The Lost Landscape: A Writer’s Coming of Age by Joyce Carol Oates ‘As a writer,’ writes Joyce Carol Oates, 241 pages into her memoir, ‘I have not been drawn to what is called memoirist prose because I have never felt that my life could be nearly as interesting as what my imagination could make of … Read more
In Palmerston North on Sunday, Andrew Little will address the Labour Party conference for the first time as leader. He is promising to “outline his and Labour’s vision for a better New Zealand”, which seems like a jolly good idea. No doubt he’s been peppered in the leadup with advice on what to say, what … Read more
Bringing together the best, worst and weirdest TV moments of the week, including the mighty All Blacks parade and the mockumentary charms of The Muppets. Everybody Loves Hils and Mike The brave and humble New Zealand Men’s Rugby Team returned home from a successful World Cup campaign on Wednesday, and almost every member of the … Read more
On Sunday, Andrew Little will deliver his first speech as leader to the Labour Party conference. In the leadup, he’ll have been peppered with advice on what to say, what not to say, and how to say it. We at the Spinoff want to help, too, and invited a bunch of bright people to draft … Read more
On Sunday, Andrew Little will deliver his first speech as leader to the Labour Party conference. In the leadup, he’ll have been peppered with advice on what to say, what not to say, and how to say it. We at the Spinoff want to help, too, and invited a bunch of bright people to draft … Read more
A club sandwich has become the latest thing to threaten Rory McIlroy’s run in the Race to Dubai, writes Simon Plumb. You may think the lifestyle of a top golf professional is all private jets and champagne. But while Jordan Spieth has been basking in the spotlight of stardom, it’s been a bit of a … Read more
Our Premier League heroes have had a busy week, toiling away in the Champions League or logging serious Call of Duty hours on the Xbox. Ahead of the weekend’s games, headlined by a big juicy North London derby, here is the week’s best and bleakest Premier League Twitter activity. Premier League Creative Insult of the … Read more
An occasional series commending excellent New Zealand reporting. This time: missing small town millions on Morning Report. Every week day I listen to Morning Report on Radio New Zealand – sorry, RNZ*. When I don’t, I feel vaguely uneasy – like I don’t quite know what’s going on in this country, and might be missing something of … Read more
abide more tritone idle mode because of sin the artisan cannot exact immaculate the transept rose in damask steel cannot restore with faithfulness the hawthorn’s point to Amor’s nose it vanishes like God inside … Read more
In a week marred by a despicable act by Brooke and Mitch and rescued by the thrilling plank challenge, Calum Henderson wonders if anyone can possibly topple the three-peat room reveal winners. 1. (Last Week: 1) Brooke & Mitch – House 4 With a crushing inevitability, Master Bedroom & Ensuite Bathroom Week provided a third … Read more
A sponsored post listing the new shows to hit Lightbox this November, including Hasselhoff’s return, brooding ballet drama and one of Norway’s biggest shows in 2015. Hoff the Record (available now) Fans of Curb Your Enthusiasm and The Comeback will enjoy Hoff the Record, starring Baywatch legend David Hasselhoff, 30 years after Knight Rider. The series follows him as … Read more
Simon Winchester takes on his most difficult subject yet – a biography of the Pacific. Graeme Lay delves deep, deep into its depths. There can be few people who when flying over the Pacific Ocean haven’t stared down from a window seat at the dark, wind-scuffed blueness below with a sense of wonder. Understandably so. … Read more
This week the Men in Blazers discuss the mid-table clash between Liverpool and Chelsea. Are Rog and Davo #teamJose or #teamCesc in the Chelsea fiasco? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1P3DVrTNNj0&feature=youtu.be?utm_source=thespinoff&utm_medium=partnership&utm_campaign=partnership With a quarter of the season gone, Premier League Pass are offering a quarter off the price. To claim your 25% discount, simply sign up as usual to a … Read more
Alex Casey delivers her power rankings for week four of My Kitchen Rules NZ, including the villainous rise of the Aucklanders and their Spongebob-inspired polenta. What an excellent week, full of interesting knives, warm biscuits and province-based barbs. But something isn’t sitting right with me. Ever since Group Two have made a huge hoopla out of … Read more
