No matterher stories about islamic militants and shaky reconstruction were soon overshadowed by the bigger news in iraq. Based on her book taliban shuffle, the movie, which opens march 1, stars tina fey in the. Barker is now a metro reporter at the new york times, specializing in investigative reporting and narrative writing. Kim barkers bestselling memoir of life as a journalist in pakistan and afghanistan. Reporter, author kim barker shares lessons from life in afghanistan and pakistan. A few years ago, kim barker was presented with an offer she found all too easy to refuse. At first an awkward newbie in afghanistan, she grows into a wisecracking, seasoned reporter with grave concerns about our. Mar 04, 2016 the witty, charming yet slightly hapless role seems written specifically for feys quirky brand of humor, but is based on reallife reporter kim barker, who wrote the taliban shuffle. New york times reporter kim barker visited the penn state campus to talk to students about working in afghanistan. In this darkly comic and unsparing memoir, barker uses her. Mar 04, 2016 whiskey tango foxtrot is an adaptation of kim barker s memoir the taliban shuffle. As a foreign correspondent for the chicago tribune covering afghanistan and pakistan, barker enjoyed a. Kims propublica article on bp oil spill411 twitter. To the people of afghanistan and pakistan, who are still waiting for the punchline.
Kim barker is an enterprise reporter, focusing on longterm projects and narrative writing. Although the film only focuses on barkers time in kabul, afghanistan and depicts her as a television reporter instead of a print journalist, barker expressed unwavering support for the film and said she was proud of the final result. Based on her book taliban shuffle, the movie, which opens march 1. Strange days in afghanistan and pakistan, so it is in fact based on.
Apr 16, 2016 a few years ago, kim barker was presented with an offer she found all too easy to refuse. Famed reporter and war correspondent kim barker brought to the school of international affairs the same sense of sly humor and keen insight that made her book the taliban shuffle and its film adaptation whiskey tango foxtrot, starring tina fey such a widely acclaimed meditation on afghanistan, pakistan, and. In 2011, kim barker, an afghanistan war correspondent, told the story of her experiences behind enemy lines in her book the taliban shuffle. Mar 28, 2016 kim barkers bestselling memoir of life as a journalist in pakistan and afghanistan was an adventure written as the antieat pray love. When it came to transforming her memoir about being a war correspondent in. No matter her stories about islamic militants and shaky reconstruction were soon overshadowed by the bigger news in iraq. Michiko kakutani, the new york times the taliban shuffle isnt like any other book out there about afghanistan and pakistan. Strange days in afghanistan and pakistan, was made into the movie whiskey tango foxtrot. Journalist kim barker is photographed while promoting the movie whiskey tango foxtrot on feb. Tina fey as kim baker, a tv journalist covering the war in afghanistan. Unlike many book narratives by war reporters, barkers pushed through the. Whiskey tango foxtrot is an adaptation of kim barkers memoir the taliban shuffle. The witty, charming yet slightly hapless role seems written specifically for feys quirky brand of humor, but is based on reallife reporter kim barker, who wrote the taliban shuffle. By day, kim baker tina fey, a tv reporter, and her male team visit allgirls schools that have been torched by the taliban, who burned desks and books and scrawled no education for women.
Covering her adventures in pakistan and afghanistan as a foreign reporter for the chicago tribune, the taliban shuffle is a sardonic, satirical piece of longform journalism, tinged. Journalist kim barker just lived through that experience when her book, the taliban shuffle, was bought by tina feys production company and adapted into whiskey tango foxtrot wtf, starring. At first an awkward newbie in afghanistan, she grows into a wisecracking, seasoned reporter with grave concerns. Afghanistan between hope and fear by paula bronstein. And kim baker is a television rather than a print reporter. Barker has written an account of her experiences covering afghanistan and pakistan that manages to be hilarious and harrowing, witty and illuminating, all at the same time. Kim barkers bestselling memoir of life as a journalist in pakistan and afghanistan was an adventure written as the antieat pray love. About whiskey tango foxtrot the taliban shuffle mti a truelife catch22 set in the deeply dysfunctional countries of afghanistan and pakistan, by one of the regions longestserving correspondents. Mar 03, 2016 film based on reporter kim barkers afghan war memoir mines comedy in real life. When kim barker first arrived in kabul as a journalist in 2002, she barely owned a passport, spoke only english and had little idea how to do the taliban shuffle between afghanistan and pakistan. The movie version, whiskey tango foxtrot will be released in march 2016, starring tina fey, martin freeman. Americans to read a book about afghanistan and pakistan is if i put an american in the center of it, made it.
