
TV Interview: Carlo Arrechea – Roling With The Punches, Or SWAT Goes Around…

Music Interview: Luka 120 – Hip Hop Gospel, Or Going Mega In Monaco

Music Interview: Cantrel – Attracted By Energy, Or A Downhill Success

Film Interview: Michael Phelps – The Weight Of Gold, Or When All Is Going Swimmingly

Film Interview: Julian Lennon – Kiss The Ground, Or Now Is The Time To Soil Yourself

Film Interview: Chris Pine – Wondering Wherefore, Or Steve Is Stunned

Author Interview: Tim Richman – Highlighting Halfwits, Or Sketching Around Scaffolding

Film Interview: Will Forte – Scoob!, Or Dedicated Dogsbody

Music Interview: Sya Zwide – Isiqubulo, Or Arrival Announced

Music Interview: Jann Klose – Pilot Light, Or Prince Of Storytelling

Book Extract: Maggie – War Stories, Or Seeking To Survive

Author Interview: David Bristow – Big Pharma, Dirty Lies, Busy Bees And Eco Activists, Or Of Profits, Power And Poop

TV Interview: Emma Thompson – Years And Years, Or Just When Everything Was Going So Orwell

Music Interview: Out Cry – Where We Began, Or Songs United

Comedy Interview: Alan Committie – The Lying King, Or Peer To Peer Cheer

Music Interview: AC/DC – Power Up, Or Malcolm In The Middle

Music Interview: Gerry Mancuso – Prophesy Progressively, Or Riding The 3rd Entry Wave

Film Interview: Tracey-Lee Oliver – Kaalgat Karel, Or Enjoying A Winning Streak

Music Interview: December Streets – Last Forever, Or Of Layers And Love Lost

Book Extract: Mykonos – Emotions Revealed, Or Trouble In Paradise

Author Interview: Kelechi ‘Kay Kay’ Uchendu – Bully Friends, Or Avoiding Unfashionable Behaviour

Music Interview: BLVD HVNNY – Nocturne, Or The Movement Of The Muse

Book Extract: How Much Of These Hills Is Gold, Or Partners In Pilfering

Music Interview: Amersham – Cute As A Button, Or Connected By Magic Thread

Music Interview: Mi Casa – We Made It, Or On The Eve Of J’Something Better

Music Interview: Riaan Pretorius – Obsessie, Or Removing The Facade

Writing: Colleen Higgs – My Mother, My Madness, Or Processed Via Publishing

Music Interview: Victor Bravo – Suiderkruis, Or Ode To What You Know

Author Interview: Rick Pontz – 103 Pilgrims, Or A Plymouth To Feed

Music Interview: One Voice – Wake Up, Or A Message Four Ways

Movie Interview: Ken Jeong – The Dog Days Of Scoob!, Or Mutt-See Viewing

Music Interview: Nathan Smith – Closer To Decisions, Or Reflecting On Relationships

Music Interview: James Deacon – Reason To Create, Or A Bad Future Made Good

Author Interview: David Mitchell – Utopia Avenue, Or Psychedelic Psojourn

Author Interview: Jacob Dlamini – The Terrorist Album, Or Investigating Apartheid’s Afterlife

Author Interview: Bryan Andrews – Mykonos Musings, Or Invocation For Inspiration

Music Interview: Hot Water – Bringing It Home, Or Ballad For A Benefit

Author Interview: Philippa Garson – Undeniable, Or Behind The Bloodshed

Music Interview: Mark Olson – Magdalen Accepts The Invitation, Or Of Impressions, Isolation And Ingunn

Film Interview: Frances Sholto-Douglas – Kissing Connections, Or The Thrill Of The Space

Author Interview: Bret Michaels – Auto-Scrap-Ography, Or Stadium-Sized Sensitivity

Author Interview: Norma Young – We Need More Tables, Or Lining Up Layered Learning

Music Interview: Jacques Moolman – Into The Rain, Or Honesty Is The Best Melody

Music Interview: Tatum – Unholy, Or Problems With Perspectives

Music Interview: Julie Elody – All Or Nothing, Or Brave Enough To Be Still

Book Extracts – Time Mavericks Series, Or Yes, It’s A Time Of Trial

Music Interview: Jarrad Ricketts – Midnight Missive, Or A Creative Comfort

Music Interview: Vinnie Vidal – Classical Style, Or Versed In Vibe

Book Extract: The Rise And Fall Of South Africa, Or A Psyche For Success

Film Interview: Kenneth Branagh – Tenet Is Central, Or Time Out Of Line

Film Interview: Richard Gau – All About Aya, Or Towards The Truth

Film Interview: Chantelle Barry – Me And My Left Brain, Or The Craft In The Character

TV Interview: Rico Torres – Penny Dreadful, Or Operating Outside The Norm

Music Interview: Liane Keck – Completely In Luxe, Or All Bases Covered

Book Extract: Will by Barbara Adair – Airport Observations, Or Flight Of Fancy

Music Interview: Phil Gregory – On English Country’s Side, Or A Man Of Nephew’s Words

Music Interview: Scatterchild – Parallel Lines, Or Aiming For Obliquity

Author Interview: Mo And Phindi Grootboom – Married To The Job, Or The Family That Writes Together…

Dance: Gaby Saranouffi – You Looking At #MOI?, Or Mentored To Move

Art Interview: Lindani Nyandeni – Maternal Motivation, Or A Pedestal For Portraiture

Music Interview: Yahto Kraft – Love Beyond Lockdown, Or Ugly As Sing

Music Interview: Sincerely Anne – She’s On Fire, Or Wondering At Women

Book Extract: Dingiswayo – To The Heart Of Heritage, Or Chief Among Narratives

Music Interview: Quincy Megas – Did It Again, Or Living The G-Eazy Life

Book Extract: Three Hours – A Good Day Marred, Or Snow And Strain

TV Interview: Vicky Jones – Run, Or Why Training Is Important

Author Interview: Tom Eaton – It *Is* Him, Or In Examination Of Attitudes

Music Interview: Jimmy Nevis – Hey Jimmy, Or Looking Forward To The Weeknd

Music Interview: Alexa Ray – Begin Again, Or A Soundtrack To Starting Over

Book Extract: Is It Me Or Is It Getting Hot In Here?

Theatre Interview: Antony Coleman – Endangered, Or Recollecting The Future

Music Interview: Francis Onah – Iripia, Or A Song Of Survival

Music Interview: Parable Fifteen – Telling Your Heart, Or Parallel Storytelling

Author Interview: Rosamund Lupton – Three Hours, Or Of Stories And Sieges

Music Interview: Dave Starke – Shifting Boundaries, Or Taylor-Made

Music Interview: Rise In Red – Personal Progression, Or Living In Between The Lines

TV Interview: Jack Stein – Wine, Dine And Stein, Or Walking A Wine Line

Music Interview: Stefani – Undone, Or Acting Like What You Aren’t

Music Interview: Parts X Fiction – The Tide, Or Trying To Take The Time

Artist Interview: Pitika Ntuli – Return To The Source, Or Inspired To The Marrow

Theatre Interview: Dolly Louw – Nine Times A Lady, Or Panto Persistence

Music Interview: Craig Urbani – I Might Like It, Or Working On The Cheyne Gang

Music Interview: Alexandra May – Typical Girl, Or Take Stories And Add Sparkle

Book Extract: We Need More Tables – Proving Poverty, Or Deciding To Dignify

Theatre Interview: Michelle Douglas – BreaThing Space, Or A Schreiner To Storytelling

