by Samual Seward

Created on: February 10, 2009   Last Updated: February 12, 2009

Too Weird to Live, too Rare to Die

"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro," was a slogan used by Hunter S. Thompson. This quote explains the life of a very influential journalist. Coming from humble beginnings in Kentucky, Hunter S. Thompson escaped his poverty driven lifestyle and became an author receiving many accolades throughout his career. Even though his lifestyle was driven with booze and drugs, Thompson created a form of journalism that was reminiscent of his erratic behavior. Throughout his life, Hunter became an idol of many and loathed by countless people.

Born July 18, 1937 to Jack and Virgina Thompson in Louisville Kentucky, Thompson would undergo many events that would shape his life creating his powerful persona bringing him to his present position of a literary genius. Thompson was always interested in sports, playing football and basketball throughout his early years and would continue his passion as a sports journalist. When Thompson was fourteen his father died of myasthenia gravis leaving Virgina to take care of Hunter and his two brothers, Davison and James. Hunter's friends believe that after his father's death is the turning point to where Hunter became a heavy drinker and would eventually slip in school leaving him in trouble throughout his high school career.

Hunter first attended high school at Atherton and after his father's death; he transferred to Louisville Male High School where Hunter first became interested in the classics such as The Great Gatsby. Hunter became a member of a literary society known as the Athenaeum
Literary Association, which also doubled as a social club. This is where Hunter became involved with the wealthy upper class, always attempting to lose the stigma of being a poor lower class individual. Hunter contributed many articles to the yearly literary magazine named The Spectator. Fleeing from an accident at his job, where he wrecked the truck of the boss, Hunter joined the Air Force in 1955 after spending thirty days in the Louisville county jail after being charged as an accessory to armed robbery, which he did not commit.

Hunter took his basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas and was later transferred to Scott Air Force bas in Illinois to study electronics. In 1956, Hunter was forced to transfer to Eglin Air Force Base in Pensacola, Florida. This is where Thompson received his first job as a journalist becoming the sports editor of the base's newspaper The Command Courier.

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