Outback Spectrum

Embarrassing confession: today I spent over 3 hours at Outback Steakhouse, chilling with my home-girl Jac. For some reason, the feng shui of my previous place of employment was so perfect that we bought a paper and read it cover to cover and worked on cross-words and sudokus. Though not successfully. Not a single puzzle was completed.

In the Spectrum section of the paper, I found a rather confronting article. According to Richard Flanagan, the Australian publishing industry is facing something of a crises. 

"Bookselling in America, like Australia, runs on a consignment system. Where it differs is that return rates there are typically 50 per cent. These returned, unsold books are generally pulped or remaindered - sold off for one or two dollars, the author receiving no payment. Under this proposal these returned books will now be able to be dumped on the Australian market like Italian canned tomatoes.

Thus even a hugely successful Tim Winton novel - a book that enables his publisher here, Penguin Australia, to nurture new Australian writers of talent - could end up in Australian remainder bins. A dumped US hardback of Breath would be far cheaper than an Australian paperback, but with no royalty payable to the author and no profit to their Australian publisher.

The effects of this would be two fold: it would ultimately force major Australian writers to publish out of the USA to protect their own interests, with all the sorry consequences that would entail, while it would see the destruction of support for the next generation of Tim Wintons as Australian publishers went to the wall, or survived as they did for the best part of two centuries, as distributors for imperial wares made elsewhere for others."

Now this is truly shitty news for Australian writers and Australian readers. Basically it sucks for everyone involved. So, friends, buy your independent books while you still can, because they just might not be there tomorrow.

Damn, Rudd, what are you even doing? First a war on binge drinking, now on literature? You're making it very difficult for me to continue supporting you...

Excessive Accessories

I just don't know what has come over me recently! It's as though everything I wear needs to be over the top and overly colourful.

Take today's outfit:

(The light is terrible, but those stockings are a mustard colour)

And then there's last night excess:

(The white collar is a separate sparkly disco top Kaylene and I found in Melbourne)

And this outfit from last week:

(Note the giant rabbit on the necklace. Or rather, try NOT to note...)

Is there anyone I can see about my problem?

Adorable!

Aw, I just had to post this! My little love-bird, Spekkie, is making a comfy nest in my ponytail.Sorry about the lighting, it's simply impossible in this grey wintery weather.

 

David Malouf - Ransom

The First Tuesday Book Club is a bit of a strange subject for me. I never really watched it, even though I knew I should be. It's honestly hypocritical of me to complain that "people don't read enough" (said in high-pitched whiny voice when no one at the pub has read Catch 22 or similar), while ignoring a popular culture attempt to incorporate reading and - more importantly - discussions of literature into television.

theage.com

Also, I'm a pretty big fan of Marieke Hardy (which I might have mentioned before). As well as writing an amazing popular blog under the pseudonym of "Ms Fits", which has sadly been discontinued, and appearing on Triple J Breakfast radio with Robbie and the Doctor, she also writes for TV shows like "Packed to the Rafters", "Last Man Standing" and "Neighbours" amongst others. And there is more. She also designs clothes, is politically active, and writes for magazines, newspapers and so forth. Marieke is the modern day Renaissance man.

So there is really no excuse for my not being a FTBC fan (acronyms are very in, very now). Which is why I'm going to give it a shot this month. I'm going to read the books, I'm going to watch the show, and I'm going to discuss the merits in a pompous and superior tone.

The books for the next episode are F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" (which is also the text for the nation's 'big read') and David Malouf's "Ransom".

So "Ransom" is yet another retelling of the "Illiad". Like most people, this sentence alone is enough to make my eyes roll back into my skull for a good old pensive stare into predictable cliché. However, do not be too quick to judge. Malouf knows what he is doing. There are no attempts to revisit the Trojan horse, there are no nail-biting melodramatic scenes of Paris or Helen (indeed they receive only passing commentary) and, happily for me, there is nothing in Achilles description which prevented me from picturing Brad Pitt in my mind's eye. 

(I'm just going to need a moment...)

As he details in an 'afterword' (I love afterwords! I love reading something within a book which demonstrates how the author functions and is inspired. Screw you, Barthes, the author is not dead to me!) the book's "primary interest is in storytelling itself - why stories are told and why we need to hear them, how stories get changed in the telling - and much of what it has to tell are 'untold tales' found only in the margins of earlier writers" (Malouf, 2009, p 223). 

