[k-mcgrady]

Is this the Hunter Thompson quote you're referring to?

“We are all wired into a survival trip now. No more of the speed that fueled that 60's. That was the fatal flaw in Tim Leary's trip. He crashed around America selling "consciousness expansion" without ever giving a thought to the grim meat-hook realities that were lying in wait for all the people who took him seriously... All those pathetically eager acid freaks who thought they could buy Peace and Understanding for three bucks a hit. But their loss and failure is ours too. What Leary took down with him was the central illusion of a whole life-style that he helped create... a generation of permanent cripples, failed seekers, who never understood the essential old-mystic fallacy of the Acid Culture: the desperate assumption that somebody... or at least some force - is tending the light at the end of the tunnel.”

[metaphorm]

leave to Hunter S. Thompson of all people to throw a little __sobriety__ into the conversation. Somebody had to say it and he said it well.

[scrame]

Well, not "of all people".

Hunter S. Thompson has that reputation from younger people as "crazy guy who did lots of drugs". That was part of it, but his reputation came from his writing and journalism. He created a new, influential style of gonzo journalism[1] where he was openly opinionated and wrote with emotional attachment, and certainly some exaggeration.

That he's remembered as "crazy guy on drugs" instead of "great writer" or "trenchant journalist" shows very well the pop culture drift that happens with public figures.

Thompson was a standout writer with a brilliant critical eye towards society and found much of it disagreeable. That he found a way to relate that to his contemporary generation is shown by his body of work.

That he's remembered as a "drug guy", so a critique of Timothy Leary is surprising is ... too bad.

Check out "Hell's Angels" or "Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72", if you've got the time.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gonzo_journalism

[lostlogin]

Don't forget Rum Diary.

[mylons]

really glad you pointed this out. I had to run to my copy of Kingdom of Fear after reading the Leary quote and get away from the internet after reading some of this stuff.

My favorite passage is kind of a combination of the crazy guy, eloquent and beautiful writer, with deep and insightful commentary: http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/1074-strange-memories-on-thi...

[metaphorm]

of course, you're exactly right. there is a lot of nuance and depth to Hunter and many people wrongly conflate the man himself with his character Raoul Duke, who was a hyperbolic representation of Hunter's own libertine tendencies.

that said, yeah man, he really did do a lot of drugs, and wrote about it too. he was, however, a much more grounded and reasonable person than Tim Leary, and to his credit. Leary's excesses poisoned the well for a generation.

[steauengeglase]

Yep. It's been a while since I read that.