Hunter Thompson wrote suicide notes all his life. - William McKeen

Barger thought Hunter provoked Junkie George so that the beating could be used as a gimmick to promote the book.

Now the ashes drifted, as Hunter must have known they would, back toward the guests standing in front of the viewing pavilion. As the guests stood holding their glasses, the ash floated and settled into their drinks.

The latest firing had put him at a crossroads: he could continue with the fantasy of being a writer, or he could actually make the commitment.