Rockin’ in the free world: Gorbachev, poppies and the death of Kurt Cobain
If you really want to know about Nirvana – from who killed Kurt Cobain to the rise of grunge and the Generation X tag – don’t listen to the conspiracy theories; ask a historian. The news of Kurt Cobain’s suicide broke 20 years ago today. The anniversary of his death – which probably…
One from the vault: Testing Salvia Divinorum for science
Back in 1998, I was part of a team of academics, medics, journalists and psychonauts who created a TV documentary series called Sacred Weeds. Over the years, the series has since become something of a cult item. First shown on Channel 4 in the UK and syndicated around the world, Sacred Weeds…
Premiere: Official preview clip from ‘The Notorious Mr Bout’
There’s a great documentary feature film on arms smuggler Viktor Bout at Sundance 2014 this week. I’m part of it, but don’t let that put you off – it’s by the team who made the award-winning Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer last year. There’s more detail below, but in the meantime, here’s the…
Film: Feature documentary ‘The Notorious Mr Bout’ to premiere at Sundance
[Update to this story 12/1/14: The Notorious Mr Bout has just been added to the BBC’s Storyville season for 2015/16.] The Notorious Mr Bout, a feature-length documentary film on ‘Merchant of Death’ Viktor Bout – in which I appear and on which I consulted – is to premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.…
Crime & corruption: Are you a terrorist? If Yes, please tick box below…
Ever get the creeping feeling that the fight against corruption, money laundering and tax avoidance are doomed? Well, you’d be right. And here – in one phone call – is why. I had a conversation with my bank about money laundering today. I denied everything, naturally. Well, you would, wouldn’t you? These…
Do you know these men? Andrew Lahde and Colonel Millard Peck
I’m posting this here in the hope that someone has information on a couple of cold trails. I’ve been looking for more than a year, but they’ve disappeared off the face of the Earth. So here goes: one last attempt to track these guys down before I press send. I’m desperately trying to find/contact vanished…
1,217 words for absence
Lena is a close friend. She’s been my friend for more than 20 years now, so I’m lucky. She’s a beautiful, playful, kind, lovably geeky girl/woman – from Uganda by way of North London’s Jubilee line Big Yellow Storage hinterlands, then Gloucestershire, Cambridge and the Big Smoke. We were flatmates for years – the…
New book for pre-order: ‘F*** You & Goodbye: The Dark, Moving & Often Hilarious History of the Resignation’
I’ve been waiting for this day. My new book of non-fiction is finally available on Amazon for pre-order as a print hardback. I’ve just signed off on the cover, and here it is. (Click to enlarge). Titled F*** You & Goodbye: The Dark, Moving & Often Hilarious History of the Resignation, it’s…
The real reason I write: In praise of ‘threshold apprehension’
The cover for my next book arrived today. Any writer will tell you: the arrival of their new book’s cover is an exciting moment. Me, I’ve always found it a little bit poignant too. Up to this point, it’s all about the making. There are routes to take; ways to turn things. The…
DOWNLOAD: Cool fabricator: The strange and beautiful case of Tom Kummer
In the course of researching my new book on resignations, I’ve been wading through a lot of parting shots from journalists. Well, they have the public forum. Most of us pass through our careers without leaving a trace. We speak as representatives. We curtail our language. We stick to the script. This makes workplaces…