I was stoked to be the June 2013 guest on the Hell is for Hyphenates film podcast with Paul Anthony Nelson and Lee Zachariah. Each month they discuss new releases and then explore the filmography of a director/filmmaker suggested by their guest. I chose Billy Wilder, because his films (though varied) all have an intelligent, … Continue reading Hell is for Hyphenates: Billy Wilder
Reading as resistance: The Taksim Square Book Club
Love these pictures from Taksim Square. Communal standing and communal reading as peaceful protest. As Al Jazeera reporter, George Henton, says: 'The chosen reading material of many of those who take their stand is reflective, in part, of the thoughtfulness of those who have chosen this motionless protest to express their discontent.' Take a look … Continue reading Reading as resistance: The Taksim Square Book Club
Hungry hearts: Big Ray and Big Brother, guest post by Kylie Mirmohamadi
Michael Kimball, Big Ray, Bloomsbury Circus, 2012, 9781408828052 (paperback, ebook) Lionel Shriver, Big Brother: A Novel, HarperCollins, 2013, 9780732296384 (paperback) Guest post by Kylie Mirmohamadi An armchair, lumpy with indents left by a sitter of some bulk, adorns the cover of Michael Kimball’s 2012 novel about grief and a childhood shaped by the looming presence of an abusive … Continue reading Hungry hearts: Big Ray and Big Brother, guest post by Kylie Mirmohamadi
Fear, failure and fraudulence at the Wheeler Centre blog
I was very happy to be asked to springboard off my recent post Stella, and a digression on envy, work, inadequacy for the Wheeler Centre blog. Authors Krissy Kneen, Alan Baxter, Max Barry and Mel Campbell kindly and honestly responded to my probing questions about writerly anxieties and feelings of inadequacy, and some of their responses … Continue reading Fear, failure and fraudulence at the Wheeler Centre blog
Review of The Ballad of Moondyne Joe and The Hanging of Minnie Thwaites in Cordite
Please read through to the gecko.
Note to publicists & publishers re sending me books
In the absence of any kind of time lately I'm putting this note up here on the blog until I find time to try to email all the publicists/publishers who kindly send me books to consider for review. I'll be out of the country from 25 July until (probably) late January 2014. And up until I leave … Continue reading Note to publicists & publishers re sending me books
SWF 2013: writing & philosophy
Cross-posted on the Stoffers blog. — At the Sydney Writers’ Festival last week I went along to a session on writing and philosophy, and I thought a summary of the insights (and work of the panellists) might be of interest to some of you. The moderator was Joe Gelonesi from ABC Radio National’s The Philosopher’s Zone and the panellists were … Continue reading SWF 2013: writing & philosophy
SOYA + update
So I was Highly Commended for the second year in a row in the Qantas Spirit of Youth Awards. Lovely. A couple of Sydney Writers' Fest posts are coming soon (after and if ever I get through my current workload). It was an amazing festival. And I get to talk to Tara Moss this Thursday … Continue reading SOYA + update
LiteraryMinded is six!
Let's celebrate by reading Janet Frame's 'Gorse is Not People'. Or by watching this: Or by wearing something glamorous. Or by drinking this (I wish): Or you could make my day by entering this, or reading something here, or giving me some work, or just donating to the 'research fund' for my next planned novel … Continue reading LiteraryMinded is six!
Review of Janet Frame’s In the Memorial Room for The Australian
Janet Frame is one of my all-time favourite authors. Her writing is surprising, absurd, knowing, funny, sad, dark, moving, imaginative and honest. She was an incredibly hard-working writer, often having to work in uncomfortable or strange conditions (while overcoming much personal tragedy). I've read quite a few of her novels; plus her short fiction, her … Continue reading Review of Janet Frame’s In the Memorial Room for The Australian
LiteraryMinded 