Aspen History: Hunter S. Thompson at home in 1968

On June 27, 1968, the Aspen Times ran a special report on author Hunter S. Thompson. It begins by describing the start of Thompson’s day: “Late, with the mid-day sun still ray-gunning the log house, Hunter S. Thompson rolls out from sleep, from bed, from whatever work he might or might not have down the night before, moves through the shower and emerges from book-laden house wearing shades and a white towel… onto the large porch where breakfast waits beside a battered typewriter, high up in Woody Creek. The sounds of the Jefferson Airplane blare from inside and, breakfast gone through, he changes into khaki shorts and a striped tee shirt and zing he flips open the first beer can of the day… the menace is loose again […] ‘I have to decide how I’m going to write this book before I start writing it. It’s a process of discovery. Random House is paying for my education. If you don’t learn from these things, it’s no fun.’ Thompson thinks a good novelist can come closer to the truth than a good journalist if he knows enough about his subject. ‘If you could combine a novelist’s talent and a journalist’s information, the possibilities are tremendous. Actually, most people’s lives could be turned into a novel, but very few people can write novels – not good ones, anyway. I’m not even sure I can. We’ll see.'” The image above shows Hunter Thompson in Aspen in 1970.