Strange days in afghanistan and pakistan is a memoir by u. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read whiskey tango foxtrot the taliban shuffle mti. Feb 26, 2016 kim barker, a former tribune reporter, said her book the taliban shuffle being adapted for the big screen whiskey, tango, foxtrot is one of those 15minute things. Nov 14, 2016 new york times reporter kim barker visited the penn state campus to talk to students about working in afghanistan. Journalist kim barker on what its like for your life to become a. Reporter, author kim barker shares lessons from life in. Reporter, author kim barker shares lessons from life in afghanistan. A truelife catch22 set in the deeply dysfunctional countries of afghanistan and pakistan, by one of the regions longestserving correspondents. This is possibly the worst book i have ever read by a journalist. Barker will discuss her book thursday april 28 at seattles elliott bay book co. Strange days in afghanistan and pakistan by kim barker. Penn state reporter, author kim barker shares lessons from life in afghanistan and pakistan. Until january 2018 she was a reporter on the metro desk, focusing on affordable housing in new york city. Whiskey tango foxtrot kim barker interview, author of the.
Kim barker was the south asia bureau chief for the chicago tribune from 2004 to 2009, based in new delhi and islamabad. Kim barker was a reporter covering campaign finance and the aftermath of the bp oil spill. Honestly, it kind of feels like the core of the movie is the same as the core of the book, barker said. Tracing barkers and bakers long tour of journalistic duty in afghanistan and pakistan, both memoir and film note the difference between a new reporters aggressiveness in finding the. At first an awkward newbie in afghanistan, she grows into a. Barker was an investigative reporter at the online nonprofit propublica, writing mainly about campaign finance. By day, kim baker tina fey, a tv reporter, and her male team visit allgirls schools that have been torched by the taliban, who burned desks and books and scrawled no education for. Kim barker is not your typical, impassive foreign correspondentshe is candid, selfdeprecating, laughoutloud funny. Barker was an investigative reporter at the online. Famed reporter and war correspondent kim barker brought to the school of international affairs the same sense of sly humor and keen insight that made her book the taliban shuffle and its film adaptation whiskey. Ahead of the films uk release, barker talks about how.
Strange days in afghanistan and pakistan ebook written by kim barker. About whiskey tango foxtrot the taliban shuffle mti. The war zone comedy whiskey tango foxtrot, opening friday, does add those things, but if anything it undersells the story of kim barker, whose book. Apr 21, 2011 kim barkers the taliban shuffle is a memoir of her seven years covering the war in afghanistan. The film stars tina fey, margot robbie, martin freeman, christopher abbott, alfred molina, and billy. The movie version, whiskey tango foxtrot, will be released in march 2016, starring tina fey, martin. Whiskey tango foxtrot kim barker interview, author of. Strange days in afghanistan and pakistan hit stores back in 2011, the new york times published a. Strange days in afghanistan and pakistan by kim barker 2012, paperback at the best online prices at ebay. Kim barker on the taliban shuffle chicago news wttw. War correspondent tells the true story behind whiskey.
Meet kim barker, the real reporter who inspired whiskey. Mar 15, 2011 kim barkers book the taliban shuffle is an account of her experiences as a reporter covering afghanistan and pakistan that manages to be hilarious and harrowing at the same time. When i came back from afghanistan and pakistan i was. Kim barkers the taliban shuffle is a memoir of her seven years covering the war in afghanistan.
