Portrait of the Gonzo journalist as a swimming fool: who knew?

All quotes from Gonzo [Wenner / Seymour], which is overall better than you've heard; like most "oral biographies" I've seen (especially Plimpton's Capote thing from a decade or so ago), its primary fault is rhetorical flab.

Who knew that the good doctor was so crazy for chlorinated water?

Richard Goodwin: But at Hickory Hill, i'd wake up and look out the window, and there would be Hunter in the swimming pool. I found out later that Ethel (Kennedy) was a little worried about Hunter's presence around the kids – but mostly he just swam. [p189]

Ralph Steadman: On the night of the fight [Ali-Frazier in Zaire], Hunter had a big bag of marijuana, and he took a bottle of Glenfiddich I had bought him down to the pool with a bucket of ice nd the bag, threw the marijuana into the pool ... and dived in and just hung by the side of the pool, smoking and drinking and loving the whole meaningless nature of it. [p 191]

Patti Stranahan: ...we used to let him swim in our pool every night. He was quiet, and he could do whatever he needed to. [p 275]

Marilyn Manson: ...he really, really wanted to come to my hous eto get in my swimming pool, which I had told him was as hot as a Jacuzzi. [p 407]