Last night's ANU/Meet-the-Author event was a sold-out affair, in a 500-seat theatre. And why not? Helen Garner, Chloe Hooper, and Sarah Krasnostein are among Australia's top writers of narrative nonfiction, and they have just produced a book about the Leongatha mushroom murders. Indeed, it's only because they have written about it that I am interested … Continue reading Helen Garner and Sarah Krasnostein in conversation with Beejay Silcox
Helen Garner
Helen Garner, The season (#BookReview)
In 2023, The New Yorker published a piece on Helen Garner. Written by Australian journalist, Helen Sullivan, its title, "The startling candor of Helen Garner", captures exactly what I like about Garner, as does this a little further on: Her writing is elegant but colloquial, characterized by an impulse to say and share things others … Continue reading Helen Garner, The season (#BookReview)
Author Talk: The season with Helen Garner
It is a measure of the love and respect readers have for Helen Garner that this event, held in the National Library of Australia's 300-seat theatre, had a 200-strong waiting list. And, it was well worth booking early for. The evening was emceed by Luke Hickey, the National Library's Assistant Director-General Engagement. He started with … Continue reading Author Talk: The season with Helen Garner
Consider Helen Garner’s Cosmo cosmolino
Commenting on my post on Helen Garner's One day I'll remember this, Bill (The Australian Legend) wrote that he'd hoped I'd mention Cosmo cosmolino (1992). It's one of the novels Garner was writing during the period covered by these diaries, and Bill had struggled with it. I don't blame him because, while I loved reading … Continue reading Consider Helen Garner’s Cosmo cosmolino
Helen Garner, One day I’ll remember this: Diaries, Volume 2, 1987-1995 (#BookReview)
I loved volume 1 of Helen Garner's diaries, Yellow notebook (my review), last year, and equally enjoyed this second volume, One day I'll remember this. As with my first volume post, I plan to focus on a couple of threads that particularly interested me. First though, it's worth situating these diaries in terms of Garner's … Continue reading Helen Garner, One day I’ll remember this: Diaries, Volume 2, 1987-1995 (#BookReview)
Monday musings on Australian literature: Writers’ notebooks
If you've attended writers festivals, you are sure to have heard writers talk of using notebooks to jot down ideas on the run, to record conversations overheard on public transport, cafes, etc, to capture the thoughts of the writers they read, and so on. These notebooks are not works of art in themselves, but part … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Writers’ notebooks
Living under COVID-19 (4)
It's some months since I wrote a "living under COVID-19" post, as things have been pretty much pottering along here in the Australian Capital Territory, but I've decided it's time to do an update (for posterity if for no other reason.) COVID-normal There's been much talk about living under COVID-normal, though what that means is, … Continue reading Living under COVID-19 (4)
Helen Garner, Yellow notebook: Diaries, Volume 1, 1978-1987 (#BookReview)
The opening session of last November's inaugural Broadside Festival featured Helen Garner in conversation with Sarah Krasnostein about her recently published Yellow notebook, the first volume of her edited diaries. It was an excellent, intelligent conversation. Garner came across as the forthright writer she is, one who fearlessly exposes difficult and unpleasant things, alongside joys and triumphs. … Continue reading Helen Garner, Yellow notebook: Diaries, Volume 1, 1978-1987 (#BookReview)
Helen Garner in conversation with Sarah Krasnostein
To say I was thrilled when Son Gums' partner offered to buy tickets for us to see Helen Garner in conversation (last Saturday) would be an understatement. I have never seen Garner live before so that would be one bucket-list item ticked had I a bucket list! The fact that the conversation was to be … Continue reading Helen Garner in conversation with Sarah Krasnostein
Monday musings on Australian literature: My reading group does Garner
You are never too old to try something new - and so it was that my 30-year-old reading group tried something new for our April meeting. The idea was that we would all read Garner, but our individual choice of Garner. We've discussed five Garners over the years, and many had read other Garners besides … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: My reading group does Garner
Whispering Gums 