Amy Espeseth asks: 'Has/how has your fiction writing changed since you started LiteraryMinded?' and John (Musings of a Literary Dilettante) asks: 'how has reviewing books helped your own creative writing?' Five years of regular writing—fiction and nonfiction—has made me a better writer. I hope I keep getting better. Five years of reading, close reading and reviewing, has … Continue reading LiteraryMinded’s fifth blog anniversary spectacular! (part four)
writing
Grey areas of madness: an interview with Jon Ronson, on The Psychopath Test
Picador, Australia, 9780330451369 (paperback) In The Psychopath Test Jon Ronson takes us on journey through the mad 'industry' of madness. And it's not all acid-tripping psychopaths. Ronson follows leads to high-security prisons, a mansion filled with predators... and to L Ron Hubbard’s coca cola stain. What results is an inevitably open-ended, sometimes frightening and often hilarious look … Continue reading Grey areas of madness: an interview with Jon Ronson, on The Psychopath Test
Between worlds: Dominic Smith on Bright and Distant Shores
Allen & Unwin, 9781742374161, 2011 (Aus paperback, ebook + US/Kindle) Bright and Distant Shores is hugely imaginative historical fiction. It’s set just before the dawn of the 20th century in Chicago and the South Pacific. Owen Graves is sent by Hale Gray, the president of Chicago First Equitable, to collect some ‘special items’ to … Continue reading Between worlds: Dominic Smith on Bright and Distant Shores
Writing on writing: guest post by Harry Bingham
I've been a professional writer for more than ten years, but it was only recently, when asked to produce a How to Write book by A&C Black/Bloomsbury, that I came to think systematically about this craft of ours. I mean 'systematically' in two different dimensions. First, there's the whole area of technique. How, precisely, … Continue reading Writing on writing: guest post by Harry Bingham
Typecasting and narrative voice at the 2011 Emerging Writers’ Festival
The Emerging Writers' Festival, in its usual form, has thus far been about tequila shots and one long drunken conversation about The Wall. Yesterday I went to some actual sessions. Here's a write-up of two of those. Typecast The first session I attended yesterday was all about 'typecasting'. Do the authors on the panel agree with … Continue reading Typecasting and narrative voice at the 2011 Emerging Writers’ Festival
The epic qualities of outwardly ordinary lives: By Nightfall and Michael Cunningham in Australia
By Nightfall, Michael Cunningham, HarperCollins (Aus pb, Aus ebook, US and Kindle, UK) Over the past few days I’ve been in the audience of four sessions featuring my favourite American author Michael Cunningham. Cunningham’s latest novel is By Nightfall. I've drafted a few posts on it since I read it, but was never able to adequately … Continue reading The epic qualities of outwardly ordinary lives: By Nightfall and Michael Cunningham in Australia
Verity La interview
Alec Patric has asked me a few probing questions over at Verity La. If you're interested in me as a writer (and person), or are curious about my work, you might want to check it out.
'I want to read that, too!' Wanting to know and be everything (but then take my time with something)
The Christmas party season is in full swing. I've forgotten names, drank too much, jumped on a trampoline, been told secrets, held hands with sweaty strangers (swing dancing), stuttered (kinda a new one) and swapped WIP stories with emerging and published writers. There's a lot of pressure to be in the know. To have read … Continue reading 'I want to read that, too!' Wanting to know and be everything (but then take my time with something)
'You Will Notice That Hallways Are Painted' in Torpedo Greatest Hits
Torpedo Greatest Hits ed. Chris Flynn Hunter Publishers 9780980517989 (Aus) A few months ago this collection was released with my story 'You Will Notice That Hallways Are Painted', along with stories by Steven Amsterdam, Mandy Ord, Jon Bauer, Krissy Kneen, Toby Litt, Ruby Murray, Josephine Rowe and even Richard Brautigan. The story was written in … Continue reading 'You Will Notice That Hallways Are Painted' in Torpedo Greatest Hits
A dream-logic London squid riff: an interview with China Miéville (part one)
China Miéville’s Kraken (Aus, US, UK) is savvy, exuberant, sci-fantastical fiction – a novel about a stolen giant squid and the ensuing adventures of museum curator Billy Harrow. It’s a super-fun read, set in a richly imaginative alternate London, filled with sassy, dirty, sweet, dangerous and apparitious characters. It was great to be able to have … Continue reading A dream-logic London squid riff: an interview with China Miéville (part one)
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