A great new work is released in Australia today. My Colombian Death is the first book by former Sydney Morning Herald journalist Matthew Thompson (the launch was last night in Sydney, all photos here.)
It tells the story of Thompson, a 30-something man with a wife and newly born child, who feels dissatisfied with the cards he has been dealt in life. He craves adventure, so he heads to one of the most dangerous countries in the world. Bulls, drugs, wild rides and delusions all combine to create a Gonzo-style look at a place easily ignored. It’s a welcome slap in the face to Western reporters who simply go to Colombia to write about “terrorism.”
Self-indulgent? To be sure. Morally questionable to leave a new baby? Probably. But it doesn’t matter, because Thompson wants the reader to discover the nation with him, with all its layers and as he said last night to not view Colombians as simply residents in a screwed up land.
It’s a compelling read.