Take THAT, dominant discourse! Malouf is challenging the historical voice of authority by recounting the emotional growth of King Priam in his challenge to recover the body of his son. Similarly, the friendship which develops between Priam and his cart driver Somax upsets the social structure the text itself presents.

I particularly liked how Malouf depicted Hermes. After pages of conversation between Somax, Priam and an 'unidentified youth', "Priam's eyes opened wide. He wondered how he had not seen it before. 'My lord,' he breathed. 'My lord Hermes!' " (2009, p 158). 

Certain images and scenes within the work pop up repeatedly. Though this could have been an annoying and rather painful technique, I felt that the recurring description of the daughter-in-law cooking 'griddlecakes' to be particularly sympathetic and beautiful:

"The daughter-in-law, she's a good girl, uses her fingers - it's a trick you have to learn - and if she happens to burn them she pops her fingers into her mouth quick smart". 

My only real issue with the work was Malouf's depiction of the narrator. (Warning: Severe Literary Wank Ahead). You see, I'm down with an omniscient author, I can see how they are useful. Especially for complex works, it's difficult to avoid. However, Malouf enters the head space of almost every single character. And often within a section. Now, call me old fashioned, but I feel that any change of headspace needs not only to be well marked through white space (or similar) but also to have a distinct purpose. Much of what is communicated through the private thoughts of his characters could as easily have been accomplished through inter-character dialogue.

So would I recommend for you to read "Ransom"? Yes I would. If only to be able to actively participate in First Tuesday Book Club with Marieke the champion.

Do I believe it will radically alter your view on life or literature? Probably not. And that isn't a criticism. "Ransom" is an enjoyable read, a comfortable and easy read. It is well written, satisfyingly quirky and charming. It is well-suited to grey rainy days in accompaniment with a doona and a Hot Chocolate.

Red Red Red Red Red

Her character on Gossip Girl might have a terrible name (Blair? Bleh!) but Leighton Meester has single-handedly re-ignited my passion for red stockings...

"Writing Asia"

On the 23rd of May, the Sydney Writers' Festival hosted an amazing panel called "Writing Asia". Hosted by Nocholas Jose and featuring the talents of Brian Castro, Tom Cho, Merlinda Bobis and Adam Aitken, this panel discussed how "Australia has written off Asia for almost 200 years; written off the countries of Asia, with cultural traditions of thousands of years. Perhaps it is time to write Asia; to write within it and of it, rather than just about it. The word Asia is found, after all, in the word Australia. If Australia wants to refigure itself in its relationship to the countries of Asia, to become part of Asia, as it were, then Asian must also be part of Australia." (Brian Castro, Writing Asia an Auto/biography, published by the Australian Defence Forces Academy, 1996). 

Brian Castro, in particular, gave a wonderful talk, discussing his own experiences of both reading and writing Asian-Australian literature. He encouraged the development of individualised writing separated from the expectations and conventions surrounding this area of literature. The upcoming release of his ninth book, The Bath Fugues, is an exciting and significant addition to Australia's literary scene.

And of course Tom Cho! My Gosh, he really is exceptional. Through a very witty powerpoint deconstruction of language, and a dramatic reading from his new book "Look Who's Morphing", he really did steal the show. Australia has never before seen such a young and talented writer.

Not to mention Casula Powerhouse itself. Built in 1951 as a supplementary power station, it is a dramatic and persuasive industrial building. In 1994, Casula Powerhouse began an exciting new life as an arts centre. It sits directly next to a oft-used train line, adding to the imposing sensation of the centre.

Tom Cho will be reading at the Gallery of New South Wales tomorrow as part of their "Art After Hours" initiative, beginning at 17:30. Also, "Look Who's Morphing" will be launched by William Yang on Thursday the 28th at the Asia-Australia Arts Association (or Gallery 4A) at 18:00. The address for Gallery 4A is 181-187 Hay Street. I beyond recommend attending these events, as the charismatic Tom will simply sweep you off your feet. 

Let's Play Dress Ups!

What do you do on a quiet Sunday night?

Alice:

White Rabbit:

Jumpsuit-chique

Johnny Depp in Fear and Loathing:

Roncho Poncho:

Dirty Hippy:

Disco Dancing:

Ye Olde Green Pants:

Power Glam:

"I love lamp"

Grecian Skank:

Discovery of Auto Timer:

"Yay! Fun Night!"