Latest news with #Horsley
Spectator
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Spectator
A memoir doesn't always have to be true
The news that Raynor Winn's bestselling memoir The Salt Path may not have been the whole truth has been met with a mixture of outrage, hilarity and 'I told you so'. Many readers have smugly informed the world that Winn's journey along the Salt Path with her husband Moth (Moth!) was so obviously a work of fiction that they saw through it months before anyone else. The fact that they have waited until now to make their dissent public suggests they, like so many others, may have been wise well after the fact. Personally, I watched the news unfold with more than usual interest, because it took me back to my own dabblings with memoir. Not my own, thankfully – we shall have to wait a few decades for that – but when, more years ago than I care to remember, I was working at a Soho literary agency and was asked to assist the dandy, artist and drug addict Sebastian Horsley in recalling what, precisely, had happened to him in the heady days of the Eighties and Nineties. My first meeting with Horsley was an auspicious one. I had read the existing draft of his memoir, entitled Mein Camp, and found it simultaneously horrifying and hilarious. It was a stream of consciousness that not only painted Horsley and his parents in the grimmest possible light, but gave the sense that his life so far had been an endless wallow in squalor and misery. I was fascinated to meet this man and discover the pain that he had been through. I was therefore surprised that the cheerful, rather Wildean character who greeted me – a cross between a Byronic hero and a Dickensian grotesque, clad in a glittering red suit – did not seem like someone who had suffered beyond measure. Of course, I understood that he had led more of a life than just about anyone else I had met. After all, he kept a revolver by his bedside, a collection of skulls (including one, he claimed, that belonged to his former mother-in-law) and drugs paraphernalia. The suggestion was that he had walked on the wild side with dealers and users alike. But was this jovial figure really the catamite of hard-man Glasgow drug dealers? Had he really spent days immersed in his own filth, naked, listening to Beethoven? I raised this with Horsley, gingerly, and his response was both surprising and disarming. 'I made it all up.' All of it? He laughed. 'Oh, come on, it's a memoir, not a work of history.' It was not for me to quibble, and the question of fact-checking an autobiography as inimitable – and shamelessly, hilariously personal. Horsley had a simple idea for what we should do with the second draft: 'Let's make some more things up.' 'I made it all up.' All of it? He laughed. 'Oh, come on, it's a memoir, not a work of history' Creating fiction out of fact is an intoxicating, liberating experience. Horsley was a fabulous storyteller, spinning yarns with the brio of an actor, and it was impossible not to be swept up by his loopy charisma. I knew that my role was to play good cop and to turn his fantasies into some sort of cohesive whole, but I was too enraptured by the sheer lunacy of what he was peddling to want to impose any literary discipline upon it. Horsley and I worked together on the memoir – entitled Dandy in the Underworld – for the next couple of months. I tried to encourage Horsley to tell the truth, in as entertaining and evocative a fashion as he could. But it was obvious that a combination of class-A drug use and telling his stories so many times had meant that the line between fact and fiction had long since blurred. Eventually, I threw up my hands and allowed Horsley to print the legend, rather than fact. To this day, I have no idea how much of the memoir on which I worked was literal truth, how much was embroidered fact and how much was simple creative fantasy. In a sense, it does not matter. The book remains Horsley's epitaph – his sordid story told in splendidly entertaining fashion, in his own words. Should Raynor Winn be hauled over the coals for her own inability to be wholly accurate, she might be tempted to respond that she, too, was writing 'her truth' rather than documented fact – and that this is the prerogative of any memoirist. Some might even sympathise with her.
Scottish Sun
04-07-2025
- Health
- Scottish Sun
Fat jabs are ruining dinner parties as guests on weight-loss drugs lose appetites and offend their hosts
FAT jabs are ruining dinner parties as guests on weight-loss drugs lose their appetites. A survey found one in three hosts have been annoyed by invitees rejecting meals they prepared. 2 Fat jabs are ruining dinner parties as guests on weight-loss drugs lose their appetites (stock picture) Credit: Getty 2 10 Ozempic friendly dinner party foods that could prevent guests getting scared off Eighty per cent on the injections say they now find the social side of eating and drinking uncomfortable. Nearly half feel it has ruined their enjoyment of dinner parties completely — with 29 per cent of hosts getting upset. Ten per cent of guests have even stashed food in a napkin to hide their embarrassment. Jon Horsley, from trends and insights agency Perspectus Global, said: 'Weight-loss drugs are still in their early days. 'The fact that their use can make social eating difficult is just one unforeseen effect.' And it is not just food that is spoiled for those on jabs like Ozempic and Mounjaro, as 18 per cent say they can no longer enjoy wine or cocktails. Sixty per cent believe the correct etiquette is to let hosts know ahead of time that guests are on the jabs, so menus can be adjusted accordingly. Perspectus Global's survey of 2,000 guests and hosts found lighter options such as prawn cocktail, melon and prosciutto, fish soup or a small fillet steak are the most suitable options. For dessert, a sorbet is the order of the day. Mr Horsley added: 'Shared meals may become more awkward until we work past the social difficulties, adapt our menus and the etiquette surrounding the subject.'
