At the start of the year, I set a reading goal based on how many books I read the previous year. I don’t define what kinds of books I’ll read, but a pattern sometimes emerges. This year is turning out to be a year of dystopian fiction and cyberpunk, not just in books, but also … Read more
I love January. I love new-year-new-you energy. I love the quiet of Melbourne as many of its residents are away for the summer holidays. I love movie-award season. And I love reading new books and essays. Here are six films, two books, and the many essays that filled my January. Six films Coco Coco is … Read more
Here’s the first of my ‘this year’ lists: the best fiction books of 2017. This list covers books that I read this year, not books that were published in 2017. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe (1958) This novel deals with life in pre- and post-colonial Nigeria during the late nineteenth century. It was on … Read more
Fairies today are popularly viewed as enchanted creatures that are usually harmless though sometimes playful, even mischievous, but also kind, helpful, beautiful, and usually disconnected from culture. In her novel, The Good People, Hannah Kent reminds us that fairies were once viewed as so frightening, you didn’t even say “fairies” too loudly for fear of … Read more
This weekend, my partner and I visited the Heide Museum of Modern Art. It sits at the edge of park lands that we have visited many times. I’ve never been prompted to visit Heide because although I know that modern art encompasses several movements, many of which I love, I tend to immediately associate modern … Read more
What did I just finish reading? Daughter of the Sun: A Devotional Anthology in Honor of Sekhmet. I don’t have a big interest in ancient Egypt and I would not have picked up Daughter of Sun: A Devotional Anthology in Honor of Sekhmet, but, in full disclosure, my friend Tina Georgitsis edited this new anthology … Read more
We acknowledge the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. We recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. We aim to provide an inclusive service.