02/21/2005

SPIEGEL Surfs the Web

Hunter S. Thompson's Fears and Loathings

Hunter S. Thompson -- journalist, gun-collector, enemy of the state -- committed suicide on Sunday at the age of 67. Most famous for his book about a road-trip/drug orgy through the Nevada desert, "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," he single-handedly invented "gonzo" journalism. We present some links to his writings, interviews and a eulogy.

Author Hunter S. Thompson committed suicide on Sunday. He was 67.

Hunter S. Thompson was known far and wide as a bit of a crank, but his end didn't come as many had likely imagined. The lifestyle portrayed in his numerous writings -- most famously in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas -- might have led to the assumption that a drug overdose lay in store for him somewhere down the road, or perhaps something more glamorous -- a motorcycle accident, a mishap with a powerboat. In the end, it was something prosaic and tragic: the author committed suicide on Sunday at his home in Colordao. A statement released on behalf of his son, Juan, and wife, Anita, said: "Hunter prized his privacy and we ask that his friends and admirers respect that privacy as well as that of his family."

For his many fans, Thompson's death comes as a shock. And he leaves behind a vast body of writing, characterized primarily by his personal style of journalism -- known as "gonzo journalism" -- where he, as the reporter, took central stage. His piece "Fear and Loathing in Elko," a personal essay in which Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas makes an appearance, can be read here. He was also a sharp tongued critic of the George W. Bush administration. Finally, his New York Times obituary can be read here.

The Jacko Papers

You won't have to wait for the next issue of Vanity Fair to get the latest lurid and disturbing details into the very bizarre world of Michael Jackson and his Neverland Ranch. Jackson may be out of the hospital with his case of the flu, but his stomach ache likely continues today following the release by the US Web site The Smoking Gun of 1,903 pages allegedly taken from the sealed grand jury testimony leading up to his indictment on charges of molestation. The team at Smoking Gun told the Los Angeles Times they were scanning the pages and slapping them up online as quickly as they could. "We need a back room full of monkeys to put all this stuff up there," one site founder told the newspaper. Many in the United States -- including the New York Times and Los Angeles Times -- refused to publish excerpts from the purported documents, but the Smoking Gun has had a proven track record in the past of posting authentic documents.

Taking on Christo: The Summerville Gates

The artwork's official mission statement reads: "There are no official opening events. There are no invitations. There are no tickets.This work of art is FREE and for all to enjoy, the same as all of our previous projects." Sound like something Christo might write? Guess again -- it's "The Somerville Gates" done by another artist who only goes by one name: Hargo. But don't dally. While Christo's "The Gates" will be up for sixteen days, Hargo's Sommerville version will only be up "until the cleaning lady comes."

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