It's hard to get someone to talk about deep stuff in a half-hour interview slot, but Desiree – one of the freshest voices emerging in film – went there. This turned out to be a special encounter. If you're interested in how success and anxiety are tied up together, how our insecurities drive us, then this might be worth delving into... Read over at Huck.
The Attitude Issue
Rise above the noise with Huck's bold new mag, The Attitude Issue, celebrating the people and movements determined to reject the status quo in 2018. From Indian bodybuilders to an all-female skate crew in NYC, from BMX riders in South London to motorcycle makers in California, this issue is all about rising above the noise to forge your own path in life.
Snail Mail, a teen talent to remember
Sometimes you encounter someone so sharp, at such a young age, that it blows your mind a little bit. That's what happened when I interviewed musician Lindsey Jordan of Snail Mail, who opened up about figuring out your path in life – independently of the hype and expectation your talent may generate.
The Coming of Age Issue
If coming of age means realising who you are, then the breakthrough can arrive at any time – no matter what stage you’re at. But wherever life takes us, wherever we end up, we all remain connected to the same point in our rearview mirrors: that wide-eyed teen just trying to figure shit out as best we can.
Huck's Coming of Age Issue celebrates characters who know that better than anyone – from the teenage activists shaping our future to prodigious creatives who don’t believe in failure – and keep on forging their own path regardless.
An interview with George Clinton
Having spent much of my teenage years listening to hip-hop, it didn't take long to realise just how much of it was built on the music of Parliament and Funkadelic. So when I got to quiz George Clinton about his crazy life – drugs, unbelievable collaborations, even a UFO encounter – it was all I hoped it would be.
Tahnée Seagrave
On a cold, wet morning in February I travelled to rural Wales – taking a bus, two trains and a taxi – where I stayed at an inn with no phone reception, then got up at the crack of dawn and hitch-hiked my way to the home of downhill mountain-bike star Tahnée Seagrave.
We hung out with her family, drove through the hillside and pitched up in an empty bike park shrouded by trees. I got sick in the process… but it was one of the best commissions I’ve ever taken on. Tahnée is an inspiring character who’s wise beyond her years and taught me a thing or two about the nature of success. You can read the full cover story here.
The Journeys Issue
The new issue of Huck uncovers the paths taken by extraordinary individuals – from filmmakers and photographers to surfers and skaters – and the lessons they’ve learned by blazing their own trail in life. I'm really excited about this one. It's a cocktail of inspiration and a great way to put the world in perspective. You can read more about what's in the issue at huckmagazine.com or order a copy in glorious print here.
Totally Dublin interview
I spoke with Totally Dublin about the power of print in a digital era and why we do what we do at Huck. It's in their new issue but you can read it online here. For the first live version of Totally Dublin, I'll also be making an appearance at Dublin's Sugar Club on Tuesday 13 March to talk about the power of print in a digital era.
Subcultures that refuse to die
"For most photographers, taking a portrait is an impossible attempt to get underneath the skin of someone. This is the complete opposite: they’re giving you this thing in their head."
For the past six years, photographer Owen Harvey has been finding out why people are drawn to styles from a bygone era... and developing some unexpected perspective on his own life in the process. We spent many hours piecing together what it all means.
A Shout-out from the New York Times
Thanks to the New York Times for selecting my story on Russian roof climber Vitaliy Raskalov in their 'What We're Reading' section. It was also picked out by NextDraft which, like What We're Reading, is a daily newsletter worth subscribing to!
The Fantasy Issue
This issue features the boldest collection of stories I've had the chance to assemble – and I love the way each chapter hangs together. The Fantasy Issue is all about making the impossible possible – celebrating the dreamers determined to make their vision a reality, no matter how unlikely it seems.
We take a trip through the idiosyncratic worlds of furries, indie wrestling, Twin Peaks, Cuba's reggaeton revolution, afrofuturism and much more. You can order a copy here or find the individual stories on huckmagazine.com
The Doc Photo Special V: Rule-Breakers
This issue of Huck is dedicated to storytellers who blend fact and fiction, who take risks to transcend their own limitations and who have led extraordinary careers by overstepping the line.
It's our annual celebration of visual storytelling, this time featuring photographers such as Todd Hido, Gregory Crewdson, Zanele Muholi, Cristina de Middel, Guy Martin and Laura El-Tantawy among others. I was fortunate enough to interview six of them. One particular highlight was speaking with LaToya Ruby Frazier on the legacy of Gordon Parks. You can order a copy here or a find the individual stories at huckmagazine.com
The No Regrets Issue
The new issue of Huck is all about the rock stars, renegades and idealists who refuse to sugarcoat life – making no apologies for who they are. It’s about learning from the past so that we can live more fully in the present – and build a better future while we’re at it.
This edition was particularly fun to work on, pulling together in-depth reportage on topics such as the state of Turkish journalism, creative independence in Athens, prison photography as well as interviews with Liam Gallagher, Naomi Klein, Piss Drunx, Nick Broomfield, Shaun Ryder, Jamel Shabazz and many more. You can order a copy here.
The Outsider Issue
The new edition of Huck circles the outer limits to meet anti-heroes living on the fringes of society. Outsiders, in our view, are a cause for celebration. They do not apologise for who they are. Instead they take ownership of their ‘otherness’.
This issue features in-depth reportage and counter-narratives from Iran, Transnistria, Kenya, Botswana, the back streets of London as well as some kick-ass photography shot just for us. You can order a copy here.
Novel Advice →
This is an unusual one. I'm a great admirer of Colum McCann's writing and so was eager to seize an opportunity to speak to him about the challenges of creative writing. The only trouble: his publicist said it had to be done by email. No matter. The guy is understandably busy. So while what he did say was incredibly affirming and helpful, I ended up crafting an overly elaborate intro to balance out the pithiness.
The drag queen who changed Ireland
I had the good fortune of interviewing Panti Bliss, an outspoken gay performer living with HIV, who has become an unlikely – but empowering – ambassador for a once-conservative country. You can read it here.
The Game-Changer Issue
The new issue of Huck is a riposte to 2016. After everything that year threw at us, this is our way of saying ‘thank you’ for the realisation that nothing good ever came from inaction. We meet people who share our belief in agitation – from pioneers who never learned to bite their tongue, to renegades who believe that art can be a weapon. I spoke with filmmaker Ken Loach, punk icon John Lydon, documentarian Kirsten Johnson and music act Dirty Projectors. You can order a copy here.
How to escape your life and start over
Sometimes the only way to survive is to pack everything up and start over. But whether you’re drawn to the unknown or driven by a need to cut ties, life lessons have a way of catching up with you. Here I explore three stories of people who reinvented themselves by walking away.
The Offline Issue
I've just spent a couple of months putting together The Offline Issue at Huck. Following a year of shit-storms, from political upheaval to fake news, we've been digging into the real world. It's packed with stories of off-grid living, analogue values, in-person experience and personalities you can't find on Google. You can order a copy here.
Documentary Photography Special
At Huck, we've just published our fourth annual documentary photography special – bringing together some of the world's best visual storytellers to share what they do and why. The articles are short, the pictures are beautiful and, as someone who had the chance to speak with a lot of the photographers features, it's packed with insight from some brilliant minds. You will learn about life just flicking through this.