Hunter S. Thompson Commits Suicide
On February 20, Hunter S. Thompson, the originator of "gonzo journalism," committed suicide. He was found dead in his Woody Creek, Colorado house with a self-inflicted gun wound to the head.
Thompson was best known for his book, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, which was made into a movie starring Johnny Depp in 1998.
I think it is funny how "gonzo" writing was created. Thompson was on an assignment at the Kentucky Derby, and he hadn't written a sentence. Instead of throwing in the towel, he just ripped some pages out of his journal, numbered them, and sent them to the printers. Luckily, he wasn't fired, and instead became a journalism icon!
Unfortunately, no one knows why the 67 year old Thompson committed suicide. It is hard for me, personally, to imagine an elderly person committing suicide since I always associate the act with people like Kurt Cobain or Ian Curtis. Not just tortured sould, but also young souls. I still feel terrible for the man ...