The time has come, I think, to talk about disclosures. I have been blogging for just over six years now, mostly on literature but also, occasionally, on other cultural experiences - including the Griffyn Ensemble. The thing is that Canberra is a small place and we who move around it start to get to know each other. This … Continue reading The Griffyns take us north – way north
Monday musings on Australian literature: AustLit Anthology of Criticism
I've written about AustLit several times before, including their BlackWords and World War 1 in Australian Literary Culture projects. Today, I thought I'd highlight their AustLit Anthology of Criticism which was published online in 2010. AustLit, as I've mentioned before, is primarily a subscription service, but not all of the content is behind their paywall. Of … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: AustLit Anthology of Criticism
Delicious descriptions – and other thoughts: Peter Carey’s Amnesia
One of the pleasures in reading Peter Carey's Amnesia comes from his language, so I do want to share examples of that, but first I want to say something about the style and structure because I didn't get to discuss it in my review. One of the criticisms I've heard about the book is that … Continue reading Delicious descriptions – and other thoughts: Peter Carey’s Amnesia
Peter Carey, Amnesia (Review)
Somewhere sometime ago I read that serious reviewers should read the book they are reviewing at least twice. I think this is good advice, but I admit that with so many books I want to read I rarely follow it. Peter Carey's latest novel Amnesia is one that well warrants rereading. It assaults you with ideas and action that aren't easily … Continue reading Peter Carey, Amnesia (Review)
Monday musings on Australian literature: Writers’ letters and diaries
I am currently reading a book of selected letters, First things first, by Australian poet Kate Llewellyn. I'm loving it, so I thought that as a precursor to my review (which is a way off yet as I've only read a third), I'd do a Monday Musings on the published letters and diaries of Australian writers. … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Writers’ letters and diaries
Richard Lloyd Parry, People who eat darkness (Review)
Commenting on my review of Helen Garner's This house of grief, Ian Darling recommended Richard Lloyd Parry's People who eat darkness: Love, grief and a journey into Japan's shadows. I'm ashamed that I rarely follow up the great recommendations I receive here, and I admit that it's odd that when I did this time it was for … Continue reading Richard Lloyd Parry, People who eat darkness (Review)
Monday musings on Australian literature: Australian flash fiction initiatives
It seemed sensible to follow up my review last week of Angela Meyer's collection of flash fiction, Captives, with a selective survey of some Australian initiatives for this sort of fiction. While flash fiction is not new, the internet does seem to be giving it renewed life. An online search will reveal many sites and blogs - … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Australian flash fiction initiatives
Jane Austen, Emma Vol 3 (continuing thoughts)
I've now finished my re-read of Emma, and found that the theme of friendship, which I discussed in my Volumes 1 and 2 posts, did continue to play out in the last volume. In those previous posts, I suggested that Austen was presenting friendship as having both personal and social value, and I gave examples of different acts of friendship, some generous, others more questionable if … Continue reading Jane Austen, Emma Vol 3 (continuing thoughts)
Angela Meyer, Captives (Review)
Have you read any flash fiction? Some of the pieces in Pulse would qualify but, besides this, I hadn't read much until I picked up Angela Meyer's collection Captives, which I bought for my Kindle last year. I bought it for a few reasons: I enjoyed and reviewed the short story collection she edited, The great unknown; I follow her blog Literary Minded; and … Continue reading Angela Meyer, Captives (Review)
Monday musings on Australian literature: Dymphna Cusack
It's been nearly a year since I devoted a Monday Musings post to a specific author, my last one being Barbara Baynton last June. It seemed like time for another one, and Dymphna Cusack (1902-1981), I decided, could do with a little push. Best known for her collaborative novel, Come in spinner (1951, with Florence James), Cusack was, in fact, a prolific … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Dymphna Cusack
