“I’ll tell you how much I admire David Lynch as an artist, and how influential I consider his work to have been – not only for me personally, but also an entire swathe of Western culture. However, first let me give you a snapshot of the jejune Self coming face to face with his creative hero. It was 1989, in Notting Hill in London, in a gaff called 192, the wine bar of the moment (yes, such a concept still obtained in those matte-black days). Think cocaine as a near-novelty, think shoulder pads, think conical white sconces and shirts buttoned to the collar (a style Lynch himself still affects). I was dining with friends, I was recently married, I’d yet to publish a book and had a day job in a publishing company.   More...

As Werner Herzog releases Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call – New Orleans, Will Self pays tribute to a maverick director whose work pits humanity against the elements – and watches the elements win. You can read the article here in GQ magazine.