He was the youngest ever editor of a men’s magazine when he took the helm of Arena, has had many a cultural battle on the Newsnight Review, is Artistic Director of the ICA, and, for his first book, journeyed to Ghana in search of his roots. But why hasn’t Ekow Eshun shed a tear since 1982?
If you could wake up tomorrow and have obtained one ability what would it be?
lo tl\. I long to det\ gia\.it‘..
How many times a day do you look in the mirror?
Hf. lliat's alrout axerage :sr‘VI
What would have given you the biggest thrill: England or Ghana winning the World Cup? This is more a guestion of sentiment thar‘ nationalism. was born in tendon but Ghana were the tournament's great underdogs. Cue Bram Stars' You could quit your job and start afresh tomorrow and have the skills to do something completely new. What would you choose?
An artist. Their success depends entirely on derng \‘.hat ne-one else has done hetere Creatrxeh speaking. the\ hax e no masters.
Do you consider yourself organised?
I'm a trend ter organisation at work. But rn nh,
112 THE LIST '3 .f,
ANSWER MACHINE
What is the punchline to your favourite joke?
What, if an hing, is too serious to joke about? vi. Vii." i'l'.‘ ' "" What‘s your favourite biscuit?
7'”: Jrl'wl'V'H" ~- '1 w" :K'We :' I I“
What was your finest achievement at Arena?
What did you most learn from your time on Just Seventeen?
lha’. uririi'rsrn'jl. ': l i‘ r" rt : f'w jirrgllern t age t'lit'l‘} What would be your ideal birthday present?
A week's snmzlrv trrling i‘. the l rem h At‘ .'.rt'\'
0 oflu‘rhit 1., “on
girlfriend .‘.ho a ’lllllilt'l‘t 't :rar'ter lint a 'lr-le til o tj()lllj>{lllltil‘ in eat-n, >tlrer res; e 3
What song would you hate to be played at your funeral?
'Angels' I'd rather liiiin tor ail eterr‘rt. that: at w .T‘. Holiliie
When did you last laugh out loud while reading a book?
l’hilip Roth‘s lr‘re ‘."./ar Against [line/ta line. :t". a novel about a fascist takeover ot the USA and their- are not many laughs. But Roth's a satriist at heart and I'm always laughing in wonder at his .'.rth words.
Have you ever exploited your position to get something?
When I edited Arena. I'd get more gifts from high end lashion brands than I could r;arr\ home at the end ol the day. le<:lriii(:all\, these were brilies. hat at the time I thought they just liked me so much they couldn't resist showering me wrth presents.
Who would you like to play you in the film of your life? Who would actually play you?
Den/el Wilfillllltjltfll. Will Smith. Well. you haw to aim high, right?
Who is/was your favourite sparring partner In the Newsnight Review team?
(Eermaine Greer; she's my hero. Probath the sharpest and least complacent thinker I've exer met What's your signature dish?
lam no gourmet but when pressed. turn to a roasted sole wrth anchoyies and roast tornator lhis regimes no technical expertise and piorlu’ms a good return on a modest iii\.estmerit.
When did you last cry?
December 1982. l was 13 years old and the girl lancied was snogging another boy at the school disco. M‘, heart has been hardened ever srnee. What’s your biggest regret?
That I am not. at this age. nastly rich.
Are you a cat or dog person?
Cat. l admire their insour:iah<:e
Who is the best-dressed celebrity? What gives them that special something?
\‘Valkrng in New York a ‘.‘.’llllt3 ago. sax. the great Swedish actor Max Von S‘,(lt)‘.‘.. He's ill lll‘; dds truf he looked so cool couldn't take my eyes : rff lirrrr What do you like least about your life?
have to pretend to he grownup too much or the time when l helrexe the answer to life is to ltrrLt)<)l“l.’~’- its basic, absurdit, Most things really, arer": ‘.'.’,".l1 taking toc S3€Etlt>LlE§l‘..
I Saw GO’L} :‘t' .'"e Se" is or? new. {Naomi/raw 1,. De":;,.-". News" 3:"! Panes. :; F". BBC; “; Ekow. Esr‘d" art‘ea's a? f'oe E:.'r".';d'j;r‘ /".'er"aff" Been Fests. a. Charerre Sdua'e Gad)": Sar ';
Add. 39'7‘,
When the French PM recently called the
leader of the opposition a coward. a can of Iily-Iivered worms was prised open. Here’s some stuff about the history of cowardice.
I Faceless cowards When George W Bush denounced the perpetrators o‘ SM 1 as such, he was fOrgetting lWO illirlgb‘l the worltl would soon know their laces thanks to the glories of CClV and the admin departments of the finest flying schools in the USA. and. frankly. there can‘t be many folk who would have the balls to embark on Such a dire historical misSion.
I Abraham Lincoln 'To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of rnen.‘
I Conscience makes cowards of us all Poor Hamlet. His problem was that he just thought too much. Or maybe he was wounded to the quick by the prospect of being portrayed variously by Mel Gibson, Kenny Bianagh and Ethan Hawke.
I Mahatma Ghandl Tom has its cowardice has none.‘
I Origins Apparently. the source of the word coward is from an anoient French phrase which effectively means ‘one wrth a tail' and refers to a dog's habit of tucking its tail between its legs when scared. But nothing to do wrth the habits of less cuddly canines in courageOrisly ripping yOur flesh to pieces.
I Napoleon Bonaparte “The people to tear are not those who disagree with you, but those who disagree wrth you and are too cowardly to let you know.‘
I Colour Why is yellow picked on when it comes to describing cowardice? Surely anyone who has managed to listen to Coldplay's tribute to the colour more than 32 times deserv s some kind of statue being erected in their name or something. I George Bernard Shaw ‘Hate IS the coward's revenge for being humiliated'
I Anonymous cowards The name attached to folk on the interriet who post messages Without identifying themselves. The Spaniards have gone a bit further and dubbed such bad people as ‘pendejo sin nombre' or assholes wrthout a name.‘
I Oscar Wilde ‘Consoence and cowardice are really the same thing.’
I Behind your back In the 1870s Jack 'Crooked Nose' McCall was executed for haying shot Jack ‘Wild Bill” Hickok when he was concentrating on his cards in a South Dakota saloon. He was executed and buried with the noose still around his neck. taunts of ‘Coward Jack McCall' ringing in his ears. Until the pomt when he choked to death. You may have seen this whole sorry incident re-enacted in Sky One's Deadwood.
I Spike Milligan ‘I'm a hero wrth coward's legs. I‘m a hero from the waist up.‘
so but