A well written and entertaining biography of The Australian poet Dorethea Mackellar, who wrote one of Australia's most famous poems. One that is an unA well written and entertaining biography of The Australian poet Dorethea Mackellar, who wrote one of Australia's most famous poems. One that is an unofficial National anthem. One that millions of Australian kids have recited at least a couple of stanzas at school and probably remember them. In the past couple of years I've been taking more of an interest in poetry and picked up a lovely hardcover of her poems for $3, My Country And Other Poems. I have more incentive to read it now that I know more about Mackellar. I think I knew a few basics of her life before, but I had no idea that her family were quite as wealthy nor that she travelled as widely and knew some quite famous people of the time, particularly Joseph Conrad, who I was just reading about in Gail Jones new novel One Another. I had no idea that she was still alive when I was a baby, it seemed like she was from the previous century. Very glad to have listened to the audiobook to keep me on track and also having the book to follow along with and to see the images of Mackellar, her family and friends.
Glad to have read this exploration of local renowned poet, Rosemary Dobson's life and work. I still have more of her poetry to read which I hope to doGlad to have read this exploration of local renowned poet, Rosemary Dobson's life and work. I still have more of her poetry to read which I hope to do soon. For now this goes back to the library but I might have to look out for my own copy because this is a great piece to refer back to. ...more
I'd pretty much read anything that Chloe Hooper writes, she writes with great empathy and appears to get to the heart of the matter. There is nothing I'd pretty much read anything that Chloe Hooper writes, she writes with great empathy and appears to get to the heart of the matter. There is nothing superficial about the way she tackles her subjects. This is the most personal story that I've read of her works. Her partner the great writer, Don Watson (author of The Redfern speech, delivered by PM Paul Keating, amongst other notable works) was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. With two young children, she didn't just have to navigate how she deals with it but "How do we tell the children?"-how do we prepare them for what could be the worst. As a writer she turns to children's literature for guidance, didn't have much luck there, so by page 61, she turned her focus to the writers of great children's literature. What follows are interesting biographical pieces and a surprisingly common thread about the loss of a parent and childhood challenges (such as Eric Carle, trying to survive as a child in Nazi Germany during WW2). We know that bedtime stories gives us a balm to get through what might be the uncertainties of night but that the best of them were already a balm for great loss by the writers is surprisingly new to me. For anyone dealing with cancer or a life threatening illness drawing on this family's experiences might also help in someway. Another of her works that will really stay with me. Excellent and a surprisingly quick read once I set my mind to it....more
What a fascinating woman Agatha Christie was. I haven't read any of hers since I was a teenager but I hope to change that soon. Lucy Worsley made her What a fascinating woman Agatha Christie was. I haven't read any of hers since I was a teenager but I hope to change that soon. Lucy Worsley made her life seamlessly stream together, while acknowledging the gaps that can't be filled. I devoured this biography just as I would a Christie novel. Christie drew on so many life experiences in her writing. I have a craving to watch an old Miss Marple episode now. ...more
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