Journalism

Prior to becoming a musician, Tessa was an accomplished journalist whose work appeared in Elle, Vogue, the GuardianIndependent, Daily Telegraph, Sydney Morning Herald, South China Morning Post, Elle Decor, House Beautiful, Salon, and more. She specialized in identifying intriguing, off-beat social trends, including cuddle parties, embryo adoption and life coaches (she wrote the first article on coaches to appear in the British press, for the Times, in 1997), as well as covering a range of subjects from dating in New York to aliens in Nevada. Nowadays focused on her music career, she still writes occasionally, when invited – most recently a piece on French movie icon Isabelle Adjani and two cover stories on Canadian-American alt rock superstar Alanis Morissette and Irish playwright Conor McPherson. Her regular AllAboutJazz column, ‘Out and About: The Super Fans,’ which she co-writes with singer Andrea Wolper, is HERE. Read just a few of her feature articles below.

INTERVIEWS

Write a Musical Around Bob Dylan Songs? A “Really Weird” Idea Pays Off Sydney Morning Herald, Spectrum Magaziney Irish playwright Conor McPherson on his Grammy-nominated and likely 2022 Tony contender, Girl from the North Country COVER STORY READ

You Oughta Know: Alanis Morissette on the guts of the musical Little Jagged Pill Sydney Morning Herald, Spectrum Magazine Morissette insisted there be no holding back from the tough issues in the hit musical inspired by her iconic album COVER STORY READ

Isabelle Adjani on a radical reworking of cult movie Opening Night Sydney Morning Herald, Spectrum Magazine In her latest role, Isabelle Adjani portrays an actor who is tormented by her lost youth – which couldn’t be further from her true self READ

Super Mario Elle Magazine  Young, gifted and gorgeous, Mario Van Peebles is a cowboy with a cause. The actor/director gets on his high horse with Tessa Souter. READ

Manic Streak Preacher The Saturday Times Magazine Andy Behrman claims to have left behind the rollercoaster life of a manic depressive that he documents in his book. But when Tessa Souter met the former art dealer, forger and go-go boy, he still seemed electrically charged. READ

Have a Nice Death Australian HQ Magazine She brought ease to the terminally ill and aid to their grieving loved ones. But when Elisabeth Kubler-Ross started seeing “spooks” and weighing into the afterlife debate, some said the guru had gone plumb loco. So, had she? READ

Naked City  HQ Magazine  Crowds of New Yorkers gladly get up early to be photographed lying in the street in the nude. It’s art, explains shutterbug Spencer Tunick. But the NYPD begs to differ. READ

Girls Own Story HQ Magazine  The amazing true tale of a woman who lived as a man (and died for it) was tailor-made for tough-cookie film producer Christine Vachon. READ

Anne and Katie Roiphe The Saturday Times Magazine  Most mothers and daughters have their differences: but what happens when one is a radical 1970s feminist and the other writes about why men should pay for dinner? READ

Jon Bon Jovi Chills Out British Airways High Life Magazine (PDF of cover story) Lots of actors try their hand at acting. Few work so hard at it and have earned so much respect for their first efforts. COVER STORY READ

FEATURES

A Word in Your Ear The Times  She’s mother, friend, therapist all in one, and she charges by the hour. Tessa Souter on the rise of the life coach. READ

Klaatu barada nikto!  HQ Magazine  Greetings Earthlings! Way out in the Nevada desert, the top-secret military base known as Area 51 is proving an irresistible magnet to strange visitors from other planets (and to even stranger ones from planet Earth). READ

The Comfort of Strangers The Times  Give me a hug: Can cuddle parties cure the loneliness epidemic? READ

Girls Will Be Boys  Elle Magazine  Even at the age of five Krissie didn’t feel happy in a tutu. Now she wears suits and ties, she’s called Kevin and she’s a man. READ

License to Kill  Elle Magazine  It’s legal and widely advertised … it’s one of the government’s biggest money-spinners. And it kills 300 people a day. Tessa Souter investigates the politics of smoking. READ

Growing Older Gracefully Good Housekeeping Magazine  You can’t stop the clock, so find your look and just relax. READ

Health report: Youth Juice?  Vogue Magazine  In the United States melatonin has been hailed as an anti-aging miracle drug, and sales are soaring. In Britain it has been removed from over-the-counter sales. What’s all the fuss about? READ

Rules of the Hunt Metro Dating in NYC is an exercise in primitive psychology READ

Date Expectations Guardian newspaper Tessa Souter reflects on the tricky business of boy-meets-girl in the modern world READ

MISCELLANEOUS

Tribute to Trumpeter Lew Soloff London Jazz News READ

Tribute to Mark Murphy London Jazz News READ

Sheila Jordan at the London Jazz Festival London Jazz News READ

Billie Documentary Film London Jazz News READ

STYLE

The Jeweler to Know New York Observer  Jacques Jarrige’s simple metallic shapes define spring’s hottest trend. READ

View from Nob Hill House Beautiful Magazine  Tranquility, texture and treasured antiques treated with casual affection: These are the keys to Jeffrey Weisman’s new rooms. READ

Moss’ Landing  House Beautiful Magazine  When Murray Moss wanted to expand his SoHo store, annexing the upstairs space would have been the logical move – if it weren’t for the neighbors. So he added four virtual floors. READ

Numbers Game  House Beautiful Magazine  Cary Nowell’s playful ceramics add up to another success for the enterprising designer. READ

Shopping Shake-Up House Beautiful Magazine  San Francisco’s Hayes Valley arose phoenix-like after the 1989 earthquake. Now it’s an enclave of hip design stores. READ

Talking Shop with Larry Maloney House Beautiful Magazine  Part store, part shrine to California designer John Dickinson, a San Francisco gallery is as informative as it is stylish. READ

Playing Pool Elle Decoration Magazine  For architect Josh Schweitzer and chef Mary Sue Milliken, home is a converted swimming school. It took ten  years but now life is one long pool party. READ

TRAVEL

There’s This Quiet Little Place New York faux speakeasies Guardian READ

Major Sax Appeal New York Times  On Mondays, the joint is jumping. Guess where. READ

New York’s Got its Mojo Back Guardian  From Blue Note to Woody Allen, jazz was the soundtrack of New York. It went quiet for a while, but the joints are jumping again. READ

Six of the Best … Jazz clubs in New York South China Morning Post  You might be forgiven for thinking Birdland and the Blue Note are the only jazz clubs in New York. A New York-based jazz musician bangs a drum for a set of equally authentic venues. READ

Hotel de Love HQ Magazine It once belonged to the world’s most celebrated couple. Now Casa Kimberley, the hideaway where Taylor and Burton fought and loved, is open to new romantics. READ