I had hoped to finish my current book by this weekend, but it's been a busy week with a two-day trip away, an exhibition launch, and a Friends' of the NFSA event, on top of usual commitments. However, I do have some "literary" bits and pieces to share. I'll start with the one that isn't … Continue reading My literary week (10), Non-fiction November and Lady Chatterley
Author: Whispering Gums
Hoa Pham, Lady of the realm (#BookReview)
Hoa Pham was one of the participants at the recent Boundless Festival (my post), so it's rather apposite that her latest work, Lady of the realm, popped up as my next review copy. The very brief author bio on the Festival site describes the novel as "about a Buddhist clairvoyant in Vietnam". Well, it is, but … Continue reading Hoa Pham, Lady of the realm (#BookReview)
Monday musings on Australian literature: Ad hoc literary awards (1)
Wah! It's Sunday night (as I write this), and I've suddenly realised that I'll be out of town all Monday and Tuesday, so what to do about this week's Monday Musings? Something quick, that's what! So, I looked at my little list of ideas for something I could do fairly quickly, and noted one I'd … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Ad hoc literary awards (1)
Stan Grant, Talking to my country (#BookReview)
History is, in a way, the main subject of my reading group's October book, Stan Grant's Talking to my country. I'm consequently somewhat nervous about writing this post, because discussions of history in Australia are apt to generate more emotion than rational discussion. I will, though, discuss it - through my interested lay historian's eyes. … Continue reading Stan Grant, Talking to my country (#BookReview)
Six degrees of separation, FROM Less than zero TO …
Last month I changed my Six Degrees titling practice to not including the end book. Most commenters preferred that approach, so I'm sticking with it for the moment, with apologies to those who demurred! And now, before I get stuck into this month's choices, the formalities. Six Degrees of Separation is a meme currently run by Kate … Continue reading Six degrees of separation, FROM Less than zero TO …
Monday Musings on Australian literature: the Boundless Festival
Last Saturday, the NSW Writers’ Centre and Bankstown Arts Centre presented Boundless: A Festival of Diverse Writers, which they describe as the "first-ever festival focused on Indigenous and culturally diverse Australian writers and writing". My first reaction was, Really? Surely not. There was Blak and Bright held last year in Melbourne. But, hmm, that was specifically … Continue reading Monday Musings on Australian literature: the Boundless Festival
Gabrielle Carey, Moving among strangers (#BookReview)
Emma's guest Monday Musings post last week on Randolph Stow provided the impetus for me to finally retrieve Gabrielle Carey's Moving among strangers: Randolph Stow and my family from my TBR pile. I've been wanting to read it for the longest time, but ... well, those of you with big TBRs will understand. Moving among strangers, whose … Continue reading Gabrielle Carey, Moving among strangers (#BookReview)
Carmel Bird (ed), The stolen children: Their stories (#BookReview)
Commenting on my post on Telling indigenous Australian stories, Australian author Carmel Bird mentioned her 1998 book The stolen children, describing it as her contribution "to the spreading of indigenous stories through the wider Australian culture". It contains stories told to, and contained in the report of, the National Enquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and … Continue reading Carmel Bird (ed), The stolen children: Their stories (#BookReview)
Monday musings on Australian literature: Guest post from ACT Lit-blogger Emma Gibson
With the ACT Lit-bloggers of the Future program in its closing months, I thought it would be lovely for you to hear directly from Emma and Angharad via a guest post, and they both agreed. First up is Emma - and she chose to write about ... The great Australian writer you’ve (possibly) never heard of: Randolph … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Guest post from ACT Lit-blogger Emma Gibson
My literary week (9), some thoughts about fiction …
It's been a busy week, what with getting ready for our road trip to Port Macquarie, and then doing said road trip, so reading has been slowed down somewhat. However, that doesn't mean that things literary have been forgotten. Why write fiction? Like most of you who read this blog, I expect, I'm always looking … Continue reading My literary week (9), some thoughts about fiction …
Whispering Gums 