Having acquired the grand old age of 32, a lovely wife and a penchant for cooking aspirational middle-class dinners, Josh Drummond examines the nagging question of where to find time for games. My name is Josh Drummond, I’m 32 years old, and I play videogames. Just not very much, apparently. With this videogame writing gig came a … Read more
The ninth episode of our weekly pop music chat for umusic, shot and edited by The Spinoff’s own José Barbosa. It involves two pop rookies – The Spinoff’s Alex Casey and bFM’s Joseph Harper – listening to state-of-the-art pop music and having a chat about it. Simple. This week they discuss Keyboard Cat’s addition to … Read more
With yesterday’s terrible news about flagship current affairs show 3D, Duncan Greive assesses the MediaWorks’ strategy, a year on from its flashy relaunch. Yesterday, at the well-known bad news dump slot of 4.56pm, I received this via email: 3D is TV3’s flagship current affairs show – the place where its best journalists go to do their most … Read more
Guy Somerset reviews The Nearest Thing to Life, a collection of essays by writer and critic James Wood. Good writing rubs off. When a good writer notices something, it helps us notice too. Good criticism also rubs off. When a good critic notices the noticing, we notice the noticing as well. It’s an almost virtuous circle. … Read more
Hundreds of handwritten signs were hoisted high and proud around Victoria Park at lunchtime to praise, thank, and welcome home the world’s best men’s rugby team, Richie & The Boys. Most were direct and to the point. “Go the All Blacks,” “Well done boys,” “I LOVE THE ALL BLACKS.” Others seemed a little needy – … Read more
Duncan Greive interviews Steve Braunias on the occasion of his new book, The Scene of the Crime. Steve Braunias is my favourite New Zealand writer. Maybe that makes me an imbecile, I don’t know. I haven’t read hardly any of our fiction, because I barely read fiction. There might be better people out there in other … Read more
Alex Casey reports back from the US, after watching all of the terrible television that the land of the free could provide. I don’t know if I’m just lazy, but I have always maintained that one of the best ways to get a vibe for a new country is to do two very basic things: go to … Read more
The scene is the set of a craptastic public access TV channel. A woodwork demonstration with a table saw is underway as the cameras roll. The demonstrator is a gangly, seemingly spaced out man in white overalls; he’s being interviewed by a young guy with a mop of permed hair and glasses. Overalls says “There’s … Read more
Alex Casey introduces Flesh and Bone, a new drama exclusive to our sponsors Lightbox, and explains why Breaking Bad fans are about to get obsessed with the ballet. What’s the story? Ballet ain’t all pirouettes and glamorous costumes, as we find out within moments of Flesh and Bone opening. Claire is a gifted young dancer who has escaped … Read more
Finlay Macdonald assesses Trevor Noah’s first month at The Daily Show desk, and asks if Jon Stewart’s replacement has earned his hosting stripes. Timing is everything in comedy, and real life could certainly have picked a better time to interrupt Trevor Noah’s flow. Between only his first and second appearances as Jon Stewart’s replacement, a lunatic … Read more
Nicky Hager tells The Spinoff about his case in the High Court, Dirty Politics a year on, and his next book – “one of the most important projects that I could imagine”. Nicky Hager has been back in headlines lately after court documents revealed, among other things, that Westpac had provided his transaction statements to … Read more
Josh Davis has assessed every one of the NBA’s 30 teams, so you can a pick a franchise to ride from here to eternity. It’s happened again. The NBA season has once again caught you by surprise. Every year you promise yourself you’ll pick a team, sign up to League Pass and waste away otherwise … Read more
Tara Ward brings you this week’s Shortland Street Power Rankings, including Boyd’s doodacky and Harper’s baby blues. 1) Dayna gives it a crack with Knob the Builder Call off the search: Dayna found The Knob. The Knob is actually George the Labourer, a doctor visiting Ferndale on a working visa. George is from England, which is … Read more
Helen Clark and the media: it’s like a thesis subject. She cowed them, bossed them, milked them. How did she get away with it? Extracts from Helen Clark: Inside Stories by Claudia Pond Eyley and Dan Salmon explore the phenomenon, with views from Clark’s former media advisor and (authorised) biographer Brian Edwards and journalist and … Read more