TV Interview: Chantal Herman – Down On The Riviera, Or Liz And Let Live

Art Interview: Christie Smith – Inspiration That Resinates, Or Wedged Into A New Niche

Author Interview: Asha Tarry – Adulting As A Millennial, Or Live To Tell The Story

Music Interview: Faraway George – Burnt And Found, Or Engage All Senses

Music Interview: Nic Olsen – Atom Man, Or Into The Abstract, Old Son

Theatre Interview: Kiruna-Lind Devar – Cinderella, Or Living The Fairy Tale

Book Extract: Stuff We Wish We Knew Before Getting Married, Or Finance And Your Future

Music Interview: The Shabs – We’ve All Been There, Or Don’t Do It Alone

Film Interview: Bryan Stevenson – Just Mercy: Inspired By Inequality, Or To Kill A Mistake

Music Interview: Werner Bekker – Withdrawal Symptoms, Or Quitting Is For Winners

Film Interview: Jason Collett- The Devil All The Time, Or Both Here Noir There

Music Interview: Shania Twain – On The Go Again, Or Still Believing

Music Interview: Josh Middleton – Caught Up, Or Juggling Conversations

Author Interview: Jane Kirsten – A Lute Of Eleven Strings, Or Celebrating Sweet 16th…Century

Music interview: Jack And June – Light The Way, Or Aiming For Ease

Author Interview: Joseph And Justine Simmons – Old School Love, Or Write This Way

Music Interview: Ashlinn Gray – Best Friend, Or Love Yourself First

Author Interview: Eric George de Jong – Running Dogs And Rose’s Children, Or In Search Of A Stand-Out

Music Interview: Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins – TLC Is Good For You, Or Oil Be Alright

Book Extract: Wanderings – Bajić Instinct, Or Hitting A Homer Run

Music Interview: Frances Clare – Time To Go, Or Of Words And Work

TV Interview: Tom Perrotta – Mrs Fletcher, Or Sex And The Single Mom

Music Interview: Josh Wantie – Throwing Out A Lifeline, Or Loving What Is Lost

Author Interview: Jesmane Boggenpoel – Two’s A Charm, Or When Twin Sets Remain In Fashion

Theatre Interview: Vanessa Williams – City Of Angels, Or Settled In The Sunshine

Book Extract: Endgame – Long Road Ahead, Or Whisky A Go-Go

Music Interview: Them Dirty Shrikes – When November Comes, Or Diamond Is A Girl’s Best Song

Music Interview: Arno Carstens – Don’t Let It Be Out Of The Blue, Or Doing Double Duty

TV: Liev Schrieber – Ray Donovan The Seventh, Or The Life Of Liev

Author Interview: Rick Ross – Reaping The Hurricane, Or Of Hustlin’ And Having

Music Interview: Mike Scott – Careful Chemistry, Or An Eye On The Whole Of The Tune

Theatre Interview: Bernard Jay – The Color Purple: Mauve On The Move, Or Perspectives On Progress

Music Interview: Christian Heath – Here I Am, Or Into The Stream

Music Interview: Toya DeLazy – Grooves And Grime, Or Having All The Funani

Author Interview: Deepak Chopra – Learnings On Loneliness, Or The Significance Of Support

Music Interview: Jeri Silverman – Fall For This, Or Synthesizing A Stand-Out

Theatre Interview: Siya Mayola – “Master Harold” And The Boys, Or Where Process Meets Perspective

Book Extract: The Mourning Bird – Aching And Adulting, Or Getting The Porridge Just Right

TV Interview: Patricia Boyer – Lockdown, Or Play Ball Or Get Sued

Music Interview: Doc Maclean – Out Of The Blues, Or All We Hear Is Radio N’Ganga

TV Interview: Steven Spielberg And Alex Gibney – Why We Hate, Or Hope Beyond Horror

Theatre Interview: Chris Djuma – Kings Of The World, Or Conversations With Character

Theatre Interview: Sharon Spiegel-Wagner – Loving You, Or Connecting Through Compositions

Theatre Interview: Kristian Lavercombe – Mingling With The Riff Raff, Or The Joy Of The Job

Author Interview: Steven Boykey Sidley – Leaving Word, Or Roles Re-Written

Film Interview: Dennis Quaid – Midway: Free Enterprise, Or Full Of Bull

Music Interview: Janie Bay – Almost There, Or Perpetually Arriving

Book Extract: I Am Costa – From Meth To Marathons, Or Building (Around The ) Blocks

Music Interview: Matinino – Artworks That Don’t Expire, Or Alternative Anger Expressed

TV Interview: Byron Mann And Tzi Ma – Wu Assassins, Or For The Times, They Are Now Asian

Film Interview: Ian McKellen – The Good Liar, Or Deciding What To Display

Music Interview: Justin Serrao – Perfect Stranger, Or Going To The Country

Theatre Interview: Germandt Geldenhuys – Every Dame Of The Week, Or The Deal’s In The Dialogue

Book Extract: Magirus – The Story Of A Second-Class Citizen, Or Beyond The Band

Music Interview: John Tsenoli – Oh Boy, Or Caring About Us

Author Interview: Tony Park – Reach Out For Research, Or Hunting The Ghost Of A Story

Film Interview: Todd Phillips – Joker, Or Joaquin The Walk

Music Interview: Wandile Mbambeni – Tell Me, Or Live Is Lovely

TV Interview: Debi Mazar – Younger While Older, Or Starring For Star

Extract – Verwoerd: My Journey Through Family Betrayals – Dutch Reform, Or Outside The Laager

Music Interview: Go The Rodeo – MK Computed, Or Bona Fide For The Fans

Theatre Interview: Brian d’Arcy James – The Ferryman: Jez Because, Or Beyond The Troubles

Book Extract: Holding The Fort by Toni Strasburg – The Parents Trapped, Or Having A Gaol Time

Author Interview: Louis Giglio – Never Forsaken: Fulfilled By A Father, Or Dealing With Daddy Issues

Author Interview: Robert Prior – The Power Of Comparison: Prior Knowledge, Or Faith In Flexibility

Music Interview: Carmen Rodrigues – Let It All Go, Or Get It All Back Through Music

Music Interview: Pierre Greeff – Cutting Through The Noise, Or Dealing With Disappointment

Film Interview: IT Chapter Two – Choosing The Children, Or A Clown Completed

Theatre Interview: Justin Swartz And James McPhail – Ensemble The Troops, Or Enjoying The First Act

TV Interview: Raven-Symoné – To The Genre Born, Or Going Behind The Screens

Book Extract: Life Interrupted – Relationship Noir, Or Loved To Seth

Book Extract: The Real Interior – Prosper For Papa, Or Don’t Mess With Mama

Theatre Interview: Musanete Sakupwanya – Forever Plaid: Catholic Ambitions, Or In Harmony With His Craft

Theatre Interview: Ben Voss – Benny Bushwhacker: Constantly Creating, Or Enjoying Taking The Pith

TV Interview: Robin Givens – Enduring Ambitions, Or The Art Of Givens Takes

Book Extract: Life Through The Bars – Improving Incarceration, Or Understanding Contexts For Crimes

Music Interview: Caroline Leisegang – My Body Of Preludes: Keys To Success, Or Enjoying The Richter Scales

