The most powerful presence is absence (from "Egypt") The above lines open Australian poet Dorothy Porter's The bee hut, a collection of poems mostly writen in the last five years of her life. The lines are prophetic ... and they appropriately open a collection which deals very much, though not exclusively, with the tension between life … Continue reading Dorothy Porter, The bee hut
A light interlude, but will Desert Book Chick approve?
I have nearly finished my next book/s and so a review will be coming up any moment now, but in the meantime I thought I would post this photo: Now, the thing is, Desert Book Chick recently wrote a post on the Five Things that turn her off (some) book blogs - and one of them … Continue reading A light interlude, but will Desert Book Chick approve?
Richard Appleton, Appo: Recollections of a member of the Sydney Push
I wanted to start my review of Richard Appleton's memoir, Appo: Recollections of a member of the Sydney Push, with a mention of its evocative cover, but I now see that my friend Lisa, at ANZLitLovers, has already done this, so I'll start more boringly with definitions instead! According to Wikipedia, the Sydney Push was a left-wing intellectual … Continue reading Richard Appleton, Appo: Recollections of a member of the Sydney Push
Kate Chopin, A respectable woman
Besides Jane Austen's works, there are only a few novels that I have read more than once. One of these is Kate Chopin's The awakening. I was trying to think of an adjective to describe it or my feelings upon reading it, but couldn't think of anything that wasn't clichéd. The best way to convey … Continue reading Kate Chopin, A respectable woman
A Day on the Green, with Diana Krall (et al)
Last night was my second "A Day on the Green" concert held at the beautiful Centennial Vineyards in Bowral. The first was January 2009 when I attended the stupendous - there's no other word for it - Leonard Cohen concert. That really was a concert to end all concerts. Last night's concert though was no … Continue reading A Day on the Green, with Diana Krall (et al)
Post-impressionism redux
It was almost 30 years ago to the day that I attended my first exhibition of post-impressionist art. That was in London: it was Post-Impressionism at the Royal Academy of Arts, 1979-80, and we went on March 9, 1980, the last day of my first European trip. Last night, March 4, 2010, we went to … Continue reading Post-impressionism redux
The Diagram Prize for the oddest title of the year
I know you've been waiting for it: the longlist for the Bookseller/Diagram Prize is out - and in fact was out in early February. You can find it in the Guardian article here. As no doubt some of you know, this prize began in 1978 as a way, says the Wikipedia article to which I've linked, … Continue reading The Diagram Prize for the oddest title of the year
Jack London, War
What do I know about Jack London? Not much really, except that he wrote adventure stories like Call of the wild and White fang, and, intriguingly, a study of London slums, People of the abyss. So, when this week's Library of America story was "War" (1911) by Jack London, I decided to read it. You can read it … Continue reading Jack London, War
Sawako Ariyoshi, The doctor’s wife
The doctor's wife is the third Ariyoshi novel that I've read. The other two - The River Ki and The twilight years - I read well over a decade ago. According to Wikipedia The doctor's wife is considered her best novel. All, though, are fascinating reads providing an insight into a culture which is so different … Continue reading Sawako Ariyoshi, The doctor’s wife
Kevin Barry, Fjord of Killary
I hadn't heard of Kevin Barry when his short story published in The New Yorker this month, "Fjord of Killary", was brought to my attention. Kevin Barry is an Irish writer, born in Limerick in 1969, and this makes him 40 (or 41 this year). The first person narrator of the story is the same … Continue reading Kevin Barry, Fjord of Killary
Whispering Gums 