Hunter S. Thompson, creator of Gonzo Journalism, not only is known for his writing, but also for his persona.  Who else would have discrepancies about his birth date?  All sources agree that he was born on July 18, however some say 1937 and others say 1939, still more cite both.  A man born twice? Obviously not, so which is it – only Thompson knows. 

In high school it appeared that Thompson would become an athlete (Whitmer 29).  Instead, a series of arrests would follow.  After an arrest in 1956 for robbery, Thompson was sentenced to sixty days in a correctional facility; after thirty days he was released.  By then it was too late for him to graduate with the rest of his class, and he joined the United States Air Force.  A year later he received his diploma after he was given credit for courses he took while serving.  He also studied journalism at Columbia University in New York.  While enlisted he began his journalism career; he worked as a sports writer and later as editor for the Eglin Air Force Base Newsletter (McKeen 6).  His supervising officer's discovery that Thompson had also been moonlighting for a civilian newspaper was the culminating event that led to his honorable discharge in 1958 (6).

His career continued to include work as the Caribbean correspondent for Time in 1959 and for the New York Herald Tribune from 1959 until 1960 (Contemporary).  Then, in 1961 he became the South American correspondent for the National Observer, which he continued until 1963.  From 1964 to 1966 he worked as the West Coast correspondent for Nation and as a columnist for Ramparts from 1967 through 1968.  He was then a columnist for Scanlan's Monthly from 1969 thru 1970.  At this point he began his position as national affairs editor for Rolling Stone, which lasted until 1984.  In addition, he also worked for High Times as a global affairs correspondent from 1977 until 1982.  For five years from 1985 to 1990, he worked as a media critic for the San Francisco Examiner.  In 1988 he also was editor-at-large for Smart , and he wrote freelance political analysis for various European magazines (Contemporary).

In order to research the Hell's Angels for his first book, Thompson rode with the Angels for almost a year ( Contemporary).  During this time he recorded their road rallies, their home lives, as well as their sexual adventures.  His goal was to objectively describe the gang while, at the same time, exposing the media's role in their brutal reputation.  Yet, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream remains his best-known work.  In this exemplary display of Gonzo Journalism, Thompson provides a "report of an actual experience which was largely fantasy or an actual fantasy which is disguised as report" (Contemporary ).

Not only is Thompson an author and journalist, but he also had a run in politics.  In 1968 he was a candidate for sheriff of Pitkin County, CO; election results were: Glen Ricks, 171 votes, Carrol Whitmer 1533 votes, and Hunter Thompson 1065 votes (Carroll 133).  Even though he was not elected, Thompson was still influential, as he was a member of the sheriff's advisory committee of Pitkin County from 1976 thru 1981.  He is also executive director of the Woody Creek Rod and Gun Club (Contemporary).

Thompson has only married once, to Sandra Dawn Thompson Tarlo on May 19, 1963.  Between 1967 and 1972 Sandra had five miscarriages (Othitis); Thompson only has one living child, Juan Fitzgerald Thompson.  Eventually Thompson's marriage dissolved.  Sandra Dawn Thompson Tarlo later commented that "it was a fiery end.  It had a fiery beginning.  First time it was love.  Last time it was fear" (Carroll 201).

In addition, much media attention has been given to Thompson's use of drugs and conflicts with the law.  In February 1990, he was again the center of media coverage when a woman accused him of sexual assault (Contemporary).  The woman, who was described as an actress, a reporter, and an ex-pornographic film producer, claimed that Thompson assaulted her when she refused to join him in his hot tub. In response, the local police searched Thompson's home; they discovered small quantities of marijuana and cocaine, as well as Valium-like pills, thirty-nine hits of LSD, not to mention an antique Gatling gun, and four sticks of dynamite.  As a result, Thompson was charged with five felonies and three misdemeanors. If convicted, he could have spent up to fifty years in prison.  However, the charges were eventually dismissed ( Contemporary).  Finally, Thompson is represented as Uncle Duke in the comic strip Doonesbury.  Here, exaggerations of his personality as well as lifestyle (and drug use) can be found (Brinkley).

In his introduction to Generation of Swine: Tales of Shame and Degradation in the'80s; Gonzo Papers, Volume Two Thompson provides a glimpse into his writing habits. He states, "I have stolen more quotes and thoughts and purely elegant starbursts of writing from the book of Revelation than anything else in the English language."  He elaborates that "you cannot call the desk at the Mark Hopkins or the Las Vegas Hilton or the Arizona Biltmore and have the bell captain bring up the collected works of Sam Coleridge or Stephen Crane at three o'clock in the morning[… ]It simply takes too much time, and if they've been sending bottles of Chivas up to your room for the past three days, they get nervous when you start demanding things they've never heard of[…]If there is a God, I want to thank Him for the Gideons, whoever they are.  I have dealt with some of His other messengers and found them utterly useless.   But not the Gideons.  They have saved me many times, when nobody else could do anything but mutter about calling Security on me unless I turned out my lights and went to sleep like all the others…" (9-10)

Like any journalist, Thompson had to write in the tiring conditions of constant travel and strange hotels far from home (Thompson 9).   Without a doubt this lifestyle can be exhausting, especially with pressing deadlines.  In fact, Thompson once had his assistant get a tattoo in the middle of the night for the sake of a story (13-15).

Finally, Thompson's use of drugs, alcohol, and his controversial lifestyle are a great part of his writing habits.  Of course, some of the media portrayal of him is embellished.  Thompson himself says, "obviously, my drug use is exaggerated or I would be long since dead"(Thompson interview 107).