Killing Yourself with Poetry
‘Twas the eve of Nýhils 2nd international poetry festival, late autumn 2006. I was the manager for the second year in a row. For some reason I can’t remember we […]
No Tents Please
It started with a conga line, entwining the reasonably sized audience of friends into a daisy chain of drunken merriment and awkward expression for those who reluctantly joined—B
All The Pretty Little Horsies: Getting Stirred-up With Icelandic Equine
I can’t say that I ever intended to, of all things, go horseback riding here in Iceland. I tried riding a horse once when I was eight. I screamed a […]
Optimistic, Hopeless, Content
Relentlessly experimental electro/pop/whatever outfit múm are arguably one of Iceland’s most successful musical exports to date. Since forming in 1997, the band has released f
Stuff We Like!
For some reason, everyone likes stuff that’s free. Free music, free journalism, free pornography, free jazz – it’s all universally celebrated as being all totally awesome and
The Oldest Profession
May 6, 2009. 12:28 pm. It’s humiliating, being solicited for sex. The range of emotions felt is broad; each and every one verging on crushing the psyche and effectively scramblin
Exodus
Something childlike deep within their eyes, reminded me of faces in the crowd from before the fall of the Berlin Wall; or on dim-lit streets in Gorbachev’s Moscow— a cold, [&he
Why I Don’t Give a Fuck
The Icesave quarrel, prosecuting the Icelandic racketeers, returning or receiving the IMF loan, joining the EU or any other of these immensely important issues that are discussed h
Raw in Reykjavík
What? Raw food is a diet consisting of foods that have not been heated over 46 degrees Celsius (115 degrees Fahrenheit). The most popular version is based on fruits, vegetables, [&
100 Crazy Things (Apparently)
A far cry from Icelandair’s notorious ‘Dirty Weekend in Reykjavík’ ad campaign a few years back and the Bangkok of the North label Iceland has received in the past, this [&h
100 Crazy Things (Apparently)
50 Crazy Things to Taste in Iceland lists, well, fifty crazy things to taste in Iceland. It is obviously aimed at tourists, and with me being an Icelandic native myself, […]
Faceless Bureaucracy Or Benevolent Uncle?
The 1957 Treaty of Rome, the rock on which the EU is built, states that there should be a common policy for fisheries. That’s fundamental, so don’t kid yourselves that [&hellip
Sour Grapes and Stuff
Sour grape of the month A case of POLAR BEER for your thoughts. We’re not gonna lie to you: we really love us some beers. Some folks would call it […]
The History of Icelandic Rock Music: Part 8
It is the beginning of 1971 and yet another line-up for the premium hippie band Trúbrot is born. Trúbrot 3.0 has organist Karl Sighvatsson and drummer Gunnar Jökull back on [&he
Politics, Culture and Driving in Circles
“People are very private here. You need a local to gain their trust,” Piitaaraq explained in an attempt to quell my disappointment upon being shunned by a dozen individual loca
Exploring the Grey Area
American playwright Paula Vogel was in Reykjavík recently attending a performance of her Pulitzer Prize winning play “How I Learned to Drive,” which showed at Borgarleikhús t
Two Collections Of Comics By Fletcher
Recently rediscovered and dubbed “the Ed Wood of comics”, the late Fletcher Hanks was a cartoonist from the golden age of comic books (late 1930s – late 40s). His com