Theatre Interview: Joseph Gerassi – Redfest, Or The Art Of Education

Music Interview: Oystercatcher – One Plus One Is More, Or Pearls Of Rhythm

Music Interview: Crimson House – Bounceology: Imagine The Possibilities, Or Deep In The Red

Theatre Interview: Craig Morris – Play List, Or All Work And More Plays

Theatre Interview: Earl Gregory – Kinky Boots, Or To Truly Be In Another’s Shoes

Music Interview: Sean Koch – Your Mind Is A Picture, Or Aiming Outside The Frame

Film Interview: The Kitchen – If You Can’t Stand The Heat, Get Out Of The Gang

Art: SculptX – Art Is All Around Us, Or Foundry Footage

Music Interview: Zolani Mahola – The One Who Sings, Or A Journey Of A Thousand Miles Begins With A Solo Step

Music Reviews: Who’s That Guy Ben, Or Fire 4 Ever

Music Interview: PHFat – Sex, Love And Heartbreak, Or Aspects Of Love (But Not That One)

Theatre Interview: Jaco Van Rensburg – From Passion To Production, Or Bringing Theatre Into The Digital Age

Music Interview: Werner Bekker – Songs And Storytelling, Or A Broken Man Under Construction

Theatre Interview: Pieter-Dirk Uys – #HeTwo: He’s With Her, Or No Fixed Agender

Theatre Interview: Sharon Spiegel-Wagner – Tinder For A Flame, Or Igniting A Light In The Dark

Theatre Interview: Ashleigh Harvey – Best Play To Date, Or Swiping Write

Book Extract: Recover From Burnout, Or Too Much For No Good

Art Interview: Mari Dartnall – Adriaan Boshoff Museum, Or All The Treasures Of The Orient

Film Interview: Ry Russo-Young – The Sun Is Also A Star, Or Love Knows No Borders
The Sun Is Also A Star is a 2019 American teen drama film directed by Ry Russo-Young and written by Tracy Oliver, based on the young adult novel of the same name by Nicola Yoon. The film stars Yara Shahidi and Charles Melton, and follows a young couple who fall…

Theatre Interview: Alan Swerdlow – Family Secrets, Or Soap Up, Sonny

Music Interview: The Shabs – Acoustic Acceleration, Or Symbiotic Storytellers

Television Interview: Pam Grier – Self-Sufficient Certainty, Or Rural Resonance

TV Interview: Kate Fleetwood – Sulking Sibling, Or Opening The Feodora

Music Interview: Zacas – Turning The Corner, Or Of Folk And Fraternity

Theatre Interview: Carmen Pretorius – Hart And Soul, Or Making Fickleness Forgivable

Author Interview: Deon Maas – Witboy In Berlin: Adventures In The First World, Or Of Immigration And Immersion

Film Interview: David F Sandberg – Shazam!, Or Hello Hero With Humour

TV Interview: Rita Moreno – One Day At A Time, Or Viva Hispania!

Extract: The Senior Adviser – Pirates And Plunder, Or Of Treasure And Terrorism

Theatre Interview: Victor Trevino – Men In Tutus: To The Victor Go The Questions, Or Eloelling At Ballet

Theatre Interview: Natasha Sutherland – Brutal Legacy: Going, Going, Go On

Theatre Interview: Ashleigh Butcher – Hen Party, Or Uke Can Do Anything

Book Extract: Dead Of Night, Or Things Aren’t Looking Good, Sausage

Music Interview: Michael Buble – Learning From Life, Or Living To Love

Music Interview: Richard Shelton – Sinatra And Me, Or To Be Frank

Artist Interview: Willie Bester – Burning Issues, Or Running With The Wolf

Film Interview: Mario Van Peebles – Armed And Intelligent, Or Think Before You Shoot

Music Interview: Schalk Joubert – Jazz In The Quad, Or In Woordfees And Deed

Music Interview: Katie Anne Mitchell – The Many Lives Of Mockingbird, Or Of Folk And Feathers

Music Interview: Imogen Heap – Instant Rewards, Or The Gloves Are On

Music Interview: Ard Matthews – Together Alone, Or The Power Of Positive Playing

Music Interview: Guitar Wizards – Anything Acoustic, Or Kings Of Six Strings

Theatre Interview: Kate Normington – Into The Woods: Speaking Smooth Sondheim, Or Witch Way Forward?

Art Interview: Skin Deep, Or Fleshing Out A Philosophy

Music Interview: James Stewart & Stephen “Sugar” Segerman – Getting Sweet On Songcraft, Or An Un-Usual Combination

Theatre Interview: Michele Maxwell – Hard-Boyled, Or Cooped Up And Conservative

Book Interview: Mel B – Escape From Abuse, Or Honesty Is The Spice Of Life

Music Interview: David Guetta – Lucky Number Seven, Or The Man To Beat

Theatre Interview: Bianca Flanders – History Highlighted, Or A Story Remembered For Eva

Film Interview: Olivia Colman – The Favourite, Or Finding Out If Anne Can

Book Extract: There Goes English Teacher, Or Interesting Korea Change

Music Interview: Paula Abdul – Straight Up Revived, Or Dancing To A New Beat

Book Extract: The Horns – Evolution Of A Theory, Or Parted By Perspective

Film Interview: Michelle Yeoh – Crazy Rich Asians: Traditionally Funny, Or Feeling So Young

Film Interview: Graham King – Bohemian Rhapsody, Or Focus On The Frontman

Television Interview: Regina King – Seven Seconds: Familiar Perspective, Or (Living In Your) Brutal Truth

Book Extract: These Things Really Do Happen To Me by Khaya Dlanga – Hoisted By Crane

Film Interview: Rainn Wilson – The Meg: Size Does Matter, Or Prodigious Pisces

Film Interview: Charl-Johan Lingenfelder – Kanarie: How The Caged Bird Sings, Or Every Niemand Is A Somebody

Theatre Interview: Michelle Douglas – The Revlon Girl: Good Grief, Or A Rare Welsh Bit

Book Interview: John Boyne – A Ladder To The Sky: Stolen Stories, Or Acting On Ambition

Theatre Interview: Elizma Badenhorst – The Little Prince: Propelled By Puppets, Or Noteworthy Additions

Theatre Interview: Jayne Batzofin – Measure Up: Celebration Of Self, Or In Equal Measure

Theatre Interview: Mncedisi Shabangu – Tshepang: The Third Testament – Breaking The Cycle, Or Taking The Conversation To The Next Stage

Art Interview: Stefan Hundt – A Century Of South African Art, Or Curating Culture

Theatre Interview: Sharon Spiegel-Wagner – Oakfields College Showcase, Or In The Direction Of Success

Film Interview: Rob Reiner – Shock And Awe, Or Critical Mass Destruction

Music Interview: Sannie Fox – My Soul Got Stranger, Or Making Some Keys Changes

Theatre Interview: Carly Graeme – What You Don’t Know About Women, Or Aiming Cy-High

Theatre Interview: Shelley Adriaanzen – Polkadots: The Cool Kids Musical, Or Spot The Solution

Book Extract – Walking To Australia, Or Going Greek In Ethiopia

Book Interview: DL Hughley – How Not To Get Shot And Other Advice From White People, Or Of Print And Prejudice

Music Interview: Lenny Kravitz – Raise Vibration, Or It’s Enough To Express Yourself

Books: Extract – The Trials And Travails Of Stella Bellamy by Barbara Schreiner

Theatre Interview: A Chorus Line – School Of Hard Auditions, Or A Leg Up In Musical Theatre

