thompson relocated to Idaho, then San Francisco, where he became caught up in the hippie drug culture. After living (and having a fallout) with the motorcycle group Hell's Angels, Thompson continued to report on the hippies, the convictions of the New Left (Thompson himself was an ardent Socialist and anti-Nixon), and the artistry of the Beat generation. In the 1970's, Thompson settled in Aspen, Colorado and became the pioneer of gonzo journalism (Martin). While in Las Vegas to cover the Mint 400 motorcycle race, a subsequent book called Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas was published, which became Thompson's most famous work and exposed the apparent failure of the 1960's counterculture movement (Woods). The book was further popularized with the release of the film Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas in 1998, starring Thompson's close friend Johnny Depp.
After a failed journalism-based trip to Africa and his descent into fiercely criticizing President Nixon, Thompson's work began to suffer, combined with disorganized assignments with Rolling Stone that strained his relationship with the magazine. In the early 2000's, he wrote a short column for ESPN until he died in 2005. His death was a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Thompson's private funeral was attended by family and close friends, including Johnny Depp, who shot Thompson's ashes out of a cannon atop a tower with a two-thumbed fist as fireworks exploded and "Spirit In The Sky" played in the background ("Hunter Thompson"). Since his death, Thompson's off-the-wall persona and pioneering of Gonzo journalism have continued to inspire legions of writers.
Sources:
Thompson, Hunter (1998). Douglas Brinkley, ed. The Proud Highway: Saga of a Desperate Southern Gentleman (1st ed.). Ballantine Books.
Martin, Douglas (March 16, 2006). "Bill Cardoso, 68, Editor Who Coined 'Gonzo', Is Dead". The New York Times. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
Woods, Crawford (July 23, 1972). "'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas'". The New York Times. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
"Hunter Thompson Blown Sky High". Billboard.com. Retrieved July 30, 2010.
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