Remembering Hunter S. Thompson

Hunter S. Thompson, the counterculture literary icon who rode with the Hells Angels, famously chronicled the Nixon-McGovern presidential race, and coined the phrase "gonzo journalism," is dead.

In a statement issued by his son Juan, Thompson took his life with a gunshot to the head at his fortified compound in Woody Creek, Colorado. He was 67 years old.

Thompson is best known for his 1972 classic "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas." He rejected the idea that reporters should stay on the margins looking in, but become part of the stories they cover. In his frequent drug and alcohol induced hazes, Thompson saw big truths about politics, values, and how we live our lives and keep messing up in this country.

Hear about the life and literary legacy of Hunter S. Thompson.

Guests:

Loren Jenkins, senior foreign editor at NPR, long-time friend of Hunter S. Thompson;

John Pauly, professor of communication at St. Louis University, author of forthcoming book "The New Journalism: The Unexpected Triumph of the Long-Form Narrative";

Larry Kramer, who was Hunter Thompson's editor at The San Francisco Examiner from 1986-1999;

Eric Gillin, editor at The Black Table, met with Hunter Thompson in 2000;

David McCumber, Managing Editor at the Seattle Post Intelligencer, edited two of Thompson's books and served as his editor at The San Francisco Examiner