The Irish Sun
04-07-2025
- Health
- The Irish Sun
Fat jabs are ruining dinner parties as guests on weight-loss drugs lose appetites and offend their hosts
FAT jabs are ruining dinner parties as guests on weight-loss drugs lose their appetites. A survey found one in three hosts have been annoyed by invitees rejecting meals they prepared. Advertisement 2 Fat jabs are ruining dinner parties as guests on weight-loss drugs lose their appetites (stock picture) Credit: Getty 2 10 Ozempic friendly dinner party foods that could prevent guests getting scared off Eighty per cent on the injections say they now find the social side of eating and drinking uncomfortable. Nearly half feel it has ruined their enjoyment of dinner parties completely — with 29 per cent of hosts getting upset. Ten per cent of guests have even stashed food in a napkin to hide their embarrassment. Jon Horsley, from trends and insights agency Perspectus Global, said: ' Advertisement READ MORE ON FAT JABS 'The fact that their use can make social eating difficult is just one unforeseen effect.' And it is not just food that is spoiled for those on jabs like Ozempic and Sixty per cent believe the correct etiquette is to let hosts know ahead of time that guests are on the jabs, so menus can be adjusted accordingly. Perspectus Global's survey of 2,000 guests and hosts found lighter options such as prawn cocktail, melon and prosciutto, fish soup or a small fillet steak are the most suitable options. Advertisement Most read in Health Exclusive Exclusive For dessert, a sorbet is the order of the day. Mr Horsley added: 'Shared meals may become more awkward until we work past the social difficulties, adapt our menus and the etiquette surrounding the subject.' Women taking fat jabs need 'effective contraception' - as health chiefs warn of serious harm to unborn babies
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bitwise CEO Says Lots Of Bitcoin Demand Is Coming In Q3. Here's Why:
Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. Bitwise CEO Hunter Horsley has hinted at sustained bullish momentum for Bitcoin in the coming months. Horsley said last week on X that 'a lot of demand' is coming for Bitcoin in Q3. He cited yet-to-be-completed merger and financing deals by impending Bitcoin treasury firms have been the major drivers of Bitcoin buying pressure and price action this year. 'There's a lot of Bitcoin Treasury Companies that have announced— but haven't yet closed, and thus bought the bitcoin,' he said. 'There's a lot of demand coming in Q3.' Don't Miss: — no wallets, just price speculation and free paper trading to practice different strategies. Grow your IRA or 401(k) with Crypto – . Among companies that have revealed Bitcoin treasury plans but have not closed deals are Twenty One Capital and Strive Asset Management. In April, Twenty One was announced as a new Bitcoin treasury company to be formed through Cantor Fitzgerald's Cantor Equity Partners (NASDAQ:CEP), a special purpose acquisition company. The new venture is to be partly owned by cryptocurrency exchange Bitfinex, its subsidiary Tether and Japanese investment bank SoftBank. Twenty One said it planned to launch with 42,000 BTC at the completion of its deal. So far, it has received only 37,000 BTC worth $4 billion from Tether. Strive in May also announced plans to become a publicly traded Bitcoin treasury company by merging with Asset Entities (NASDAQ:ASST). While the company has yet to close this merger, it later said that it raised $750 million to fund its first round of Bitcoin purchases. Beyond Twenty One Capital and Strive, Trump Media & Technology Group (NASDAQ:DJT) recently received the Securities and Exchange Commission's greenlight to kick off its Bitcoin treasury strategy, unlocking $2.3 billion in capital it had raised from 50 institutional investors to buy Bitcoin. Trending: New to crypto? on Coinbase. While new Bitcoin treasury companies work towards making purchases, incumbents are not slowing down. MicroStrategy (NASDAQ:MSTR) on Monday announced the purchase of 10,100 BTC for over $1 billion. Metaplanet also announced the purchase of 1,112 BTC for approximately $117 million, bringing its total stash to 10,000 BTC. Bitwise in December predicted that Bitcoin would trade as high as $200,000 in 2025. Last week, Horsley said once Bitcoin trades within the $130,000 to $150,000 price range, no one will sell the asset again. He said borrowing against asset holdings will become the order of the day. 'From there on, when people need liquidity, they are going to borrow from an ever growing set of lenders,' he said. 'All of which will further propel price. There's simply not going to be enough Bitcoin.' At last look, the asset is trading near $107,400, holding steady despite rising tensions between Iran and Israel in the past few days. Read Next: A must-have for all crypto enthusiasts: . Maker of the $60,000 foldable home has 3 factory buildings, 600+ houses built, and big plans to solve housing — Image: Shutterstock This article Bitwise CEO Says Lots Of Bitcoin Demand Is Coming In Q3. Here's Why: originally appeared on Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
News.com.au
11-06-2025
- News.com.au
Woman charged after mother, child allegedly stabbed in roadside attack near Wongawilli
A mother and her child have allegedly been stabbed by another woman in a roadside incident in southern NSW. Police allege a woman was driving with her two children, aged three and 10, on West Dapto Road at Wongawilli at about 6pm on Wednesday when they were made to stop by another vehicle. 'The driver of the other vehicle, an older woman known to them, allegedly exited and approached their vehicle, before an altercation began,' NSW Police said in a statement. 'During the altercation, the older woman allegedly stabbed a 27-year-old woman and the 10-year-old boy.' The woman and 10-year-old boy were airlifted to hospital with serious stab wounds. The woman's 3-year-old child was not physically injured. About 30 minutes after the alleged stabbing, police arrested a 59-year-old woman in the nearby area of Horsley. She has been charged with two counts of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. The 59-year-old woman has been refused bail and is expected to face the Wollongong Local Court on Thursday.
