Late last month, the Australia Council of the Arts released the results of a survey they conducted with Macquarie University. It is, the introduction to their final summary says, "the third stage of a major study of Australia’s changing book industry, by the Australian Research Council and Macquarie University." The project, according to the Macquarie University website … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Reading the reader (Survey)
Author: Whispering Gums
Six degrees of separation, FROM Shopgirl TO The natural order of things
Here we are again at the first Saturday of the month - and you know what that means don't you! Yep, the Six Degrees of Separation meme. As most of you know, it's currently hosted by Kate (booksaremyfavouriteandbest). This means she has the power - though she will take requests - to nominate the book from which we create a chain of … Continue reading Six degrees of separation, FROM Shopgirl TO The natural order of things
Ian McEwan, Nutshell (#bookreview)
Like Carmel Bird's Family skeleton, which I reviewed recently, Ian McEwan's Nutshell has a narrator who won't appeal to those who don't like devices like skeletons in cupboards or babies in wombs. However, repeating what I said in my review of Bird's book, it all depends on the writer's skill, and McEwan, like Bird, is … Continue reading Ian McEwan, Nutshell (#bookreview)
Monday musings on Australian literature: Books in The Australian Women’s Weekly, 1930s-1950s
This will be a short post, tonight, mainly because I couldn't find, in the time I had available, enough information for my original idea - which was to discuss The Australian Women's Weekly's support for Australian writers. This was inspired by my coming across, during last week's research into Currawong Publishing Company, an article about … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Books in The Australian Women’s Weekly, 1930s-1950s
Jill Roe, Our fathers cleared the bush (#bookreview)
As that old pop song goes, what kind of fool am I? I went, you see, to Macquarie University, which I chose for its then modern approach to tertiary education. It was great, but somehow, I didn't end up in tutorials taught by Thea Astley, nor did I study Australian history in which Jill Roe was one of … Continue reading Jill Roe, Our fathers cleared the bush (#bookreview)
Telling Indigenous Australian stories
This weekend is particularly significant for indigenous Australians. No, let me rephrase that: it's significant for all Australians because what happens to indigenous Australians marks who we are as a nation. And, right now, who we are is not wonderful. Anniversaries galore If you're Australian, you'll know what I'm talking about, but for everyone else, the … Continue reading Telling Indigenous Australian stories
Monday musings on Australian literature: Currawong Publishing Company
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
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)
Whispering Gums 