Music Interview: Gwen Stefani – Not Just A Girl, Or What Happens In Vegas
BY ALLISON KUGEL Gwen Stefani spent her childhood and adolescence in Anaheim, California, a suburban girl living just a stone’s throw from Disneyland. It was her older brother, Eric, who founded No Doubt, the hybrid ska/punk/rock band that would…

Film Interview: Ian Morgan – Good Mourning, Or Better Fortune

Film Interview: Craig T Nelson – An Incredibles Year, Or Not Doing Things By The Book Club

Burlesque Interview: Dita Von Teese – Fair Play, Copper, Or Von Teese Me, Please Me

TV Interview: Allen Maldonado – The Last OG, Or Peele-ing Away The Layers

Music Interview: Otis Williams – Irresistible Temptation, Or Doing Things The Way They Do The Things They Do

Film Interview: Bronwyn Berry – Love Gilda: It’s A Funny Business, Or Intimate Individual Insight

TV Interview: Dr Drew Pinsky – Broadcast Benefits, Or Drewing Positive Conclusions

Books Interview: Kate Turkington – Yes, Really! – Taught By Travel, Or How To Never Say No

Books: Extract From Arabella, The Secret King And The Amulet From Timbuktu By Hamilton Wende

Theatre Interview: Lucy Tops – Significant Other, Or Espousing Progression

Book Interview: Vivica A Fox – How To Hustle, Or Owning Your Identity With Elegance

Music Interview: Megan Victor-Carelse – Headed For Home, Or To The Victor-Carelse Go The Spoils

Music Interview: Jeremy Loops – Reaching Critical Mass, Or Getting His Freak On

TV Interview: Logan Browning – Dear White People, Or Of Performance And Privilege

Music Interview: Caroline Leisegang – Remaining Composed, Or Of People, Pianos And Potency

TV Interview: Antonio Banderas – Genius: Picasso, Or Painting A Picture Of An Icon

Film Interview: Naomie Harris – Rampage: Going Ape With The Rock, Or Hanging Out With Gorgeous George

Interview: Andie McDowell – Love After Love, Or Gaining On Gentleness

Interview: Mark Strong – Maturity To The Max, Or Deep In The Dirt And The Dust

Interview: Brooklyn Decker – Modelling Messiness, Or App-lied Acting

Interview: Stone Jets – Growing On The Fly, Or Of Melodies And Motivation

Interview: Walton Goggins – Acting The Antagonist, Or Something A Little Vogel Told Me

Interview: Keith Hutchinson – Restless Resourcefulness, Or Six Degrees Of Syncopation

Interview: Jeremy Thompson – All The Newsman That’s Fit To Print, Or Don’t Fix What’s Not Breaking

Interview: Chris Jericho – Putting More Bricks In The Wall, Or The Ego’s Not Landing

Interview: David Arquette – Jail And Justice, Or Acting On Behalf Of The Incarcerated

Guest Blog: Edith Piaf – The Little Sparrow, Or Survival Via Intensity

Interview: Dirk Badenhorst – South African International Ballet Competition, Or Cosmopolitan Collaborations Completed

Interview: Damon Dash – All For Honour, Or There’s Nothing Like A Dame

Interview: Tara Louise Notcutt – Shrew(d) Operator, Or Girls Who Are Boys Who Like Boys To Be Girls*

Interview: Chris Cox – Charm Inoffensive, Or Your Mind, His Matter

Interview: Sebe Leotlela – Purple Pro, Or Getting To The Nub Of Nettie

Interview: Cito – Wonderboom Grows Again, Or Do It Yourself, China

Interview: Andy Serkis: Learning To Breathe, Or Of Partners And Paralysis

Books: Extract – Heartbreaker by James Styan

Wine: Prosecco Preferred, Or Bubbling Up

Interview: Alan Glass – Underwater Zoo: Nothing Fishy About Conservation, Or Of Risks And Reading

Interview: Zapiro – Art And Activism, Or All The News That’s Fit To Interpret

Interview: U2 – Songs Of Experience, Or Letters To Loved Ones

Interview: Ron Sexsmith – Last Rider One Liners, Or In It For The Long Ron
By BRUCE DENNILL Ron Sexsmith is at home – the Canadian singer-songwriter lives in Stratford, Ontario – and in his words, “between records”. However his latest album, The Last Rider, was only released in April 2017, with a tour…

Interview: Gavin Elder – Of Nude Girls, Girls On Film And Gilmour

Interview: Alan Committie – It’s Not The Length, It’s The Mirth, Or Gags That Matter
By BRUCE DENNILL Comedian, actor and director Alan Committie has, for the last several years, staged an annual solo show at Pieter Toerien’s Montecasino Theatre (either prior to or following a run of the same piece at the Theatre…

Music: John Ellis Releases Growing Silent, Or Have Mercy And Be Still

Interview: Shana Dewey – Dewey-Eyed Splendour, Or S’No Reason To Doubt
By BRUCE DENNILL Joburg Ballet soloist Shana Dewey started with the company, then the South African Ballet Theatre, when she joined company’s Junior Academy as a 13-year-old. That allowed for the odd appearance in a peripheral role in one…

Interview: Alice Gillham – Build It And They Will Come, Or Expectations Displaced
By BRUCE DENNILL Composer, producer and playwright Alice Gillham’s new musical Calling Me Home recently completed its first run – a brief installation at the Joburg Theatre in Braamfontein, where it met with mixed reviews. The piece was initially…

Art: Better Lutyens Than Never, Or Of Art And Age

Film: King Of Imagination, Or Towering Creativity
In a career spanning 50 years and over 80 books, Stephen King has amassed a towering reputation as one of our greatest storytellers. The author of innumerable bestsellers, he has been honoured by the President of the United States with the National…

Interview – Glen Phillips: Appetite For Empathy, Or A Fillip For Integrity
By BRUCE DENNILL Glen Phillips, once and occasionally present Toad The Wet Sprocket frontman, has released a poetic, honest new solo album called Swallowed By The New, on which he examines heartbreak, depression, grief and, ultimately, hope. You’ve talked…

Author Interview: Helena Dolny – Before Forever After
What gets people talking about death in ways that make them feel more powerfully alive? Author Helena Dolny’s quest for an answer and belief that we need to talk about living and dying inspired an eight-year learning journey and resulted…

Interview: Nicola Yoon – Everything, Everything
Nicola Yoon is the author of Everything, Everything, the book on which the eponymous movie has been based. What was your inspiration for Everything, Everything? I started writing the book when my daughter was just four months old. Like…

Interview: Leo Sayer – Still Living In A Fantasy, Or Hair Today, Hair In 20 Minutes
By BRUCE DENNILL Leo Sayer is a people person. He arrives in the foyer of the Johannesburg hotel where we meet five minutes early and is greeted by name by the concierge. He returns the compliment, giving the man…

Interview: Mark Nevin – Dedicated Challenger Of Fashion, Or Fair Sound Attraction
By BRUCE DENNILL Mark Nevin: My Unfashionable Opinion Analogue tape recording: still a popular choice for “real” musicians and music fans, but not easy to do in terms of availability of hardware and engineers willing and able to…

Wine: Sipping In The Suburbs, Or Some You Vin, Some You Booze
By BRUCE DENNILL Tuning The Vine / 4th Avenue Parkhurst / 1 March 2017 Publicised using the hashtag #JoziWineRoute, Tuning The Vine was an interesting stab at bringing some of the poetry of a winelands-style wine tasting to…

