Overland is an Australian literary journal that has been around for over fifty years. It claims to be ‘temper democratic, bias Australian' and is proudly left-leaning. I got my hands on the Spring issue (no. 192) at the Melbourne Writer's Festival and have been devouring the eclectic selection of articles, poetry, stories, and reviews here … Continue reading Overland 192
Author: Angela Meyer (LiteraryMinded)
Man Booker Prize Winner Aravind Adiga Survived the HSC
See, William? Those difficult, long-winded questions in the HSC English exam might actually nourish talent or passion in a writer, and s/he could go on to won one of literature's most prestigious prizes! For those of you who have been hiding under a rock or doona today (it's always a good idea every now and … Continue reading Man Booker Prize Winner Aravind Adiga Survived the HSC
Two Short Stories I Like
I came across this wonderful story by Charlotte Wood on her website, after reading The Children, called 'Honeymoon' And winner of the BNZ Katherine Mansfield Novice Writers Award - Joseph Ryan's 'Stranger Than Beautiful'
Janet Frame's 'Gorse is Not People', Mad Hatters and Confession Files.
Janet Frame's amazing short story, posthumously published in The New Yorker: 'Gorse is Not People' - Take some time to click and read. I was alerted to this story by Bookman Beattie and it has become one of my favourites. I recently got to meet Frame's niece Pamela Gordon at the launch of The Goose Bath: Poems (review … Continue reading Janet Frame's 'Gorse is Not People', Mad Hatters and Confession Files.
Capitalism is funny – a review of Max Barry's Company
Company, Max Barry, Scribe, 9781921215643, 2008 (Aus, US) Jones joins Zephyr as an enthusiastic employee, without even knowing what the company does. This doesn't seem to be an odd thing at Zephyr, where Jones' coworkers in the Training Sales department just accept that Zephyr is a ‘holdings' company, and get on with their menial, perpetual … Continue reading Capitalism is funny – a review of Max Barry's Company
But in a Fiction, in a Dream of Passion
Last night I went to that gorgeous old theatre The Astor to see the full-length version of Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet. I will soon be doing a discussion piece about this version and John Marsden's recent novel adaptation (and express my enthusiasm for Shakespeare in more detail). For now, out of so many powerful scenes, I'll share … Continue reading But in a Fiction, in a Dream of Passion
'I Wanted to Talk About Being Completely Screwed Over by the Corporate Machine With a Smile on My Face' – William Kostakis on Loathing Lola
Loathing Lola, William Kostakis, Pan Macmillan, 2008, Australia, 9780330424165 You rewrote the whole book to be in first person (no mean feat!), in Courtney's point of view. How did you come to this decision? Okay, so originally, Loathing Lola was in the third person, with three leads, Courtney, Tim and Katie. Well, four leads, if you included … Continue reading 'I Wanted to Talk About Being Completely Screwed Over by the Corporate Machine With a Smile on My Face' – William Kostakis on Loathing Lola
It's My Birthday and I'll Blog What I Want To
Loathing Lola – William Kostakis
Pan Macmillan, 2008, Australia, 9780330424165 Courtney Marlow becomes the star of new reality TV Show Real Teens despite the fact that she doesn't watch much reality TV. Her boyfriend, Liam, had encouraged her to audition. Is she following through just for him? And how will she cope with cameras in her face just months after … Continue reading Loathing Lola – William Kostakis
A few moments of history, horror, and Kafka in Prague
This is an edited extract from an essay I am working on about my trip to Europe early this year. I have never seen buildings so old. The aged stone of Edinburgh or Venice, the disturbingly mismatched architecture of London, Oslo and Berlin. Ancient blackened churches rise out of the steel, gripping defiantly to tradition. The … Continue reading A few moments of history, horror, and Kafka in Prague
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