Feb 17, 2021In Defence of Tintin’s Youthful Transgressions in the Soviet UnionA best forgotten sin, a different kind of classic, or a little of both? — Often dismissed and derided, Tintin’s first outing, Tintin in the Land of the Soviets, was described by author Hergé himself as “a transgression of my youth”. He tended to lump it together with the problematic Tintin in the Congo but went even farther with Soviets and prevented its republication for…Books6 min read
Published in Books Are Our Superpower·Jan 6, 2021Twenty-Twenty in BooksNot a bad year reading-wise — What a year 2020 was. What can be said about it, others have said more eloquently than I can. And the less said about it, the better. Let us all just rejoice that it is behind us and hope that 2021 brings better days. Before moving on, however, I am…Books9 min read
Dec 24, 2020Christmas and Sinatra in ValparaísoValparaíso, on Chile’s Pacific Coast, is one of South America’s most charming cities. With its barrios stretching up the hills from the coast and port area, it is renowned for the street art and graffiti all over the walls of its steep streets and alleys, serpentine and maze-like. Somewhat faded…Christmas3 min read
Published in Books Are Our Superpower·Oct 21, 2020Five Non-Fleming James Bond Novels Worth Your TimeLet’s be real. After Ian Fleming passed away in 1964, there hasn’t been much in the way of worthy Bond stories. Some, myself included, might even say that not all the master’s work was up to snuff. That blasphemy is another article for another day. …Books12 min read
Published in Books Are Our Superpower·Oct 7, 2020The Gunslinger’s Revenge — the Dark Tower Story We DeserveWhat if there is one more Dark Tower story waiting to be told? One that ka demands be written? For the first time since finishing his magnum opus, Stephen King revisited gunslinger Roland Deschain in 2012’s The Wind Through the Keyhole. While a decent story which added a bit of…Books8 min read
Sep 9, 2020Waltz in C-minorWe called the song Waltz in C-minor because it was in 3/4 time. And in the key of C-minor. It was our power-ballad, brooding and melancholy. The lyrics — written and sung by a twice heartbroken, rum-soaked 22-year-old version of myself — were the only ones that came remotely close…Poetry2 min read
Aug 25, 2020Charm and Romance in UruguayToday marks 195 years of independence for Uruguay. It was on this day, 25 August, in 1825 that the country declared its independence from the Empire of Brazil. It hasn’t always been smooth sailing but Uruguay is doing pretty well for itself these days. The most peaceful country in South…Travel6 min read
Aug 12, 2020Pictures of Home, vol. 2Strange, is it not? How one becomes blind to ones habitual surroundings. Even when their beauty is mesmerising to the unjaded eye, one is so steeped in them that they hardly registers. So it is with myself and Iceland’s natural wonders. Well, sort of. I am not entirely immune, fortunately…Photography3 min read
Jul 29, 2020Deep Purple: Morse Era in ReviewWith a new album by the mighty Deep Purple coming out in a little over a week, it seems appropriate to take stock of the music the band has produced since its rebirth in 1994, when guitarist Steve Morse joined the band and replaced the irreplaceable Ritchie Blackmore. Everything changed…Music11 min read
Jul 15, 2020More Shades of Whoosh!Whoosh!, Deep Purple’s upcoming album, is now around the corner. 23 days but who’s counting? Well, actually I am. In addition to Throw My Bones and Man Alive, two more songs have now been released: The Power of the Moon, exclusively as a physical EP on 20 June, and Nothing…Music3 min read
