Michael Scott Moore, the writer who preceded me as chief theatre critic of SF Weekly (Mike gave up the post at the end of 2004 to move to Berlin and I held it from then until the fall of 2009) was taken hostage over the weekend in central Somalia.
The author, who is currently based in Berlin and recently published a great book about the export of American surf culture around the world, was in Somalia researching a new book about Somali pirates.
The Los Angeles Times has a story here.
And here is The Huffington Post’s story.
I saw Mike last in New York in October. We wandered around Prospect Park in Brooklyn for a few hours. He was on a book tour and I was visiting friends. I am willing his safe return to Europe or the U.S.