Kim barkers tales from afghanistan get a truthy hollywood. Mar 17, 2016 tracing barkers and bakers long tour of journalistic duty in afghanistan and pakistan, both memoir and film note the difference between a new reporters aggressiveness in finding the. One of the worlds leading female photojournalists presents a powerful photo essay of daily life in wartorn afghanistan, offering the most complete visual narrative history of this pivotal middle east country currently in print. Mar 01, 2016 the war zone comedy whiskey tango foxtrot, opening friday, does add those things, but if anything it undersells the story of kim barker, whose book the taliban shuffle is the basis for the movie. This sums up the tone of kim barkers excellent nonfiction book. Covering her adventures in pakistan and afghanistan as a foreign reporter for the chicago tribune, the taliban shuffle is a sardonic, satirical piece of longform journalism, tinged with bitterness. Reporter kim barker immersed herself in afghanistan and pakistan for nine. Famed reporter and war correspondent kim barker brought to penn state the same sense of sly humor and keen insight that made her book. At first an awkward newbie in afghanistan, she grows into a wisecracking, seasoned reporter with grave concerns about our ability to win hearts and minds in the region. The memoir chronicles her experiences covering conflicts in the two countries. If you like insightful and darkly funny tales of modern warfare, this is the book for you.
That caught feys eye, she cracked open the book and was instantly hooked. An embedded journalist, kim barker, wrote this memoir commemorating her five years in. Kim barker, a former tribune reporter, said her book the taliban shuffle being adapted for the big screen whiskey, tango, foxtrot is one of those 15minute things. War correspondent tells the true story behind whiskey tango. Strange days in afghanistan and pakistan, a dark comedic take on her time in south asia, was published by doubleday. The author interviewed only a handful of imprisoned taliban hangerson p. Kim barkers book has been published in a new wtf movie edition but you can still find it with the original paperback cover.
Americans to read a book about afghanistan and pakistan is if i. Strange days in afghanistan and pakistan, so it is in fact based on real events in the life of a real person. Meet kim barker, the real reporter who inspired whiskey tango. Strange days in afghanistan and pakistan, the new york times remarked that the author depicts herself as a sort of tina. Strange days in afghanistan and pakistan, a dark comedic take on her time in south asia, was published by.
Reporter kim barker, author of the taliban shuffle, speaks at penn state on nov. Film based on reporter kim barkers afghan war memoir mines comedy in real life. The taliban shuffle isnt like any other book out there about afghanistan and. When kim barker first arrived in kabul as a journalist in 2002, she barely owned. Author kim barker attends the world premiere of the paramount pictures title whiskey tango foxtrot, on march 1, 2016 at amc loews lincoln square in new york city, new york. She covered the resurgence of the taliban in afghanistan and. Journalist kim barker on what its like for your life to. In her book, kim barker does no more than snog langan in a kitchen. Kim barker chronicles her exciting career as a foreign correspondent doing the taliban shuffle between afghanistan and pakistan in a new book published this week. Kim barker is a reporter on the investigations team at the new york times. Propublica reporter and former south asia bureau chief for the chicago tribune kim barker discusses her new book, the taliban shuffle.
Mar 04, 2016 when kim barker s memoir the taliban shuffle. The film stars tina fey, margot robbie, martin freeman, christopher abbott, alfred molina, and billy bob thornton. Whiskey tango foxtrot the taliban shuffle mti by kim. Kim barker reveals the fine art of compromise in adapting her book into the film whiskey tango foxtrot. Kim barker gives a true and amusing picture of hellholes and the reporters on. The taliban shuffle by kim barker, 2011, doubleday, 303 pgs. Meet kim barker, the real reporter who inspired whiskey tango foxtrot. Whiskey tango foxtrot is a 2016 american biographical war comedydrama film directed by glenn ficarra and john requa, and written by robert carlock, based on the memoir the taliban shuffle. The movie version, whiskey tango foxtrot, was released in 2016, starring tina fey, martin. Kim barker, the real foreign correspondent behind whiskey. Mar 03, 2016 journalist kim barker is photographed while promoting the movie whiskey tango foxtrot on feb. At the beginning of the taliban shuffle, the dedication reads. Kim barkers book the taliban shuffle is an account of her experiences as a reporter covering afghanistan and pakistan that manages to be hilarious and harrowing at the same time. The author of the book that inspired whiskey tango foxtrot says she had.