Book excerpt: A controversial but highly acclaimed memoir by writer Young Kim, A Year on Earth with Mr. Hell, traces her intense relationship with pioneering punk rocker Richard Hell. An erotic account that retains sensitivity and taste, Kim's book has been celebrated by luminaries including Bret Easton Ellis, Nick Hornby and Edmund White and has received plaudits in GQ and The Times. Noted journalist Matthew D'Ancona likened the text to the work of Nin and Bataille. Set in a Warholian swirl in the worlds of art, music, and fashion, spanning continents, the narrative is as much about Kim’s processing her grief for Malcolm McLaren (most famous for his role as the conceptualizer, art director, and manager of the Sex Pistols, as well as designing the punk style with his then-partner Vivienne Westwood), her romantic and business partner for the last 12 years of his life until his untimely death in 2010. Though written as it happened like a diary, in its cinematic sweep, it reads like a novel.