For someone who doesn't seek out historical fiction, I seem to have read a lot of it lately. Leslie Cannold's The book of Rachael is the third historical novel I've read in succession - and it's the third with an author's afterword/postscript, which suggests to me some uncertainty in the writers about historical fiction. Tansley quoted Doris Lessing's statement … Continue reading Leslie Cannold, The book of Rachael
Author: Whispering Gums
Monday musings on Australian literature: Bookseller turns publisher
Bookseller-as-publisher (and vice versa) is not an original idea but, in our digital environment with its plethora of production and distribution technologies, this combination clearly offers new possibilities - one that the Australian bookchain, Dymocks, has announced it is going to try. Its aim? To "support Australians with stories to tell" ... and, of course, … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Bookseller turns publisher
Marion Halligan on fact, fiction and character
More on playing with that line between fact and fiction... One of my favourite writers - though I have nowhere near read all her works - is Marion Halligan, who also happens to be local to my town. Halligan has been shortlisted for and/or won several signifcant Australian literary awards but I'd be surprised if many readers overseas … Continue reading Marion Halligan on fact, fiction and character
Geraldine Brooks, Caleb’s crossing
In the Afterword to her latest novel, Caleb's crossing, which was inspired by the first Native American to graduate from Harvard College, Geraldine Brooks describes the reactions of members of the Wampanoag Tribe: Individual tribal members have been encouraging and generous in sharing information and insights and in reading early drafts. Others have been frank … Continue reading Geraldine Brooks, Caleb’s crossing
Monday musings on Australian literature: Project Gutenberg Australia
I don't imagine Project Gutenberg needs any introduction to bloggers and blog readers, but I'm not sure how many are aware of the Australian sister site, Project Gutenberg Australia. This site is not formally connected with the original Project Gutenberg but, like the original, it provides access to international texts that are in public domain … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Project Gutenberg Australia
Ginny Jackson, The still deceived
Brother Gums and his partner, who live in our southernmost state, Tasmania, often give me books by local writers, many of whom I may not easily come across on "the mainland". Their offering last Christmas was one of these, The still deceived, a collection of poems by Ginny Jackson. It was published by one of Australia's … Continue reading Ginny Jackson, The still deceived
Delicious descriptions from Downunder: Isabella Bird on Nikkō in Japan
This is one of those Delicious Descriptions that is from Downunder but is not of Downunder, if you know what I mean. It's actually of Japan - as you observant readers will already know given the title of this post - and it comes from Isabella Bird's Unbeaten tracks in Japan to which I referred in … Continue reading Delicious descriptions from Downunder: Isabella Bird on Nikkō in Japan
Monday musings on Australian literature: Reading about Australian women writers
In the 1980s my interest in Australian literature, which had been initially kindled by my parents and school, was renewed. In the 1980s, too, women writers started to flourish again. Consequently, this second wave interest of mine was drawn particularly to these women. I read their books of course (I'm thinking particularly of Elizabeth Jolley, … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Reading about Australian women writers
Tangea Tansley, A break in the chain: The early Kozminskys
In the postscript to her novel A break in the chain, Tangea Tansley quotes Doris Lessing's statement that 'fiction is better at "the truth" than a factual record'. This gets to the nub of my challenge with this book, which is a fictionalised account of three generations of the author's family, particularly her great grandparents … Continue reading Tangea Tansley, A break in the chain: The early Kozminskys
How do you handle Copyright on your blog?
Since the beginning of this blog I have been concerned about Copyright, and have worked through it in stages. I'm not a copyright expert and have no legal training, but I thought I'd share - in case it helps others - some of my thought processes over the last two years or so of my … Continue reading How do you handle Copyright on your blog?
Whispering Gums 