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THOMPSON: And I hope those who visit Owl Farm, it helps them find their own voice. The other part will be a place where writers and musicians can stay and work on long-term projects. After renovations, one side of the house will become a museum. WOODCOCK: Johnny Depp, by then a close friend, did buy 800 boxes of Thompson's archives. Would you throw Mark Twain's gum wrapper away (laughter)? What, do you save every gum wrapper? And I said, well, why do I have to make any decisions about what to save and what to throw away? I just simply don't throw anything away. THOMPSON: My lawyer asked me - he said, so you're saving all the manuscripts and letters and photos and why - the beer cans. While she was away, she realized the significance of Owl Farm as a literary landmark. WOODCOCK: Anita left to finish her bachelor's degree in New York, coming home once a month to check up on things. Even if I knew that wasn't true, it did bring me comfort. I just felt like maybe if I left everything as it is somehow he would come back. WOODCOCK: Anita Thompson kept everything the way the writer left it because it provided a sense of stability for her during a frightening time, even the massive amount of ammunition Hunter had. THOMPSON: It's been a pleasure to unearth some things, you know, in the files and learn more about the love of my life through his history. And even after his death, she's still uncovering new things about him. WOODCOCK: Hunter hired Anita about two decades ago to help with his archives. JOHNNY DEPP: (As Raoul Duke) We had two bags of grass, 75 pellets of mescaline, five sheets of high-powered blotter acid. (SOUNDBITE OF FILM, 'FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS') Here's actor Johnny Depp playing Raoul Duke, one of Thompson's drug-addled personas in the 1998 film adaptation of 'Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas.' Thompson was known for gonzo journalism, writing without any pretense of objectivity with the reporter as part of the story and, in his case, a reputation for being difficult. He understood from an early age that acting on your thoughts and on all the things you want to do for the world and for yourself and to make the world a better place - you need to act, whether that be writing or protesting or resisting. THOMPSON: And it says, character is action on both sides in Hunter's handwriting. The wall above his desk is covered with Polaroids, press passes and letters. For a long time, she let very few people in here. WOODCOCK: It's been a journey for Thompson's widow, Anita, since her husband's suicide more than a decade ago.

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He would spend up to 16 hours a day in this room writing articles for Rolling Stone and cult classics like 'Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas.'ĪNITA THOMPSON: Well, this room is full of history. It's in the basement area of his home in Woody Creek near Aspen, Colo. Aspen Public Radio's Claire Woodcock took a look for our Backstage Pass series.ĬLAIRE WOODCOCK, BYLINE: Hunter S. Now she's turning it into a museum and artist's retreat. She's left his home office pretty much as is.

Thompson died 12 years ago, his widow couldn't bring herself to touch anything.

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