Although I never tried to emulate his writing—who could?—Hunter S. Thompson was a huge influence on me. We studied him in a Journalism school class on “new journalism,” the notion of reporting from the inside looking out (also practiced by writers like Gay Talese). I read every Rolling Stone piece, I bought every collection of his works, and I followed his exploits with admiration. Thompson worked and lived by his own rules. I’ll miss his writing. I’ll miss just knowing he’s around.