I have something in common with noteworthy American journalist and author of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas fame, Hunter S. Thompson. We both bombed our job opportunity with the Vancouver Sun. But Thompson did it in fine, epic style. Behold, a letter from October 1958:
I got a hell of a kick reading the piece Time magazine did this week on The Sun. In addition to wishing you the best of luck, I’d also like to offer my services.
Since I haven’t seen a copy of the “new” Sun yet, I’ll have to make this a tentative offer. I stepped into a dung-hole the last time I took a job with a paper I didn’t know anything about (see enclosed clippings) and I’m not quite ready to go charging up another blind alley.
By the time you get this letter, I’ll have gotten hold of some of the recent issues of The Sun. Unless it looks totally worthless, I’ll let my offer stand. And don’t think that my arrogance is unintentional: it’s just that I’d rather offend you now than after I started working for you.
I appreciate the fact Thompson informs the publication of his preexisting interpersonal peculiarities while using the cover letter as an opportunity to demonstrate his writing skill, albeit in a facetiously passive-aggressive manner. Wait, it gets better:
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.
Some people burn their bridges after leaving a publication. Apparently Thompson preferred to burn them on the way in. But can you imagine sending a cover letter to the CBC in this manner? It’s a refreshing change from the grovelling, scraping form letters of praise predicting a fruitful and harmonious professional relationship filled with rainbow kisses and sunshine dreams.
Yes, and I’m certain that cover letter was “real”.
Of course it was.
Thompson said it was so that settles it. – Right?
After all, a journalist would never lie or stretch the truth (to the point of breaking) just to make himself look good. – Right?
Thompson was a self promoting ass; a drunken, drug addicted, hedonistic Charlie Sheen who looked down his nose at everyone else.
The fact that the journalism community worships and gushes this sack of $***
says a lot about journalists in general.
But then again what else do you expect from a group that gives a pulitzer prize to Ted Rall?
Go for it Raphie baby. It might be your only hope!
Oh, and by the way? Thompson and you are wrong. Journalism is NOT a PROFESSION. It’s an occupation.
REAL(!) professionals must show that they are trained well enough, are educated well enough and
and posssess the necessary skills the enter a profession.
Y’know? Doctors, lawyers, dentists, nurses, accountants.
They also must adhere to agreed upon levels of practice and
ethics if they want to continue to
practice.
Journalists can get the job with a grade eight education
by giving the ditor a BJ then lose their job for lieing
like crazy and get fired and be working
for someone else in the next hour.
So much for standards.
Thompson was not a journalist – he was a cultural critic who wrote for a living. And as a life long fan of Thompson, please, for the love of God, never compare yourself to him again. No-one, and I mean no-one, gets to do that.
I’m not comparing myself to Thompson. Relax.
Are you finished? Or is there more?
Peter, you really missed Adrian’s point. Keep cool.
The letter is from: “The Proud Highway: Saga of a Desperate Southern Gentleman, 1955-1967 (The Fear and Loathing Letters, Vol. 1)”–a wonderful read from before Mr Thompson had gone gonzo for public consumption.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0345377966?ie=UTF8&tag=boingboing0e-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0345377966
Mark
Ottawa
Thanks Mark.
A great letter from one of the truly interesting people of the 60′s. I read Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas shortly after it came out and had to put it down many, many times because I hurt from laughing so hard. Many years later with much real life experience having passed under my keel, I tried to watch the movie and found it depressing. No longer was the off the wall behaviour funny, as depicted in the movie.
Times change and so do people. He was neat as heck in his time.
Pat
I wasn’t a fan of the film either. You can’t translate poetry to motion.
Lot’s more. but for now I’m done. Hey, journalists sneer at everyone else and blather on pointing accusatory fingers and bitching about how everyone else is doing their jobs wrong or living their lives wrong.
Don’t complain when you get some back.
Right, because all journalists are the same, have
the same opinions and work for the same goals.
Are you saying that you are willing to work under Patricia Graham, or was that Hunter S. Thompson? (which would explain why he was suicidal)
“Journalism is NOT a PROFESSION. It’s an occupation.”
Oh so true, john. As a real professional I have a good chuckle every time I read or hear the term “professional journalist”. Their standard of “pro” being that they get paid for producing ideological advertising copy pretending to be issue analysis. The ultimate hypocrisy of course is when they get outraged when someone they disagree with uses innuendo, hearsay, or mockery to make a point.
I disagree with your assessment of HST. Every “occupation” should have at least a few like him in order to point out the weak points, offer alternatives, & make the “occupation” adaptable to an ever changing world. “Journalism” of course missed the point.
“…work for the same goals…”?
I thought the stated !GOAL! of a journalist was
to present objective, accurate, timely FACTS.
Their opinions are not supposed to enter
into it.
(At least that’s what they want us to believe. The reality is far different).
As far as that drunken drug addled, self worshipping ass Thompson?
Please! He made HIMSELF and integral part of every story. The facrs & indeed the story itself were secondary to that self absorbed dick wallowing in his own glorification.