A Monster Calls is a young adult novel, featuring stunning occasional illustrations by Jim Kay. The story was first conceived by Siobhan Dowd, a well-known children’s writer, but when she passed away before she could complete the work her publisher, Walker Books, commissioned Ness to complete the work. In subsequent … Continue reading
Oops! I had this post half-written and forgot to post it on THE day. Better late than never. January 28th was the 200th anniversary of the publication of Pride and Prejudice. One of those novels that has so strongly influenced English-speaking literature and culture that it is hard to imagine … Continue reading
Recently, I read an essay by James M. Barrie called ‘Courage’. It’s not an essay so much as the transcript of a speech Barrie delivered to the ‘red gowns of St Andrews’* on May 3, 1922. The speech was given on the occasion of the students’ graduation. The year … Continue reading
This is not really a post at all. It’s just a quote from Jenny Lawson’s blog. I’m not usually into humorous blogs, or books. But I love this bit of her post about the-year-that-cannot-be-named. Apparently, Jenny is afraid of the number … that number. The one between 12 and 14. … Continue reading
Cool loneliness doesn’t provide any resolution or give us ground under our feet. It challenges us to step into a world of no reference point without polarizing or solidifying. This is called the middle way, or the sacred path of the warrior. When you wake up in the morning and … Continue reading
As a reader, I’m fairly hard to please. I never used to be. As a small child I would happily read cereal boxes, ticket stubs, IKEA instructions. But, these days, my tastes have changed. Lately, I’ve read some amazing books, including Lauren Groff’s Arcadia, Wade Davis’s The Wayfinders (based on … Continue reading
Maurice Sendak has passed away. Let the rumpus start. May he rest not in peace, but in some wild, affectionate place, where the monsters are his friends and he is their king. May he continue to roar his terrible roars and gnash his terrible teeth and roll his terrible eyes … Continue reading
Sometimes, I love reading the weekend paper. This is from an article by Lance Richardson in the travel section of SMH. The article is about visiting a working ranch in Montana: Later, recognising my struggle to fully command the horse, a fellow rider pulls up beside me and says in … Continue reading
The best thing about being a chair at a writers festival is that free books arrive in the post. That, and the opportunity to talk to some wonderful writers about their craft, and participate in one of the friendliest writers festivals in Australia. In the last week, the following lovely … Continue reading