Interview: Being Prettier Than Matt, Or Playing (Any) More Americana
By BRUCE DENNILL Prettier Than Matt is a two-vocal, ukelele and guitar, folk and Americana-playing duo based in Columbia, South Carolina. Jessica Skinner, fan of Dolly Parton and other iconic country singers, and Jeff Pitts, Metallica and Bon Jovi enthusiast,…

Interview: Jeff Stetson – X Marks The Spot, Or For King And Country
By BRUCE DENNILL American playwright Jeff Stetson wrote his play The Meeting, about an imagined 1965 meeting between American civil rights leaders Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X, in 1984. It was first performed in 1987 and has…

Books: Extract – The Last Horseman by David Gilman
CHAPTER ONE It was a foul night to hang a man. The rain swept across the Irish Sea, throwing itself against the grey stone walls of Dublin’s Mountjoy Prison. Behind its unyielding façade two prison guards stood outside the…

Amused Bouche: Windmill On Main, Kyalami, Johannesburg
BY BRUCE DENNILL Carte: A large menu with a generous choice of dishes with an Italian bent, but often tweaked to include whatever fresh produce is on offer in the farm stall element of the property. Smart: The venue…

Interview: CIUT 89.5FM’s Nicole Hamilton Interviews Me: 11 January 2017
Thanks to Nicole Hamilton, host of the Career Buzz show on CIUT 89.5FM in Toronto, for this interview about my music and other work. For more information about the radio station, go to www.ciut.fm. To listen to the interview, press play…

Books: Extract From Bone Meal For Roses By Miranda Sherry
PART ONE: MOUSE-BABY AND THE METAL-HAIRED MAN CHAPTER ONE According to what she’s gathered from watching television, Poppy is a person. She’s got two arms, two legs and the right number of things on her face, all arranged…

Books: Extract From The God Who Made Mistakes By Ekow Duker
Madala It began raining the day the dogs found Sipho Sibanda. A soft, gentle patter that fell like a benediction from the hands of a loving and indulgent god. Two dogs, both of indeterminate colour and breed, approached the…

Interview: Blue Man Group – How To Be Human, Or What To Do When Feeling Blue
By BRUCE DENNILL Blue Man Group was founded by three close friends Chris Wink, Matt Goldman and Phil Stanton in New York in 1991. Since the group’s inception it has grown to include permanent shows in Las Vegas, New York,…

Art: Returning Reptiles, Or Jy Wouw Mos
A previously unseen sculpture of two lizards by Dutch sculptor Anton van Wouw (below) surfaced for auction at Russell Kaplan Auctioneers in Johannesburg earlier this year. The piece had become something of a legend for scholars of van Wouw’s work….

Interview: Kevin Max – To The Max, Or We Need To Talk About Kevin
By BRUCE DENNILL It’s been necessary, for reasons of integrity, for you and other musicians to withdraw from CCM as an industry (specifically as a business/corporate entity more than a worship and missions platform). That action is often seen…

Interview: Terra Naomi – Terra Firmer, Or Fan-Funded Flight
By BRUCE DENNILL Singer-songwriter Terra Naomi is working on an as-yet unnamed new album, available for pre-order – along with a range of brilliantly creative perks – here. You’re at once genuinely famous and also relatively under the radar…

Interview: Sam McTrusty – GLAd To Be Of Service, Or Big Beyond The Divide
By BRUCE DENNILL Sam McTrusty. What a fantastic surname that is. And the Twin Atlantic singer lives up to the gist of it when he comes on the line for a phone interview, apologising earnestly for a glitch on…

Books: Extract From Poison City By Paul Crilley
Durban, wedged up against the east coast of South Africa, is the dirtiest, strangest, most violent place I’ve ever lived. It’s the soul of South Africa. A sweaty one-night stand of a city where anything goes and the warm Indian…

Amused Bouche: De Camdeboo Restaurant, Drostdy Hotel, Graaff-Reinet
By BRUCE DENNILL Carte: Loads of beautifully prepared meat – farmers in the area have been supplying the stuff since the governor at the Cape Colony was ordering it, so no surprises, there Smart: The décor and surroundings are…

Books: Extract From Fury By Joan De La Haye
He heard David’s shoes on the tiles walking towards him. All he could see were David’s black, highly polished, leather shoes. He wondered how David got them that shiny. ‘Are you listening?’ David asked. ‘I’m listening,’ Andre mumbled, but his…

Interview: We Are Messnegers – Mulligan Starts Over, Or Don’t Shoot The Messenger
By BRUCE DENNILL We Are Messengers frontman (and proud Irishman; his brogue is so rich it takes up extra bandwidth on the intercontinental interview call) Darren Mulligan, now resident in Nashville getting on with the business of running a…

Interview: Josh Groban – Show (And Tell) Tunes, Or Getting Better In Stages
By BRUCE DENNILL Other than a cup of what is presumably coffee, Josh Groban makes no concessions to fatigue after a full day’s travel from Los Angeles, via Heathrow, to Johannesburg. His chatty, friendly stage persona is shown to…

Interview: Ian Fletcher Thornley – Finding Fletcher, Or Artistry Unaccompanied
By BRUCE DENNILL Ian Thornley’s debut solo album, Secrets, releases as Ian Fletcher Thornley, allows the Canadian rocker to stretch himself thematically and sonically, though the musical flair he contributes to Big Wreck, his “day job” band is always…

Books: Extract from Death By Carbs by Paige Nick
The Co-Authors Wednesday 8:17am ‘Hey man, Marco, did you hear?’ ‘Shaun? What?’ ‘Are you sitting down?’ ‘No, I’m at the restaurant prepping bok choy. What is it?’ ‘It’s Noakes. You should probably sit down.’ ‘You’re freaking me out. What’s going…

Interview: Frans Rautenbach – No Reserve-Ations, Or More Bang For Your Kruger Rand
By BRUCE DENNILL Your Kruger National Park Guide is essentially the opposite of the situation where you discover a place you love and purposefully avoid telling people about it in order to have it to yourself, not “ruined” by those…

Art: Of Pages And Promise, Or From Ripping To Reading
By BRUCE DENNILL Broken Monsters Charity Art Show / Nando’s Central Kitchen, Lorentzville, Johannesburg It’s a simple, heartfelt formula, mixing fame, literature, talent and fine art to not only promote reading but to provide young kid with physical…

Books: Extract From Ka-Boom! by Gareth Crocker
‘Gareth has such lovely hair.’ ‘I suppose the only way to tell you this, Mrs Crocker, is just to come out and say it,’ the educational psychologist announced, demonstrating her superpower for stating the obvious. Even at my tender age…

Interview: JT Lawrence – Future Fuschia, Or Corporate Control Corrected
By BRUCE DENNILL JT Lawrence’s book Why You Were Taken paints the South Africa of 2021 as a difficult place for a person who knows his or her own mind. It’s an invigorating, bracing vision by a very talented storyteller….

