Questions for Steve Braunias?

Some time in 2010 I read Steve Braunias' Smoking in Antartica.  Awa Press had sent the book to Tauranga Writers Information Guru, Jenny Argante to review and she handed it on to me.  I enjoyed the book and wrote a review for the Bay of Plenty Times.  (Review of Smoking in Antartica)



Photo from Daily Post, 2010

Unfortunately, around the same time I was hoping it would be published, Steve Braunias wrote a column slagging off Tauranga, calling it a city of old people who sit around moaning.  He described the Strand as 'chunder mile' and the CBD as a 'ghost town'. 

As much as this city does have it's share of whingers, puke and ghouls, his description caused a bit of an uproar.

Braunias smoothed the ruffled feathers of local Tauranga moaners by explaining away his description as "semi-affectionate".  However this did nothing to placate the BOP Times who weren't interested in publishing anything complimentary at the time.  My review had to make do with an isolated spot on the Tauranga Writers website.  And there it languishes still....

I was reminded of its existence only because I'm in the middle of putting together a list of questions to profile Steve for Creative Beat magazine.  It's about now I wish I'd promoted this blog a little more so that I could ask my many readers to send in their own questions.  Anybody?