Fungus The Bogeyman was my favourite book in primary school. I remember wondering what kind of grown-ups could have written it. Miss Dixon read it aloud to a chorus of delighted ‘uuurrrghs’ and “eeewwws’ from my classmates. The only thing more revolting than ‘snot and bogey pie’ is ‘a cup of cold sick’. I found this copy in London a few months back. While some of the current edition has been blacked-out and deemed inappropriate, all-in-all it’s still fully disgusting. Thank you Raymond Briggs – you taught us how to puke outside the lines.

Moyers with legal scholar Bruce Fein and journalist Mark Danner.

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Blakes 7 aired from ’78 to ’81. It was basically revolutionary Roj Blake and his merry men (and women) on the run through the galaxy. Each had their own area of specialty. My official Blakes 7 cardboard bracelet, fresh from a Weetabix box, ripped and fell apart after a week but the show has held up quite well.

(How about those pixels?)

‘Vitamin C’ by CAN 1972

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Robbie Ettelson
When he’s not holding it down at unkut.com, Robbie contributes in-depth interviews with hip-hop’s top shelf – both past and present – for a variety of magazines across the globe. Having written for Vapors and Modern Fix in the US, Superfly in Italy, Peak Street and Acclaim in Australia and Pound in Canada, he currently concentrates his energies penning features for Hip Hop Connection Digital from the UK, which just concluded it’s twenty year in print run. He considers Roc Marciano and Killa Sha to be the future of rap as we know it.

1. Best experience in writing so far?
Dead heat between interviewing KRS, LL and Kane.

2. Your worst writing experience?
Dead heat between Tame One, Sadat X and Chris Lowe.

3. What was the last CD you bought?
DITC (Showbiz) – Rare Breaks Stack 1

4. Who is the most interesting person you’ve ever met?
My daughters (corny but true)

5. If you weren’t a writer, what would you be?
Drunken rabble

Last night I attended the Elmore Leonard reading and Q&A with the release of Road Dogs. From the reviews it looks like Dutch has done it again. In this, his 43rd novel, he brings back a Jack Foley from Out Of Sight, Cundo Rey from La Brava and Dawn Navarro  from Riding The Rap. A few excerpts he read had the room laughing out loud several times. The man is just effortlessly funny.“So, what’s he like more? P*%$y? Or being one?”

During the Q&A someone asked what he thought the biggest obstacle to being published was. He said “Well, not writing a saleable book…” Another cat asked how he managed to write the way ex-cons and crimeys spoke so accurately. Mr Leonard answered with a story about a guy he’d met who’d asked the same question. This guy who had done time for marijuana sales explained that he couldn’t convince the authorities that it was for his personal use. “How much did you have?’ Elmore asked. The guy answered “400lbs”. Howls of laughter. He also hailed The Friends Of Eddie Coyle as one of the greatest crime novels ever written.

While he was signing my two books I told him that one was for my father who’d introduced me to Freaky Deaky, which was still my favorite. It turns out  that he had “…no idea where it was going…” when he started it. The glint in his eye showed that he genuinely loves what he does and that’s what translates on the page.

Cheers, Dutch! (and J D’Beck)

Elmore Leonard interview on Don Imus May 13, 2009

Illustration by Kerry Waghorn  www.kerrywaghorn.com

‘Baby Come Back‘ by THE EQUALS

(with a pre-dreadie Eddie Grant)

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