Bad Trips: How I Went from Vice Reporter to International Drug Smuggler

Pastuk debuts with a riveting cautionary tale. A Ukrainian-born Canadian, the rap-loving, wannabe journalism star Pastuk found some traction on Twitter and for his music blog posts, which put him on the radar of Vice. In 2013 at age 22, he became the online publisher’s music editor and led a life of drugs, drink, and hobnobbing with music celebs. But the pay was so dismal he started selling weed to make ends meet. Ultimately, he fell in with international drug dealers connected to a Mexican cartel, and he traveled to Australia to traffic millions of dollars of cocaine. When he returned home, he blew the $10,000 he received and began to recruit others to help out. After his roommate and four others were arrested in Australia and turned on him, the RCMP arrested Pastuk. He pleaded guilty in 2019 and was sentenced to almost nine years in prison. In scorching prose, Pastuk takes full responsibility for his actions, noting “I am not a victim of anyone but myself.” This account of how he lost his career and reputation for a walk on the dark side will strike a nerve with anyone who’s ever considered chasing fame for the sake of fame. Agent: Chip MacGregor, MacGregor & Luedeke. (May)