Finally, having reviewed three stories in Barbara Baynton's collection Bush studies, I start at the beginning with the story "A dreamer". This story is a little different to the three* I've reviewed to date, primarily because men do not play a significant role in the action or denouement of the plot. The plot is a … Continue reading Barbara Baynton, A dreamer (Review)
Author: Whispering Gums
Monday musings on Australian literature: Patrick White and those Blue Poles by Jackson Pollock
A change of pace for this week's Monday Musings to give you a bit of a rest after my few rather lengthy posts of late. Enjoy! I have already mentioned Patrick White a few times this month. One was my reference to his calling himself a "painter manque" in my review of his debut novel, … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Patrick White and those Blue Poles by Jackson Pollock
Rod Howard, A forger’s tale: The extraordinary story of Henry Savery, Australia’s first novelist (Review)
"Name Australia's first published novelist" is, I think, a question that would trick most Australians at a trivia night. Rod Howard, who wrote the biography, A forger's tale, about this writer would agree, as would the writer in the West Australian in 1950 to whom I referred a couple of months ago. Henry Savery, in … Continue reading Rod Howard, A forger’s tale: The extraordinary story of Henry Savery, Australia’s first novelist (Review)
Meanjin’s Tournament of Books 2012 (2013), Round 2
Methinks our Meanjin Tournament of Books judges partied a little too much over the silly season because it has taken a few weeks for the second round to be judged. However, the judging has now concluded and the eight stories have been reduced to four, as follows: Round 2 Match 1: Thea Astley's 'Hunting the … Continue reading Meanjin’s Tournament of Books 2012 (2013), Round 2
Monday musings on Australian literature: Capital women poets
Since Australia's capital, Canberra, is celebrating its centenary in 2013, it seems timely to devote a few Monday Musings posts - scattered throughout the year - to its literature. Comparatively speaking, Canberra is a small city, but it is rich in poets, past and present, female and male, so I've decided to make my first topic … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Capital women poets
Barbara Baynton, Scrammy ‘and (Review)
Back in November, Trevor at Mookse and the Gripes, decided that rather than write a single review of Alice Munro's latest collection of short stories, Dear life, he would, over a period of time, read and review the individual stories. Now, there's something to be said for reviewing a collection of short stories as a … Continue reading Barbara Baynton, Scrammy ‘and (Review)
Fridays with Featherstone, Part 5: The wrap
Today's post concludes my Fridays with Featherstone series. It comprises my follow-up interview with Nigel wherein I ... well, you'll see soon enough ... INTERVIEWER (C'est moi!) I enjoyed reading your interview with Susan Errington of Wet Ink, Nigel, but of course that was prepared before the publication of your latest book, the novella I’m … Continue reading Fridays with Featherstone, Part 5: The wrap
Delicious descriptions from Down under: Patrick White on men and sheep
A few months ago I wrote a Monday Musings on the representation of sheep - well, people who work with sheep anyhow - in Australian literature. I was therefore tickled when early in Patrick White's Happy Valley, which I reviewed last week, he talks of men who work with sheep, as follows: Men who work … Continue reading Delicious descriptions from Down under: Patrick White on men and sheep
Monday musings on Australian literature: Coming up in 2013
In a first for Whispering Gums, I have decided to post about coming attractions. It seemed an appropriate first Monday Musings for the year. But, how to do it? As I can't possibly list them all, I'm going to make a selection and group them in sets that make sense to me. So here, as … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Coming up in 2013
Patrick White, Happy Valley (Review)
My love affair with Patrick White, figuratively speaking, began in my last year of high school when I studied Voss. Always partial to Aussie literature, I was, at 17 or 18, bowled over by White's writing, passion and vision - and by his rather acerbic, though mostly compassionate, view of the way people submerge their … Continue reading Patrick White, Happy Valley (Review)
Whispering Gums 