Archive Letter: Going All Gonzo

Hunter S. Thompson dedicated his life to pushing things to the limit. In this letter to an editor at Playboy, he reflects on the style of an epic biographical feature he was working on.

  • Words: Avaunt

Hunter S. Thompson was a journalist and author dedicated to pushing things to the limit, both in his art and personal life. Politically minded, he became known for his intense hatred of President Nixon. He ran unsuccessfully for sheriff in Colorado and has been quoted as saying, “I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they’ve always worked for me.”

He committed suicide in 2005 aged 67, and his ashes were fired out of a huge cannon into the atmosphere in a ceremony arranged by his friend, Johnny Depp.

We salute all your wonderful, brave and crazy adventures, Mr. Thompson.

Article taken from
Articles

Further Reading

Unearth

Unrefined beauty: photographs taken from a small plane with its door removed reveal Rotterdam’s ore deposits and oil refineries to be an unexpected wellspring for an imposing abstract series.

Soviet Bus Stops

Photographer Christopher Herwig recounts the epic Central Asian road trips he took over 12 years, covering 30,000km, to document the unique and architecturally experimental Soviet bus stops.

Up Close: The Floating Tongue

Scientists are explorers too, especially those that rely on remote fieldwork to bring back the data necessary to advance their research.

The Man Who Talks to Sperm Whales

James Nestor reports on the astounding qualities of the sperm whale. Working with a highly qualified free diving crew he discovers how we are getting ever closer to communicating with the world's largest predator.

Valentina Tereshkova: Factory Worker to Outer Space

At the age of 26, Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman to have flown in space. Avaunt considers her meteoric rise from textile factory worker to hero of the Soviet Union.

Peter Freuchen

Shot here by Irving Penn in 1947, we commemorate the life of the Danish explorer, author, journalist and anthropologist who discovered Inuit culture, resisted the Nazis and won 'The $64,000 Question'.
Browse by Category