Much as I love watching Julia Baird on The Drum, and much as Mr Gums and I worried about her multiple cancer diagnoses and her extended journey to recovery over recent years, I'm not sure I would have read her book, Phosphorescence: On awe, wonder and things that sustain you when the world goes dark, … Continue reading Julia Baird, Phosphorescence (#BookReview)
Australian writers
Book (Re)Launch: Sara Dowse’s West Block
Way back when, I read Sara Dowse's debut 1983-published novel West Block. It ticked all the boxes - it was by a woman, by a feminist, was set in Canberra (a rare thing), and was about the Public Service within which I also worked. I enjoyed it immensely and have often wanted to re-read it. … Continue reading Book (Re)Launch: Sara Dowse’s West Block
Delicious descriptions: Gay Lynch on place, in colonial South Australia
In my recent post on Gay Lynch's historical fiction novel, Unsettled, I spent so much time writing about it, that I didn't share any quotes as I usually do, so I'm using a Delicious Descriptions post to share just a couple of descriptions of the setting, which is around Gambierton/Mt Gambier in South Australia. In … Continue reading Delicious descriptions: Gay Lynch on place, in colonial South Australia
Gay Lynch, Unsettled (#BookReview)
Coincidentally, my first review after this week's Monday Musings on historical fiction happens to be a work of historical fiction, Gay Lynch's cleverly titled Unsettled. Consequently, I'm going to start there, that is, talking about the form. Well, more or less, because I should at least give you a sense of its subject. It is … Continue reading Gay Lynch, Unsettled (#BookReview)
Monday musings on Australian literature: Alison Lester
Saturday, as I noted in my Six Degrees of Separation post, was National Bookshop or Love Your Bookshop Day in Australia (and in Great Britain too, it seems). For last year's day, I wrote a post on author-owned/managed bookshops, most of which were located in places other than Australia. The exception was Australian children's author … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Alison Lester
Bill curates: Favourite writers, no. 2
Bill curates is an occasional series where I delve into Sue's vast archive, stretching back to May 2009, and choose a post for us to revisit. We discovered in August that Thea Astley is Sue's #3 favourite writer. We've always known that Jane Austen (here) is #1. So I thought we should check out # … Continue reading Bill curates: Favourite writers, no. 2
Carol Lefevre, Murmurations (#BookReview)
Murmurations is a beautiful, evocative word, and Carol Lefevre's latest book, titled Murmurations, does beautiful, thoughtful justice to it. It is though an unusual book. Styled by its author as a novella, it reads on the surface like a collection of short stories, except that the stories are not only connected by the various characters … Continue reading Carol Lefevre, Murmurations (#BookReview)
Thea Astley, An item from the late news (#BookReview)
Set in the satirically named town of Allbut, whose nearest large town is the equally satirically named Mainchance, Thea Astley's An item from the late news is framed by the story of a man who comes to the town, fearful of "the atom bomb", and wanting to live a quiet - sheltered, you might say … Continue reading Thea Astley, An item from the late news (#BookReview)
Bill curates: Thea Astley, Drylands
Bill curates is an occasional series where I delve into Sue's vast archive, stretching back to May 2009, and choose a post for us to revisit. I selected Drylands because a) this is ANZLL Thea Astley Week; and b) I have just reviewed it myself. Sue apologizes that she relied on "not well-formed" notes, but … Continue reading Bill curates: Thea Astley, Drylands
Desley Deacon, Judith Anderson: Australian star, First Lady of the American stage (#BookReview)
When historian Desley Deacon offered me her biography of Dame Judith Anderson for review, I was a little reticent because my review copies were getting out of hand. Little did I know then what was in store for me, and just how much more behind I would become. However, finally, its turn came, and here … Continue reading Desley Deacon, Judith Anderson: Australian star, First Lady of the American stage (#BookReview)
Whispering Gums 