I think I like the artwork on his book covers more than the books.
You probably have to be crazy to live the lifestyle he did, and then write about it. I give him credit for that. Many talk about writing but never do it. It's hard work I'm sure, as all artistic efforts usually are.
Hemingway was his hero, and Hemingway went out that way, some speculating he killed himself because he had run out of things to write about.
One saying I've heard concerning the arts is, if you do something long enough it becomes legitimate, meaning you get recognition after doing something over many years. The idea here is, being an artist (or writer) is so difficult to earn a living from, that anyone who sticks with it for so long must have something worth looking at.
So yes, genius and mental instability sometimes go hand in hand. It's like prospecting for gold, not for fun but to make money. It's nuts!!! Many famous writers have considered suicide. Two I can think of offhand are Robert Frost and the German poet Goethe. They didn't kill themselves, but as creative people they thought about it when they were young and dumb. In Frost's case, he was gonna walk into a swamp if the love of his life didn't marry him. Goethe may have been thinking about a woman when he considered suicide.
The overwhelming nature of succeeding in the art world can be and is depressing for those starting out, as there is much rejection practically every move you make, and unless you're very smart, you will be ripped off if you do come up with something good. It is very difficult work for an artist (writer) to make money at their craft. Hunter did it, but I've decided money from art is dependant more on who you know than what you know. I've seen too many good artists go unrecognized. It requires a marketing effort more than anything else I'm convinced. Perhaps more than that it requires humility to keep on going with the creative process.
Lazs said it best though concerning Hunter, who was still using drugs when he should have grown out of that destructive mindset. It is not conducive to a serious artist's well being. This increased the suicide potential greatly imo. It's a shame about Hunter. He wrote some interesting stories and apparently walked the walk when it came to experience and doing. Genius is the message he sent, don't do as I have done.
Les
