I can't believe it's been a year since I attended an ANU/The Canberra Times Meet the Author event, but this year has been packed. Finally, though, we were free on at the right time - and the event happened to be one of high interest for me, Melissa Lucashenko being interviewed about her latest book, … Continue reading Melissa Lucashenko in conversation with Alex Sloan
Monday musings on Australian literature: Shortlist for the inaugural 20/40 Prize
Last November, I announced the creation of the new 20/40 Publishing Prize by the wonderful (and local-ish to me), independent, non-profit publisher, Finlay Lloyd. Now, eleven months later, the awarding of the inaugural prize is imminent, with the shortlist being announced last Friday and the winners to be announced on 28 October. But, just to … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Shortlist for the inaugural 20/40 Prize
Six degrees of separation, FROM I capture the castle TO …
Daylight savings started in my jurisdiction last week, and I am so happy. I love the longer end of days in summer, and not being woken so early in the morning. I am not so looking forward though to what this forecasted hot, dry summer might bring, but let us be hopeful... meanwhile let's get … Continue reading Six degrees of separation, FROM I capture the castle TO …
Susan Glaspell, A jury of her peers (#Review)
One of my retirement activities is to co-ordinate a little band of volunteer indexers at the National Film and Sound Archive. Not only do we do useful work for the Archive, but we get to socialise a little with our peers, meaning we talk about what we are watching, listening to, and reading. Recently, one … Continue reading Susan Glaspell, A jury of her peers (#Review)
Monday musings on Australian literature: Spineless Wonders
For a small, specialist, independent publisher, Spineless Wonders has appeared on my blog more times than you might expect, sometimes in passing, sometimes as the publisher of an author I've reviewed, and a few times in posts on publishing and publishers. All that, I've decided, has earned them their own post. The first - and … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Spineless Wonders
Carmel Bird, Love letter to Lola (#BookReview)
In her prose piece, "Ocean of story" (my post), Christina Stead wrote that It is only when the short story is written to a rigid plan, or done as an imitation, that it dies. It dies when it is pinned down, but not elsewhere. It is the million drops of water that are the looking-glasses … Continue reading Carmel Bird, Love letter to Lola (#BookReview)
Monday musings on Australian literature: Introducing Uninnocent landscapes
You heard it here first - or, first(ish) anyhow, as the webpage is up and orders are already coming in for a new, beautiful book, Uninnocent landscapes: Following George Augustus Robinson’s Big River Mission. Yes, I admit it isn't out yet so I haven't actually seen it, but I know it is beautiful because I've … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Introducing Uninnocent landscapes
Mary TallMountain, Snatched away (#Review)
Mary TallMountain's "Snatched away" is the ninth story of fourteen in the anthology, Great short stories by contemporary Native American writers, that I've been working through this year. It, like the previous three, was published in the 1980s, in 1988 in this case. Mary TallMountain Anthology editor Bob Blaisdell provides minimal information about her. He … Continue reading Mary TallMountain, Snatched away (#Review)
Monday musings on Australian literature: Series or standalone?
I started my recent post on Shelley Burr's crime novel Ripper with a statement that crime novels are often written in series and that I am not a big series fan. Ripper looked at the start to be a standalone novel, but a few chapters in the protagonist from her first novel Wake appears. From … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Series or standalone?
Shelley Burr, Ripper (#BookReview)
When I started reading Ripper, Shelley Burr's follow-up novel to her bestselling award-winning debut novel Wake (my review), I thought about crime novels, about how they are often written in series and how I am not a big series fan. Ripper looked to me like a stand-alone novel - and it is, somewhat! I say … Continue reading Shelley Burr, Ripper (#BookReview)
Whispering Gums 