Karl Puschmann is Culture and entertainment writer for the New Zealand Herald. His fascination lies in finding out what drives and inspires creative people.

Hello, there! I’m Karl Puschmann, culture and entertainment writer for the New Zealand Herald and its stable of premium magazines. As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a writer. A misspent youth at art school and playing in bands saw me gravitate towards writing about the arts. After completing my Post-Graduate Diploma in Journalism at AUT in 2004 I freelanced for every local pop culture, entertainment and lifestyle magazine worth a damn, before becoming editor of New Zealand’s iconic music magazine Rip It Up in 2005.  In 2014 I started my weekly pop culture column in the Herald before joining the entertainment desk full-time in 2016. In 2021 I became the title's first Culture Editor.  Most days I talk to inspiring and creative people who are making really cool stuff. I find it fascinating to find out what drives them, to hear the stories behind their art, and to get their thoughts and views on the big topics like life, death, love, loss and everything in between. I’ve spoken to a lot of amazing people over the years, but some of the most memorable include living legends Paul McCartney and Martin Scorsese, personal inspirations Jerry Seinfeld and Johnny Marr from The Smiths and artists I admire Aldous Harding and Taika Waititi.  My personal philosophy is that entertainment writing should in itself, be entertaining. That mind-set is behind everything I write.