Tim Winton and Christos Tsiolkas have to be Australia's foremost contemporary writers about men and boys, Tsiolkas doing for urban/surburban males what Winton does for small town/rural ones. Winton's latest novel, The shepherd's hut, continues his exploration of males in extremis. It's strong, gritty, page-turning, and yet reflective too, which is not easy to pull-off. … Continue reading Tim Winton, The shepherd’s hut (#BookReview)
Australian writers
Jessica White, Hearing Maud (#BookReview)
Hybrid memoir-biographies take many forms. For a start, some are weighted more to biography while others more to memoir. As I wrote in my post on Jessica White's conversation with Inga Simpson, most of those I've read "have been mother-daughter stories, the biography being about the mother and the memoir, the daughter. White’s book is … Continue reading Jessica White, Hearing Maud (#BookReview)
Sue Ingleton, Making trouble: Tongued with fire (#BookReview)
In my recent post on Jessica White talking about her hybrid memoir-biography Hearing Maud, I commented that I'm intrigued by the ways in which biography is being rethought in contemporary literature. When I wrote that, I not only had White's book in mind, but Sue Ingleton's Making trouble. You can probably guess why from its sub-sub-title: "an … Continue reading Sue Ingleton, Making trouble: Tongued with fire (#BookReview)
Jessica White in conversation with Inga Simpson
Hearing Maud, author Jessica White told us in her conversation with Inga Simpson two weekends ago, was 15 years in the making. This is something I already knew, because, as the result of our involvement in the Australian Women Writers Challenge, I've met Jess and we've talked about this book. However, it was excellent to … Continue reading Jessica White in conversation with Inga Simpson
David Brooks, The grass library (#BookReview)
OK, I'm going to show my hand here. I love animals - and hate animal cruelty - but I am not vegan. More to the point though, I am cautious about animal rights activists because they can sometimes act out the very violence and cruelty on humans that they condemn for non-human animals. I was, … Continue reading David Brooks, The grass library (#BookReview)
Ros Collins, Rosa: Memories with licence (#BookReview)
Memoirs are tricky things. There are readers who love them, readers who hate them, and readers like wishy-washy me who sit in the middle. I sit in the middle because, for a start, I don't like to say "never" when it comes to reading. I sit in the middle because I couldn't cope with a … Continue reading Ros Collins, Rosa: Memories with licence (#BookReview)
Dominic Smith, The electric hotel (#BookReview)
I admit to a brief feeling of déjà vu when I started Dominic Smith's latest novel, The electric hotel, because it starts by telling us that its protagonist 85-year-old Claude Ballard has been living in the Knickerbocker Hotel in Los Angeles for over thirty years. Not another man living in a hotel like our gentleman … Continue reading Dominic Smith, The electric hotel (#BookReview)
Jocelyn Moorhouse, Unconditional love: A memoir of filmmaking and motherhood (#BookReview)
Although it is quite a traditional memoir, style-wise, Jocelyn Moorhouse's Unconditional love: A memoir of filmmaking and motherhood is particularly interesting for a couple of reasons. Firstly, she's an artist who had a happy childhood. Who knew that could happen? Secondly, while most memoirs focus on one aspect of the writer's life - such as … Continue reading Jocelyn Moorhouse, Unconditional love: A memoir of filmmaking and motherhood (#BookReview)
Canberra Writers Festival 2019, Day 2, Session 3: In our backyard
Suddenly it was my last session! How quickly the two days went. The reason I chose In Our Backyard is obvious. It was described as "Get up close and personal with four of Canberra’s literary gems", and was moderated by ABC journalist, Emma Alberici. It was a warm-hearted session, characterised by a sense of respect … Continue reading Canberra Writers Festival 2019, Day 2, Session 3: In our backyard
Canberra Writers Festival 2019, Day 2, Session 2: PM’s Pick (Brian Castro with Genevieve Jacobs)
PM's Pick, featuring the multi-award-winning Brian Castro, was another must-attend session. The night before, while dining at Muse, I checked to see whether they had any Castro in their classy little bookshop. They did, including a second-hand copy of his fourth novel, After China. I snapped it up, and as I did, bookseller Dan reminded … Continue reading Canberra Writers Festival 2019, Day 2, Session 2: PM’s Pick (Brian Castro with Genevieve Jacobs)
Whispering Gums 