Why the maori are protesting IN NZ
In The Spectator, an explainer about the protests that have roiled New Zealand politics during the past week.
REMEMBERING LEONARD COHEN
Eight years on from the old master’s death, David chats with RNZ’s Emile Donovan about the jagged legacy of Leonard Cohen. (Photo taken on location in Montreal by Maria Viana)
WHY IS THIS NEW ZEALAND AIRPORT CLAMPING DOWN ON HUGS?
Hugh Grant wouldn’t be the only one aghast at Dunedin airport’s new ban on lingering hugs at the terminal, David reports in The Spectator.
Arise, Dame Jacinda
David reports on Jacinda Ardern’s damehood for services to politics during the five turbulent years she spent as prime minister of New Zealand.
BORN TO BOSS
Writing for Quillette, David charts the rise and fall of the great rock critics through the prism of the music of Bruce Springsteen. The essay also includes a nifty playlist of his favourite less-than-obvious studio tracks by Springsteen, live versions of his best hits and cover versions by other artists
HOW NEW ZEALAND MANAGED TO SINK A TENTH OF ITS NAVAL FLEET
David reports in The Spectator on New Zealand losing the jewel in its small naval crown.
ME AND MR LEVIN
Twenty years after his passing and writing for British readers of the Jewish Chronicle, David recalls a hapless interview he did with the English writer Bernard Levin.
How does New Zealand solve a problem like China?
For The Spectator, a recent report on the latest turn in the bumpy relationship between NZ and the PRC.
Talking Nick Cave Blues
To mark the start of the new Nick Cave tour, David chats with Australia’s leading professor of Cave studies for Quillette.
REMEMBERING POPPER
Who was Karl Popper and why does he still matter. An essay in Quillette.
AT ONE WITH THE CANTERBURY ELEMENTS
One here from the archives: Road tripping in New Zealand’s South Island for The New York Times.
EMERALD ISLE DINING
A dispatch from Ireland for the NZ Listener on the Republic’s restaurant revival in 2024.
What New Zealand’s U-turn on smoking ban could mean for Rishi Sunak
Even though Jacinda Ardern’s flagship policy has been scrapped, it seems Sunak is determined to get his legacy – but at what cost? An analysis in the Daily Telegraph.
Robbie RobertsoN: THE FATHER OF AMERICANA
Over six decades in the entertainment business, Robbie Robertson worked alongside a small galaxy of musicians and singers, most famously Bob Dylan, who probably spoke for many when he said the Toronto-born artist’s death came as ‘shocking news’ for those of them still left. In The Spectator, David considers the late artist’s legacy.