This year, the Premier's Awards were held at Government House, in a palatial room of cream, blue and mint, complete with thrones. I arrived just as the talking began, on a dry, hot Melbourne night, and found a place to stand and fan my face with the nominee form. In the young adult section, Barry … Continue reading Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards 2014
non-fiction
Female Chauvinist Pigs by Ariel Levy
What happened to feminism? Ariel Levy asks. Her book explores how a predominant culture of ‘surfaces’ has produced women who admire ‘sexiness’ without necessarily being sexual. What happened to pleasure?The interviews Levy presents and the sub-cultures (eg. ‘Girls Gone Wild’) she immerses herself in are disturbing, in that most of these women feel lost and … Continue reading Female Chauvinist Pigs by Ariel Levy
I’m Afraid of the Five-Blade Razor – Book Review and Commentary
Affluenza: When Too Much is Never Enough - Clive Hamilton and Richard Denniss. Allen & Unwin, 2005, 9781741146714 (Aus, US/Kindle) Three years ago Clive Hamilton half-jokingly referred to the possibility of the five-blade razor. It comes as no surprise that his prediction has come true, and emphasises why Affluenza continues to be an extremely relevant … Continue reading I’m Afraid of the Five-Blade Razor – Book Review and Commentary
