I’m featured in the Almost Famous slot on Rock’s Back Pages
I’m the featured writer this week in the Almost Famous slot on Rock’s Back Pages, the world’s leading resource of music-related journalism.
Category: Books
Barney Bubbles’ early 70s drum-head for Quiver
This drum-head design by Barney Bubbles for Willie Wilson, sticksman of early 70s folk-rockers Quiver, makes a fine addition to the group of artworks produced in this medium by the late graphics maestro.
‘Ultimate internationalist, cultural provocateur…’ Constable to publish my book Malcolm McLaren: The Biography
The Bookseller has announced that British imprint Constable is to publish my book Malcolm McLaren: The Biography.
A Strong Sweet Smell Of Incense: Derek Boshier at the Robert Fraser show
Derek Boshier’s 1966 work Sam Spade is given prominence in A Strong Sweet Smell Of Incense, the exhibition dedicated to the connoisseurship of the late art dealer Robert Fraser. Boshier was a client until he foreswore painting for a decade or more in 1968. This was a particularly difficult period for Fraser, who was jailed […]
The Family Acid: New book of the photography of a psychedelic pioneer, reggae archivist, actor and anthologist
One of my favourite Instagram feeds is The Family Acid, run by Kate Steffens, daughter of reggae archivist, actor, anthologist, psychedelic pioneer and photographer Roger Steffens.
Plagiarism row over Vivienne Westwood book goes international
My legal claim against Vivienne Westwood, her co-author Ian Kelly and publisher Picador over plagiarism of my work in the recently published memoir of the British fashion designer has been featured across the Australian media. I was interviewed in Melbourne by Jason Steger, literary editor of The Age, whose article about substantial plagiarism from my […]
What We Wore: An intelligent and egalitarian celebration of our collective visual invention
Into the over-worked field of ‘street style’ comes a breath of fresh air: What We Wore – A People’s History Of British Style. Free of cliche and pretension, Nina Manandhar and Eva Dawoud’s book compiles the personal images and anecdotes of a hugely diverse set of contributors. The book is not dominated by well-known people and […]
Toyah Willcox and Midge Ure worked in Sex… Nostalgia Of Mud sold bondage trousers… Philip Hoare’s compromised review littered with as many howlers as contained in the Vivienne Westwood book
It will be frustrating for publisher Picador and their authors Ian Kelly and Vivienne Westwood that novelist Philip Hoare’s national paper five-star review of memoir Vivienne Westwood is rendered unreliable by, pro rata, as many inaccuracies as contained in the book itself. Holed by these gaffes, the review – in the Sunday Telegraph’s Seven magazine published […]
“He has never lost his wonder at the world” David Hockney’s preface to the Derek Boshier monograph
I’m delighted to announce that David Hockney has written the preface to Rethink/Re-Entry, the Derek Boshier monograph I am editing. In the piece, Hockney points out that they have known each other since 1957, and that Boshier “like me, is an artist, and one who has never lost his wonder at the world”.
The Look and Vivienne Westwood: A question of attribution
Jenni Murray: You’ve said ‘clothes were politics long before fashion’. What did you mean by that? Vivienne Westwood: I have no idea. Jenni Murray: Was it something you said to Ian (Kelly) and now you’ve forgotten? Vivienne Westwood: No…is that what it says in the book? Jenni Murray: Yes Vivienne Westwood: Well then, he might […]