Books: Extract From Innovation – Shaping South Africa Through Science By Gibs With Sarah Wild
Finding fault It all started with a phone call that was forwarded through to Roel Stolper by chance. It was 1992, and that conversation – between Stopler, a researcher at the CSIR, and Eskom’s Wallace Vosloo – and their subsequent…

Interview: Mark Olson – Mark His Words, Or Taking The Root One Approach
By BRUCE DENNILL Mark Olson’s Good-bye Lizelle finds an Americana legend collaborating with a Norwegian (his partner, Ingunn Ringvold) on a release distributed by a German record label (Glitterhouse) and featuring tracks recorded in, among other places, Armenia, South…

Interview: Chad Thomas – Can-Rock, Will Rock, Or Wisers Than You Know
By BRUCE DENNILL Calagary, Canada-based band The Wisers make honest, ballsy blues-rock. Singer Chad Thomas shares some thoughts. Operating as musicians creating original music in Canada, what are your thoughts on the way the industry is set up…

Interview: Mike Weaver – Tunes With Texture, Or Without So Much As A By Your Weave
By BRUCE DENNILL Mike Weaver, frontman for Christian pop and worship band Big Daddy Weave is, like so many songwriters in the Christian contemporary music scene, a serial collaborator within that market. Yet many of his declared influences –…

Interview: Bubble And Sleek, Or If It’s Good Enough For Queenie…
By BRUCE DENNILL As I sit down with Great Domaines CEO Derek Kilpin outside the company office in Melrose in Johannesburg, there’s a flyover – three Harvards in close formation. Seconds later, a branch from a nearby tree crashes…

Interview: Inside Out – The Beginning Of Joy, Or Being Inside Inside Out
“What is she thinking?” It’s a question that has gone through the minds of parents worldwide who are attempting to raise teenagers—and it’s one that occurred to Oscar-winning director Pete Docter as he witnessed his own daughter Elie growing up….

Interview: Dr Eve – Lie Fidelity, Or On The (Dr) Eve Of Something New
By BRUCE DENNILL Marlene Wasserman, akaDr Eve, has, it appears, been seduced (intellectually, anyway) by the data in her latest book, Cyber Infidelity. She was able to put the book – which is really more of an academic work…

Interview: Justin Fox – Five Creatures Featured, Or Fox In The Whole
By BRUCE DENNILL The Impossible Five, the story of a journey around South Africa in pursuit of some of the most reclusive animals in the country – the Cape leopard, the pangolin, the aardvark, the Riverine rabbit and naturally occurring…

Fine Art: Gilt-Ridden, Or For Bertel Or Worse
HM Queen Margrethe II of Denmark’s birthday on 16 April marked the opening of the new permanent exhibition at Amalienborg Palace (Denmark) of gilt bronze figures by the neoclassical artist Bertel Thorvaldsen from the 1820s. The figures are miniatures…

Interview: Poltergeist – Paranormal Activity, Or Spirits In The Material World
By TONY HORKINS Writer, producer and director Sam Raimi may be best-known for his work on the Tobey Maguire-starring Spider-Man trilogy, but he got his break in 1981 as the director and writer of the cult horror classic, The…

Books: Extract From Pens Behaving Badly By Paige Nick
Seeing Double At The Movies So, how do you feel about pornography? Are you for it, against it or indifferent? Sorry, but I have been writing this column for almost a year already; you had to know we were going to…

Music: Cherry Pill’s Sweet Medicine, Or Cannes Do Attitude
South African duo Cherry Pill are back in South Africa after their début international performance at the prestigious Midem festival in Cannes, France. A cosmopolitan group of music industry professionals and music aficionados from around Europe, the Americas and the…

Music Interview: Adriaan Brand – Harvesting Heritage, Or Brand-Building Efforts
By BRUCE DENNILL Oesfees is a music festival that was inaugurated at Solms-Delta in Franschhoek in April 2008, and is now an annual event. The Franschhoek Oesfees, a harvest festival, takes the form of a heartfelt “thank-you” to the valley’s farm-workers,…

Writing: The Responsibility Of Writing For Kids, Or Why Literature Can Promote Equality
By EMMA LEVERTON When Bobby Thandi and I began our journey of writing the Fly Guys series, our mission was clear: to share a message of equality and diversity to younger generations through a fun, relatable story. There is…

Author Interview: Crime And Punishment, Or Recuperation And Restitution
By BRUCE DENNILL In South Africa, apartheid stories are still woven through much of the literature, using fiction as a way to investigate the way contemporary society is impacted by the evils of the past. In John Connolly’s latest novel,…

Books: Extract From Love In The Time Of Contempt By Joanne Fedler
FOREWORD So here’s my problem…. So here’s my problem: when it comes to generating writing material, teenagers are gold. Their world is a narcissist, anarchic, paranoid hell of anxieties and stresses about how they look, how popular they are or…

Interview: Inspiring The Intellect, Or Encouraging Exhibitionism
By BRUCE DENNILL Charlotte Damgaard is the marketing director at Great World Exhibitions, the company behind the Body Worlds & The Cycle Of Life, Da Vinci The Genius and Tutankhamun – His Tomb and His Treasures, all of which have…

Music Interview: New Mission, Same Mind, Or Wayne Hussey Gets It Together, Alone

Author Interview: The Beautement Of Minutia, Or One Day Is One Day
Tiah Beautement’s This Day has been described as “exquisitely written” and has met with critical acclaim for its honest, nuanced portrayal of depression. A subtle, lyrical, and deeply emotional chronicle of an ordinary couple trying to survive in the wake…

Food: Cuisine And Community, Or A Taste Of The Gout Stuff
By BRUCE DENNILL In 1912, when the world as most people experienced it was a much smaller place, Auguste Escoffier, French cuisine’s roi des cuisiniers et cuisinier des rois (“king of chefs and chef of kings”), initiated the Dın̂ers d’Êpicure…

Music: Living On The Edge, Or Austin City (No) Limits
By BEN WRIGHT Easter in Texas is always a little strange for me. It starts with Mardi Gras and ends with a posh brunch. Easter Sunday is one of the few when normally informal church folks don suits and…

Books: Extract From Interview With Destiny By Jon Broeke
In Jon Broeke’s Interview With Destiny, an interview with an actress leads an entertainment reporter to what he’s always wanted, but can he look past his integrity to find love? Sparks fly the moment entertainment journalist Kevin Brandt meets actress…

Books: Extract From This Day By Tiah Beautement
Turning to go into the house, I spot the remaining chard, still waiting to be planted. I rush over, kneeling down beside their wee leaves with red and yellow stems. Footsteps come up behind me. ‘Ma’am, I would be happy…

Theatre Interview: Have A Break, Have A Kit Kat Girl, Or Berlin Meets Buitenkant
By BRUCE DENNILL The creators and producers of the Fugard Theatre’s smash hit musical The Rocky Horror Show comes one of Broadway’s greatest musical productions: Cabaret. Lara Adine Lipschitz stars as on of the Kit Kat Girls; dancers in the Kit Kat Klub…

Film Interview: On A Wing And Some Flair, Or Keaton Keeping On
Filming the black comedy Birdman for director Alejandro González Iñárritu was one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of Michael Keaton’s career. Keaton is Riggan Thomson an actor who once starred as Birdman, a comic book superhero, which brought…

Film Interview: Gold Standard, Or Ed’s Note Expanded
By GABBI BRONDANI London-based director Ed Perkins is screening his debut feature documentary, Garnet’s Gold, to a South African audience at the Jozi Film Festival 2015. I chatted to Perkins about the film, which is produced by Simon Chinn, two-time Academy…

Culture: A Lock On Love, Or Secure In Your Relationship
By NICOLAS STRANGEDAY Love locks have arrived in South Africa. We’re not talking chastity belts here – those went out of fashion about 600 years ago – but the brassy symbols of inseparable devotion that are sprouting on bridges…

