French post-structuralist Roland Barthes’ essay, The Death of the Author, emphasises the importance of the reader — at the expense of the author and critic. I went down something of a post-structuralist rabbit hole this week, and it led me to this fascinating piece of writing. The Death of the Author, as the title might…
About
Stoner: The perfect novel? The perfect opening page, at least
John Williams’ 1965 novel Stoner has been called a “perfect novel”. Due to its unexpected rise from literary obscurity to its status as a “must-read” book in the early 2010s, it has also been called “The greatest novel you’ve never read”. That kind of talk is marketing, or headline-grabbing hyperbole. But it does speak of…
Six quotes from Six Feet Under
HBO’s Six Feet Under was a show that helped redefine television drama in the early 2000s. Set in a funeral home, it was an unlikely hit. Its honesty about death, its meaningful portrayal of gay relationships and its dark satire — including how it poked fun at the Hollywood culture that intersected with its characters’…
‘I didn’t know I was enrolled in that subject’: a recurring dream
I have a recurring dream that it’s the end of the university semester and it dawns on me that I’m enrolled in a subject I didn’t know about. Its sudden presence on my subject list sends me into mild hysterics. I’ve never attended a tutorial for this subject. Or done any of the course material.…
The Psychology of Study by CA Mace
I bought this book on study from a secondhand bookshop in my hometown. It’s one of those wonderful shops where the walls are lined from floor to ceiling with books, and the owner, while actively encouraging you to go upstairs, implores you to “mind your head/where you step/the mess”. Upstairs, naturally, was where I found…
Joystick Y or N
It’s 1987. I’m in Grade 1 at primary school and being introduced to my first home computer. Without warning, Dad has arrived home with this unfamiliar beast, which consists of a keyboard (similar to ones I’ve seen at school) and a long, flat tape player, the likes of which I’ve never seen. My knowledge of…
New book: “Grade Five: When Footy Became Everything”
I’ve released a new book, Grade Five: When Footy Became Everything. It’s aimed at middle-grade readers and their parents. Taking the form of a journal written by a footy-mad Grade Five kid, the book details the trials and tribulations of an Under 12s Australian rules footy season. Grade Five: When Footy Became Everything is a…