Hunter S. Thompson's Application to The Vancouver Sun

by Jordan Yerman | October 1, 2010 at 01:11 pm

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Gonzo Journalist Hunter S. Thompson Applied to Work for The Vancouver Sun

Oh, what could have been. Hunter S. Thompson, gonzo journalist whose Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas is a staple of modern American literature, once applied to work at The Vancouver Sun.

In his application letter, sent to then-editor Jack Scott, Thompson wrote, "It's a long way to British Columbia, but I think I'd enjoy the trip."

The enclosed clippings should give you a rough idea of who I am. It's a year old, however, and I've changed a bit since it was written. I've taken some writing courses from Columbia in my spare time, learned a hell of a lot about the newspaper business, and developed a healthy contempt for journalism as a profession.

As far as I'm concerned, it's a damned shame that a field as potentially dynamic and vital as journalism should be overrun with dullards, bums, and hacks, hag-ridden with myopia, apathy, and complacence, and generally stuck in a bog of stagnant mediocrity. If this is what you're trying to get The Sun away from, then I think I'd like to work for you.

While we admire Thompson's confidence in this letter, we must caution job-seekers against striking such a contrary tone, especially when submitting unsolicited applications.

It's unclear if Ralph Steadman ever applied to work for The Georgia Straight.