Dance: My Body My Space – Street Strut, Or Put Your Art Where The People Are
By TAMMY BALLANTYNE Site-specific cross-genre and cross-cultural performance works have long been a feature at many of our arts festivals and other platforms across the country: we’ve watched Jay Pather’s Siwela Sonke Dance Theatre on the Durban beachfront, in…

Music Interview: Belinda Davids – Of Davids’ Line, Or Houston, We Have No Problem
By BRUCE DENNILL Singer and actress Belinda Davids has the sort of problem most performers only hope to deal with. As the title character and focal point of the tribute production The Greatest Love Of All – The Whitney…

Writing: When History Should Have Been Her Story, Or Getting It Right From The Gorgo
By TS CHAUDHRY “History is a lie!” This is the catchphrase of the ongoing television series Da Vinci’s Demons, loosely based on the life of Leonardo da Vinci. Even though we might not agree with this, much of history is based…

Interview: Don’t Mess With The Zahi, Or Hold Me, Mummy
By BRUCE DENNILL Dr Zahi Hawass was in South Africa recently to elaborate on and form a living, breathing part of the Tutankhamun – His Tomb & His Treasures exhibition, running at the Silverstar Casino near Krugersdorp until March…

Books: Extract From The Handsome Man’s Deluxe Café by Alexander McCall Smith
In Mma Ramotswe’s fifteenth adventure, Grace Makutsi launches a new enterprise of her own: The Handsome Man’s De Luxe Café. She is an ambitious lady with a business plan, but who could predict temperamental chefs, drunken waiters and more? Luckily,…

Interview: Tabisa Or Not Tabisa?, Or Of Xhosa It’s Ok To Take On Taboo Subjects
Described as a “racy, pacy crime thriller,” Priscilla Holmes’ Now I See You has met with popularity and warm reception. Filled with the sights, sounds, and local flavor of the Eastern Cape especially, the book travels from the glittering restaurants…

Interview: Mandy Collins – Sensible Subsistence, Or Cuisine A La Clan
By BRUCE DENNIILL Mandy Collins spends a lot of her Twitter time telling people what she will be cooking, is cooking or is regretting cooking. She’s now published a book about cooking – specifically fast, fuss-free, family-friendly food (that alliterative…

Writing: Beyond The Bad, Or Why Crime Is Horrorble
By JEAN SHORNEY I have two favourite genres, to read and to write. These are crime and horror. Is there really a dividing line? A crime is committed; a spirit seeks revenge from beyond the grave… But let’s separate the…

Book: Extract From Third World Child by GG Alcock
When we arrived at Msinga we were the first white people in history to have settled among the people of the valley and no one believed this was possible. Men arrived in delegations. Sent by distant indunas, headmen, they squatted…
Music: New Song – Centre Stage, Or My Year In A 4:05 Demo
By BRUCE DENNILL A song is worth a thousand words. Or something. Below is a song I wrote about 2014 – not an easy period – with a link for a free download at the bottom of the page. Enjoy. Comments…

Writing: Cutting To Create, Or Nominate A Patsy
By LIZZIE JONES There’s a saying that goes “There’s a book inside us all, just waiting to get out” and that might well be true, but it’s the getting it out that’s the difficult thing. When it came to…

Music Interview: Ian Thornley – Bracing For Big Wreck, Or Thorn(le)y Issues Discussed

Interview: Darrel Bristow-Bovey – Reveal And Retreat, Or Crises Are A Funny Business
By BRUCE DENNILL Part of the appeal of popular columnists is that they only offer snapshots of their apparently endlessly fascinating selves and their psyches once every week or month. So writing a memoir-ish book-length work – as Darrel…

Writing: A Voyage Of Discovery, Or A Write Of Passage
By ROBERTA AARONS Recently, I bumped into two old friends. They are sisters I have known for many years. One said, “I have just finished your book and thoroughly enjoyed it.” The other then added, “We were arguing about…

Interview: Robin Auld – Auld-Sang Lines, Or Cape Robin Chat
By BRUCE DENNILL The first track on Robin Auld’s new album Back Of The Line, Caleb’s Calling, deals with a man who’s lost his mojo. Is it too much to read into the lyrics something about the trials of…

Interview: Watch Your Grammer, Or Be Transformed By The Renewing Of Your Franchise
Kelsey Grammer stars in Transformers: Age Of Extinction We’ve seen you in TV sitcoms and dramas, on Broadway and different movie genres. What’s it like to be on a film like this? I loved it. I’m a real geek…

Writing: Second Novel Angst, Or Et Tu, Two?
By HEMMIE MARTIN When I’ve completed writing a novel, with all the rewriting and edits entailed within the process, I say goodbye to the characters, and look forward to creating a new community. I relish not only creating a…

Books: Extract From Weeping Waters By Karin Brynard
Karin Brynard is a huge seller in the Afrikaans crime fiction market. New book Weeping Waters sees her work available for English-speaking readers for the first time. Below is an extract from the book. ———– The call came through just after two….

Interview: Shaped By The Internet, Or Answers From A Christian Who Knows What You’re Doing When No One Is Watching
Christian Rudder’s book Dataclysm, published by Jonathan Ball, is an irreverent, provocative, and visually fascinating look at what our online lives reveal about who we really are – and how this deluge of data will transform the science of human behaviour. Big…

Interview: Andrew Marr – British Politics Marred, Or From History To Hacks
Andrew Marr is the author of Head Of State, published by Jonathan Ball. His previous books include The Battle for Scotland (1992), A History of Modern Britain (2007) and A History Of The World (2012). You’re well known to book lovers already…

Writers: Fascinated By Forensics, Or From Fact To Fiction
By KEVIN MURRAY Writers are often advised to write what they know. This in itself could be a rather troubling piece of advice when you’re embarking on a novel about a remorseless, barbaric serial killer. But much of the…

Poetry: Wandering Through The Waste Land, Or Immersed In Eliot, Chapter And Verse
By RICHARD MAYER Exactly 100 years ago, TS Eliot arrived in London to embark upon a momentous career in which he would rise to become possibly the leading literary figure of the 20th century. It was inevitable that I…

Art: Street (he)Art, Or Wall And All And All
By SIBUSISO MKWANAZI Perspective is an integral part of any discussion, and to demonstrate this, take a look at the episode of Carte Blanche on which the team presented a segment about street art and in particular the works…

Books: Telling Talmud Stories, Or So Long And Thanks For All The Mishnah
By HARRY FREEDMAN One of the remarkable things about the Talmud is that it came from nowhere, entering a national-religious culture that was already strong and thriving and nevertheless became that culture’s dominant text. The Bible and the subsequent,…

Books: Hanky Versus Panky, Or Tolstoy Or Lawrence?
By KIMON NEOPHYTE Were they still alive today, two titans of literature would have celebrated their birthdays within days of each other: Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910), 28 August (new style 10 September), and DH Lawrence (1885-1930), 11 September. Both wrote passionately…

Books: A Memoir Revisited, Or Jeremiah Goldswain Brought Back To Life
Jeremiah Goldswain Most people have little knowledge about an ancestor four generations removed but Ralph Goldswain has come to know his great, great grandfather very well. His edition of Jeremiah’s memoirs – The Chronicle of Jeremiah Goldswain, 1820 Settler – has…

