There are some writers whose personalities shine through so strongly that I have taken to characterising them in just a word or two. Jane Austen, for example, I think of as wickedly witty, and Helen Garner as heartbreakingly honest. Carmel Bird is another of these. I describe her as seriously cheeky, by which I don't … Continue reading Carmel Bird, Field of poppies (#BookReview)
Month: February 2020
Monday musings on Australian literature: Recovering Australia’s Indigenous languages
In my recent Delicious Descriptions post on Madelaine Dickie's Red can origami, I referred to last year's UN International Year of Indigenous Languages. It occurred to me that while I've referred to Indigenous Australian languages several times in this blog, I've never specifically posted about them. Now seemed a good time, particularly given interest the year generated. … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Recovering Australia’s Indigenous languages
Delicious descriptions: Madelaine Dickie on Indigenous language and Uranium
My recent post on Madelaine Dickie's Red can origami was getting too long - and I just couldn't cover in detail all that I wanted to, so I've decided to do one of my rare Delicious Descriptions posts to expand some ideas from the book. Concluding my post, I commented that the novel is an … Continue reading Delicious descriptions: Madelaine Dickie on Indigenous language and Uranium
Madelaine Dickie, Red can origami (#BookReview)
Some writers, I understand, suffer from a thing called "second novel syndrome", which describes the fear of writing a second novel after a successful first one. Well, it's clear that Madelaine Dickie, who won the TAG Hungerford with her first novel Troppo (my review), hasn't suffered from this particular disorder, because her second novel, Red … Continue reading Madelaine Dickie, Red can origami (#BookReview)
Monday musings on Australian literature: Musician’s memoirs
I had been toying with a different topic for today's post, but Brian's (Babbling Books) comment on my post on Anna Goldsworthy's memoir, Piano lessons, sent me off in a different direction. Brian said that he was "interested in the lives of artists", that "there is something about the subject that is inherently fascinating". He … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Musician’s memoirs
Anna Goldsworthy, Piano lessons (#BookReview)
Ever since Anna Goldsworthy's memoir, Piano lessons, was published, I've hankered to read it, but somehow never got around to acquiring a copy. So, when I was casting around for our next road trip audiobook and this one popped up serendipitously in Borrowbox, I grabbed the opportunity. Now, I have to admit that although I … Continue reading Anna Goldsworthy, Piano lessons (#BookReview)
Ros Collins, Rosa: Memories with licence (Author’s response)
Last October, I reviewed a book by Ros Collins titled Rosa: Memories with licence. As the title suggests, this book is not quite memoir, but neither is it really fiction. My post generated quite some discussion from commenters, which resulted in my saying "Maybe Ros will comment here and answer the questions". Unfortunately, just as … Continue reading Ros Collins, Rosa: Memories with licence (Author’s response)
Monday musings on Australian literature: Hidden Women of History
Every now and then I share some content from The Conversation, and so I am again today. This time, it's an occasional series they have featuring the "hidden women of history", in which they "look at under-acknowledged women through the ages". Not all of these are Australian but around half, so far, are. The most … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Hidden Women of History
Stella Prize 2020 Longlist
I don't do well at having read the Stella Prize longlist at the time of its announcement. In 2017 I'd read none; in 2018 it was one, and last year two! Will it be three this year? (BTW by the end of 2019, I had read six of the 12, one more than in 2018! … Continue reading Stella Prize 2020 Longlist
Charlotte Wood, The weekend (#BookReview)
After reading the first few pages of Charlotte Wood's latest novel, The weekend, I was starting to wonder how on earth these women, with "their same scratchy old ways", could be described as "dearest friends". They seemed so different, and so irritated or, sometimes, cowed by each other's differences. Where was their point of connection … Continue reading Charlotte Wood, The weekend (#BookReview)
Whispering Gums 