""Despite his name and appearance, Hate isn't what you might expect from a homeless person." (Image by TwoWings.)

Even by Berkeley’s very relaxed standards of behavior, homeless philosopher Mark Hawthorne stands out. Known locally as “Hate Man,” he believes in sharing negative feelings towards others, even while otherwise treating them kindly. He always has a “fuck you” at the ready for anyone who crosses his path, but he had a much larger vocabulary when he was a reporter for the New York Times from 1961 to 1970. How he get from his old life to his current one is the subject of a story by Kathleen Richards and Sandeep Abraham in the East Bay Express. An excerpt:

“Despite his name and appearance, Hate isn’t what you might expect from a homeless person — especially one that greets others with ‘fuck you’ and eats out of garbage cans. He is kind, and his gentle eyes belie the hardened life of decades spent on the streets. He is also thoughtful and clearly educated — not to mention quite a talker.

Some of his followers say they help keep the peace in People’s Park. Hate says he doesn’t like to take handouts from anyone, doesn’t drink, and no longer does drugs. His only vices appear to be Virginia Slims cigarettes, the smoke of which engulfs him in a perpetual halo, and coffee, which he carries in a glass jar and loads up with sugar.

How he went from reporting for The New York Times to leading homeless people in Berkeley as a pseudo prophet involves a long, strange trip and a string of failed relationships. It may sound like a fall from grace, but Hate says he’s exactly where he’s always wanted to be.” (Thanks Longreads.)