Tara June Winch's novel, The yield, follows her impressive - and David Unaipon award-winning - debut novel Swallow the air (my review). Ten years in the making, The yield could be described as her "passion project". It makes a powerful plea for Indigenous agency and culture. I wrote about The yield's genesis last year, but will repeat it … Continue reading Tara June Winch, The yield (#BookReview)
Author: Whispering Gums
Monday musings on Australian literature: Spanish flu
COVID-19, history tells us, is a one in 100 year event, the last such event being the Spanish flu of 1918 to 1920. This week, I thought I'd share some references to the Spanish flu from Trove - not news reports about the course of the flu itself, but some random references that indicate the … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Spanish flu
Six degrees of separation, FROM Stasiland TO …
It's April and finally the first starting book for 2020's Six Degrees of Separation that I've read. If you are new to blogging and don't know this meme and how it works, please check out meme host Kate's blog - booksaremyfavouriteandbest. Now to April's starting book, the critically acclaimed, multi-translated, award-winning nonfiction book by Australia's Anna Funder - … Continue reading Six degrees of separation, FROM Stasiland TO …
Rick Morton, One hundred years of dirt (#BookReview)
Way back in the early 1970s when I was an undergraduate university student, I did some sociology, and one of our set books was The myth of equality by Tom Roper. It, and the courses around it, have informed ever since my understanding of how our society operates. Morton's book One hundred years of dirt … Continue reading Rick Morton, One hundred years of dirt (#BookReview)
Monday musings on Australian literature: Authors respond to COVID-19
In last week's Monday Musings I wrote more generally about COVID-19 and its impact on the Arts. Like that post, this one is not aiming to be a formal comprehensive one either; news and ideas are coming far too quickly. And, anyhow, as I also said last week, most if not all of you are … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Authors respond to COVID-19
Living under COVID-19 (1)
This may be the first of a regular, irregular or occasional series of posts about living under COVID-19 , probably occasional because I suspect that, once we settle in for however long it's going to be, life will become same-same. Like many bloggers - see Nancy in the Netherlands' post, and Stargazer in London who … Continue reading Living under COVID-19 (1)
Monday musings on Australian literature (and the arts): COVID-19
I don't know about you, but I'm finding it hard to settle to read, let alone write thoughtful reviews right now. (I'm sitting on one at the moment that I really want to do justice to, but my brain is all over the place.) Consequently, I'm going to just write a COVID-19 Monday Musings - … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature (and the arts): COVID-19
World Poetry Day 2020
I have written two World Poetry Day posts before, in 2016 and 2018, so why not again in 2020, particularly given, more than any year, we are probably in need of hearing what poets have to say - of being soothed, inspired, entertained, or yes, even admonished by them. Awarnessdays.com says of World Poetry Day: … Continue reading World Poetry Day 2020
Monday musings on Australian literature: Autumn Book Binge 2020
A big thanks to Lisa (ANZLitLovers) whose post on the Autumn Book Binge brought it to my attention. I knew immediately that I had to post on it - albeit with a little change, as you will see. The Autumn Book Binge (love the wordplay on "bingo") is being run by the State Library of … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Autumn Book Binge 2020
My literary week (16), values and truth
Wow, it's been a year since my last literary week post. How did that happen? I have had many literary weeks since then - haha - including a few that I even thought writing about, but each time something got in the way. This time, though, I'm not letting it ... Family values ... I … Continue reading My literary week (16), values and truth
