News
Hazel Sheffield reviews "Rum Diary" for the Economist
November 29, 2011
Hazel Sheffield, a 2011-2012 Fulbright Alistair Cooke 
Scholar studying digital media at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, was one of hundreds of students and alumni who attended the special Hunter S. Thompson panel last month by the Alumni and Development Office. Sheffield, however, took the event one step further and reviewed “The Rum Diary,” which screened as part of the panel and stars Johnny Depp, for the Economist.
Depp was present at the panel, as was “Rum Diary” director Bruce Robinson and Alex Gibney, who directed “Gonzo: The Life and Work of Hunter S. Thompson.” Journalism School Dean Nicholas Lemann moderated the event.
“The Rum Diary,” now playing, is based on Thompson’s novel. Depp plays Paul Kemp, a freelance journalist who
finds himself at a critical turning point in his life while
writing for a run-down newspaper in the Caribbean. Kemp
is challenged on many levels as he tries for security amidst
a group of lost souls bent on self-destruction.
The Fulbright Alistair Cooke Scholarship is a UK-US postgraduate Fulbright award specific for journalism, named in honor of Cooke. Sheffield and Tom Lewis are this year’s scholars.
Sheffield graduated from Durham University in England with first-class honors in History in 2008. She has written for publications including The Guardian, The Observer, The Telegraph, The Financial Times, Intelligent Life Magazine, and the BBC. She can be followed @hazelsheffield