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/ 7 November 2005
Noam Chomsky (76) has been voted the world’s top public intellectual by London-based Prospect magazine. But he has no interest in that. He believes that there is a misconception about what it means to be smart. It is not a question of wit, as with number five on the list (Christopher Hitchens) or poetic dash like number four (Vaclev Havel).
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/ 21 October 2005
Despite Salman Rushdie’s reputation as someone who, when he isn’t out partying, makes statements about partying, his is not a brash presence, writes Emma Brockes, who spoke to him about his new novel, marriage and political revenge.
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/ 10 October 2005
Stephen Hawking’s book A Brief History of Time clung to the bestseller lists for 237 weeks. He has now published a new, more accessible version of the book. In a rare interview he talks to the Mail & Guardian about disability, why women can’t read maps and thinking in 11 dimensions.
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/ 16 November 2004
I visit Timothy Chan on the day China’s rich list is published and he, a baby-faced 31-year-old, appears at number two. He is chairperson of Shanda Entertainment, a computer games manufacturer based in Shanghai’s Pudong district. To the mortification of his parents, Chan is worth $1,05-billion. His idol is Bill Gates, whom he admires for his work ethic and abstinent lifestyle.
No one knows how old he is. Brown says he is in his early 70s; it is whispered abroad that he may be nearer to 80. But the original sex machine is still packing them in — and breaking their hearts. Emma Brockes talks to James Brown about love, jail and taxes.
From shocking sex to brutal separations, Hanif Kureishi has never been afraid to tackle difficult subjects in his writing — and his latest film is no different. But his kitchen is where he gets the best ideas, writes Emma Brockes.
He is one of the world’s most successful musicians, introduced Guy Ritchie to Madonna and has been honoured by the queen. He has written his memoirs — and doing it plunged him into deep depression. Emma Brockes meets the ‘ordinary’ superstar.
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/ 19 December 2003
From his makeup to his music, there is nothing Marilyn Manson likes more than to shock. But behind the pose, has he really got anything to say – and why does he prefer living under Bush? Emma Brockes investigates.
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/ 1 December 2003
From his makeup to his music, there is nothing Marilyn Manson likes more than to shock. But behind the pose, has he really got anything to say — and why does he prefer living under Bush?
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/ 24 October 2003
Here are some words used by DBC Pierre to describe himself, the day after winning the Man Booker Prize: freak, dickhead, arsehole, dumb, farting machine, awkward and bumbling. The 42-year-old Australian concludes: ”I should just fucking shut up.” He talks to Emma Brockes.