As regular readers know, I've been involved in much clearing out of houses over the last eighteen months. I have, as a result, accumulated a small but interesting collection of older books, several of which I have already posted on. Today's post is inspired by another such book, And all the trees are green (1944), by … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Currawong Publishing Company
Author: Whispering Gums
Shakespeare’s Sonnets, app-style
Back in 2011 I wrote a post, a few in fact, on Touchpress's wonderful iPad app for TS Eliot's poem The wasteland. I love that app. It's an excellent example of how interactive digital media can enhance learning about or enjoyment of literature, for a start, though Touchpress has applied its approach to a wide range of scientific … Continue reading Shakespeare’s Sonnets, app-style
Monday musings on Australian literature: Sisters in Australian fiction
Yesterday I posted my review of Sara Dowse's novel As the lonely fly, which centres on the lives of three sisters (well, primarily, two sisters, and the daughter of the other sister), and today, playwright Joanna Murray-Smith mentioned another book about sisters, Shirley Hazzard's The transit of Venus, when giving her Top Shelf on Radio National's … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Sisters in Australian fiction
Sara Dowse, As the lonely fly (#BookReview)
Some books grow out of their author's desire to engage the reader in an issue they feel passionate about, such as Jane Rawson on climate change in A wrong turn at the Office of Unmade Lists (my review) and Charlotte Wood on the scapegoating of women in The natural way of things (my review). Sara Dowse's … Continue reading Sara Dowse, As the lonely fly (#BookReview)
Monday musings on Australian literature: NLA Publishing, and some free e-Books
I was idly following links around the 'net over the weekend and somehow ended up at NLA Publishing's site. For those of you who don't know, they are the publishing arm of the National Library of Australia. I first mentioned them back in 2011 when I referred to publisher Alec Bolton as the person who established … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: NLA Publishing, and some free e-Books
Six degrees of separation, FROM The slap TO Persuasion
Another month, another Six Degrees of Separation meme. My how quickly the months are passing! The meme is, as most of you know by now, currently hosted by Kate (booksaremyfavouriteandbest). Each month she nominates a book from which we try to create a chain of seven books, linking one from the other on whatever excuse, flimsy or otherwise that we … Continue reading Six degrees of separation, FROM The slap TO Persuasion
William T Hornaday, The bird tragedy of Laysan Island (Review)
William Temple Hornaday (1854-1937), whose article "The bird tragedy of Laysan Island" was a recent Library of America (LOA) Story of the Week offering, is a tricky man to write about. Originally a taxidermist, he became one of the pioneers of the wildlife conservation movement in America after he realised, around the 1880s, the dire situation regarding the country's … Continue reading William T Hornaday, The bird tragedy of Laysan Island (Review)
Monday musings on Australian literature: ABDA 2017 Shortlist
Five years ago, I wrote a Monday Musings on book design, in which I featured three book designers. I've mentioned book design occasionally since then but, having just seen the shortlist for this year's ABDA (Australian Book Design Awards) which are sponsored by the ABDA (the Australian Book Designers Association), I've decided to write another … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: ABDA 2017 Shortlist
AS Patrić, Black rock white city (Review)
With that extended conflict known as the Yugoslav Wars (1991-2001) now over for more than a decade, we are starting to see books written about them. I've reviewed two on this blog to date, Aminatta Forna's novel The hired man (2013) (my review) on the Croatian War of Independence, and Olivera Simić's memoir Surviving peace (2014) (my review) on … Continue reading AS Patrić, Black rock white city (Review)
Book Buying Habits (Another meme)
I really don't like doing memes - except for the Six Degrees of Separation to which I've become addicted. But when I came across this Book Buying Habits one via Lisa (ANZLitLovers) and Karen (Booker Talk), I decided it would be a good opportunity to explain myself, so here goes ... 1. Where do you … Continue reading Book Buying Habits (Another meme)
Whispering Gums 