Writing: Art And Inspiration, Or Look, Listen And Learn
By JEAN SHORNEY Writing. Painting. Acting. Music. Our love of all things artistic successfully manages to inspire us. For me, as a writer, all the above are ultimately conducive. Music sets my scenes, but the music has to be…

Books: Eco-Revolutionising The Publishing Industry, Or Pining For Forests
“Buy a book, plant a tree” Scandinavian based non-fiction publisher Pine Tribe, who focuses on wellness and personal growth books, have launched an initiative which aims to ‘Eco-Revolutionise’ the publishing industry. Through their PlantATree campaign, they have so far planted 5…

Writing: Searching For Clues In The World Of Crime Writing, Or Whodunit; No Really, Who?
By HEMMIE MARTIN When I became a published author of contemporary fiction, I always proclaimed I’d never write crime fiction, and I’d never write a series. And yet, here I am, three years later, an author of crime fiction,…

Writing: My Experience As A ‘Spirit Writer’, Or Outsourcing The Muse
By MORWENNA HOLMAN Morwenna Holman is a ‘spirit writer’, which means her novels are dictated to her by spirits, “communing with the departed to write stories of their lives which are lost in the mists of time.” Her first novel,…

Books: Excerpt From Burning By Joan De La Haye, Or Witch Way To Pretoria?
Marcie Grove is a lonely witch. After a full moon ritual she decides to do something about the abysmal state of her love life. Making use of a powerful spell to cure her sad state of affairs, she puts her…

Books: John Connors Is Doing It For The Kids, Possibly, Or Not
By JOHN CONNORS It’s often said that no two people are the same, yet all we seem to do is categorise ourselves in various aspects of life. So when it comes to books – and particularly self publishing –…

Culture: In The (Locrate) Market For A Fresh Experience
By SIBUSISO MKWANAZI Craft beer: check. Easy to carry food: check. Undergound music: check. On your first visit, the Locrate Market looks, smells and sounds like your average market. But as you start to look carefully, you realise that…

Writing: Andy Coffey’s Alternate Universe Is Expanding
By ANDY COFFEY Creating your own world is a blast, let’s not beat around the bush here; it’s like eating a big pie of imagination topped with the chilli sauce of creativity. It’s fun, and the great thing is…

Books: Twenty Years In The Writing, Or God Speaks Makonde!
By LEIGH ROBINSON Around 1 500 people groups in the world still do not have any portion of the Bible in their native tongue. That number was reduced by one recently for the Makonde people in the far north of Mozambique….

Theatre: The ABC of Show Boating in Dublin – Antibiotics, Cortisone And Depression
By CAITLIN CLERK Write and rewrite is the theme for this fourth and final Show Boat Tour update. On Monday night I started my piece like this: “I don’t think I deserve to love Dublin. I haven’t seen much…

Theatre: Show Boating In Cardiff, Or Tunes And Tiaras
By CAITLIN CLERK I can’t help but feel a little sad as we leave Cardiff behind us. I feel like each city we stop at gets better and better. Cardiff is the home of Show Boat’s sponsor, the Wales…

Theatre: Show Boating In Manchester, Or Of Broadway Ability, Busses And Bad Behaviour
By CAITLIN CLERK We have just left Manchester. I am sitting in the front of the bus (because I can put my feet up here) next to Straight-steering Steve. Steve’s seat doesn’t bob up and down like David-the-Driver’s did….

Theatre: Show Boating In Birmingham, Or Laughing In The Face Of A Charging Hippodrome
By CAITLIN CLERK The last time I left the country I was crowd-funded by a couple of hundred people who were all anxious to see how I would spend their hard-earned money in New York. There was quite a…

Book Excerpt: Stand Strong By Nick Vujicic
The most common bullying experience is being taunted or ridiculed for being “different” in some way. I’m the poster child for this. For most of my life, I’ve been a bully magnet. I’ve heard every imaginable nasty comment about my…

Music: Pushed Back To Passion, Or Guitarist With A Capital “G”
By PAUL ELLIOTT So Bruce says “hey, I’m going to see Dan Patlansky launch his new album, you wanna come?” and I’m thinking, not sure about that, I’m pretty tired of music right now, taking a bit of a…

Book Excerpt: Poles Apart By Vaughan De La Harpe And Sean Disney, As Told To David Bristow
It’s always further than it looks. It’s always taller than it looks. It’s always harder than it looks. – THE THREE RULES OF MOUNTAINEERING (ANON) No sleep No sleep Another night from hell Stop delaying the inevitable Okay –…

Book Excerpt: Incognito – The Memoirs Of Ben Trovato by Mark Verbaan
Ben Trovato’s the hilarious misguided misogynist whose Sunday Times column thrilled and amused readers for years. Mark Verbaan is the man behind the persona, and his new book, The Memoirs Of Ben Trovato, suggests there was more to the man…

Art: Park And Recreation, Or Why Leaving Art Outside Is A Good Idea
By BRUCE DENNILL Getting punters into galleries can be a bit of a challenge. Sometimes the catalogue is narrated in intellectualese; sometimes the artists involved are wilfully obscure; and sometimes the location of the gallery or its accessibility (it’s…

Art: Swimming Against A Rising Red Tide
By BRUCE DENNILL Artist Georgia Papageorge has a long history of using art to speak for subjects that cannot – often natural phenomena. Her recent exhibition, Serengeti Crossroads: The Shepherd Principle Project (which closed at the UJ Art Gallery…

Food: If You Knew Sushi Like I Know Sushi
By ALAN SWERDLOW I was blindsided the other day while walking through my local shopping mall. Not physically, I hasten to add, but verbally. You see, in the middle of one of the walkways there’s a fairly pleasant café…

Dance: Vuyani Dance Company – To Infinity … And Beyond!
By TAMMY BALLANTYNE It’s rare to find a dance company these days reaching a milestone as momentous as 15 years of existence. Especially one espousing an Afro-infused contemporary dance technique. It is virtually impossible to find funding for companies…

Theatre: Inspiring A Generation Or Oh, Happy Dane: Part The Third
By BRUCE DENNILL Background Info: ASSITEJ South Africa is the national network of ASSITEJ (Association International du Theatre pour l’Enfance et la Jeunesse/ The International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People). It is a global alliance linking thousands…

Music: Re-Reading The Audiobook, Or Tree63 Still Blooming Good
By PAUL ELLIOTT It came from the deep, or the dark… I don’t know – but it eventually came once Jason Zeeman had warmed up the chilly Joburg crowd ahead of Tree63’s reunion gig at Bryanston’s New Life Church…

Theatre: Inspiring A Generation Or Oh, Happy Dane: Part The Second
By BRIONY HORWITZ Background Info: ASSITEJ South Africa is the national network of ASSITEJ (Association International du Theatre pour l’Enfance et la Jeunesse/ The International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People). It is a global alliance linking thousands…

Theatre: Inspiring A Generation Or Oh, Happy Dane
By BRIONY HORWITZ Background Info: ASSITEJ South Africa is the national network of ASSITEJ (Association International du Theatre pour l’Enfance et la Jeunesse/ The International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People). It is a global alliance linking…

Picture Essay: Warm-Up Routine
By BRUCE DENNILL RAMfest Johannesburg (ish – it was on an unsignposted farm in Bronkhorstspruit) on March 6 and 7 was about more than just music, mud, ironic T-shirts and illegible tattoos. There was fire, too. Swirly, whirly, cheaper-than-hallucinogenics…