Monday musings on Australian literature: Reflections of a 1970s feminist

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I can't remember a time when I wasn't a feminist, but Bill suggested that, for his AWW Gen 4 week, I "could 'review' The female eunuch by discussing your experience of Women's Lib at uni". I replied that I could probably do “Reflections of a 1970s feminist” but that it wouldn't be exactly what he … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Reflections of a 1970s feminist

Janette Turner Hospital, The inside story (#Review)

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Between 1985 and 1990, Janette Turner Hospital wrote four books which had one-word titles - Borderline (1985, novel), Dislocations (1986, short stories), Charades (1988, novel) and Isobars (1990, short stories). I've read the novels, and they imprinted on my mind Hospital's love of metaphor. In these works, her titles clearly herald her concerns, and I … Continue reading Janette Turner Hospital, The inside story (#Review)

Christine Balint, Water music (#BookReview)

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Christine Balint's Water music was a joint winner of the 2021 Viva La Novella Prize with Helen Meany's Every day is Gertie Day (my review), but they are very different books. Meany's is contemporary, perhaps even near-future, and tackles some up-to-the-minute issues regarding fact, truth and authenticity, while Balint's is historical fiction, a coming-of-age story, … Continue reading Christine Balint, Water music (#BookReview)

Monday musings on Australian literature: Thinking about historiography

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Last week I wrote a post on Cindy Solonec's hybrid biography-memoir, Debesa: The story of Frank and Katie Rodriguez. This book, as I explained in my post, is a rewriting of her 2016 PhD thesis which “explored a social history in the West Kimberley based on the way her parents and extended family lived during … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Thinking about historiography

Cindy Solonec, Debesa: The story of Frank and Katie Rodriguez (#BookReview)

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Cindy Solonec's Debesa is one of those curious hybrid biography-memoirs that are appearing on the scene. Its subtitle describes it as The story of Frank and Katie Rodriguez, implying biography, but in fact, Frank and Katie are Solonec's parents and so the book also incorporates some of her own story as part of the family. … Continue reading Cindy Solonec, Debesa: The story of Frank and Katie Rodriguez (#BookReview)

Monday musings on Australian literature: Some New Releases in 2022

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For several years now, my first Monday Musings of the year has focused on "new releases". As before, it is mostly drawn from the Sydney Morning Herald. Their writers do a wonderful job of surveying publishers large and small, but I have found a few more on my own! Also, remember, this is Monday musings on … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Some New Releases in 2022

Blogging highlights for 2021

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Finally, the last of my traditional, self-indulgent year-end trifecta (which includes my Australian Women Writers' Challenge wrap-up and Reading highlights posts). But, like last year, before I launch into my usual analysis, I must send another big shout-out to Bill (The Australian Legend) who continued to curated his Bill curates series of reblogged posts from my blog's early … Continue reading Blogging highlights for 2021

Monday musings on Australian literature: Australian Women Writers Challenge 2021

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For the last time, I am devoting my last Monday Musings of the year to the Australian Women Writers Challenge ( in its current form at least, see below). What a couple of years we've had. It's hard to know whether it has affected the challenge or not but, anecdotally, our numbers did not increase over … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Australian Women Writers Challenge 2021