…the almost right word

“I’m really in the way as a person,” he said. “The myth has taken over. I find myself an appendage. I’m no longer necessary. I’m in the way. It would be much better if I died. Then people could take the myth and make films.”

I became enamored with Hunter S. Thompson during my “beat” phase. I read Fear and Loathing, watched the movie a handful of times, and then dove into Tom Wolfe (The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test was an amazing book, and so well written — far superior to I am Charolette Simmons, one of his most recent novels). I compare the two writers only because of a comparison made in the NYTimes article:

“I would argue that Hunter and Tom Wolfe are the two most original voices to come out of journalism in the last century, and it’s no coincidence that they both worked for Jann Wenner at Rolling Stone…”

Indeed, thompson was an original.

“Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson” is a documentary comprised of rare footage (including home movies, audiotapes and excerpts from unpublished writing) and narrated by Johnny Depp. I’ve read repeatedly about Depp’s fascination with Thompson — He spent an extensive period of time living with the man and studying his every move, in order to perfect his performance for “Fear and Loathing.” I caught an interview once, with Depp and Hunter Thompson himself — the similarities between the character in the movie, and the character in real life (because yes, he was a character) were uncanny.

The film is currently awaiting release, but it’s already saved in my queue.

Thompson, whose defects of character could occupy a separate ZIP code, was not just an original, he was also a patriot and a romantic. Working from the far reaches of the culture and often lucidity, Thompson, who died in 2005 at 67, changed the way that much of America thought about itself, in part because his version of journalism threw a grenade at the bland convention of formal balance and straight reporting.