I Am Excited About

Last post

2008-09-30T08:53:00.040+10:00

I'm saying goodbye and thank you for reading and commenting. If you don't already have these links, here are some super places to spend your lunchtimes (there are too many to include here so I will miss some excellent ones, for which I apologise; and I know that there are exciting new sites being set up all the time so feel free to add them):

Susan Johnson's blog

Jean Hannah Edelstein

Sarsaparilla

Matilda

Sophie Cunningham's blog

London Review of Books

The New York Times Book Review

Brascoe Blog

Allen and Unwin

Readings

The New York Review of Books

The New Yorker's Book Bench

Book Covers

Harper's Wyatt Mason's Sentences

The Complete Review's Literary Saloon

Australian Bookseller & Publisher

Bookslut

Observer Books Interviews

McSweeney's

Edward Champion's Reluctant Habits

New York magazine Books

Maud Newton

Brit Lit Blogs

Sleepers

Media Bistro's Galleycat

Guardian Book News

Tiggy Johnson's blog: Words in Progress

Damon Young's blog

Scribe

Nam Le

Time Out New York Books

n+1

The New York Times Paper Cuts blog

Transit Lounge

Nick Hornby's blog

Text Publishing

ABC Radio National's Book Show

Jonathan Lethem

Unbridled Books

Angela Meyer's blog: Literary Minded

Canongate

Genevieve Tucker's blog: Reeling and writhing

Tony Wilson

Mark Sarvas's blog: The Elegant Variation

19-September-08

2008-09-18T09:20:00.011+10:00

The thing I remember most about 'The Weasel, Twelve Monkeys, and the Shrub', DFW's essay on John McCain (Rolling Stone, 2000), is the way in which Wallace forced me to get inside McCain's head, especially by making me think about what it was like when his plane was shot down and he was so badly injured in Vietnam. 'Try for a moment to feel this.' And I did. DFW was a writer of incredible compassion and empathy and I can learn a lot from him. He will be missed. Personal recollections of him here.

18-September-08

2008-09-17T11:31:00.001+10:00

Guardian Books blog: Foster Wallace is a huge loss, by Robert Potts

17-September-08

2008-09-16T13:03:00.004+10:00

Baltimore Sun: The Life of Kings – The genius of David Foster Wallace and the ugliness of depression, with some good links to his articles

The Believer interview: Dave Eggers corresponds with DFW

'The really important kind of freedom involves attention and awareness and discipline, and being able truly to care about other people and to sacrifice for them over and over in myriad petty, unsexy ways every day.'

- Read the whole of DFW's commencement speech at Kenyon University, 2005

16-September-08

2008-09-16T10:06:00.002+10:00

DFW: James Ley writes an obituary in the Australian

Laura Miller at Salon: In Memory of David Foster Wallace, 1962-2008

15-September-08

2008-09-15T09:23:00.001+10:00

David Foster Wallace on Charlie Rose, which I may have linked to before

14-September-08

2008-09-14T12:18:00.002+10:00

Black news. David Foster Wallace RIP

12-September-08

2008-09-11T17:38:00.002+10:00

1. Guardian blog: Knut Hamsun - the Nazi novelist you should read

2. Edward Champion is demanding curry accountability for John Sutherland

11-September-08

2008-09-10T13:30:00.002+10:00

1. Authonomy looks interesting, thanks to JNW

2. I love Robert Heinlein's Fan Mail Solution, thanks to The Book Bench

10-September-08

2008-09-09T11:37:00.003+10:00

1. I had a bet with a friend that the Steve Toltz would be shortlisted for the Booker – if only I'd put money on it

2. I would love to have been in the creative meeting that came up with my current favourite ad

9-September-08

2008-09-08T17:45:00.009+10:00

1. Fred Ramey's Unbridled Books blog

2. NY Times: Juliana Hatfield's memoir, When I Grow Up, is out: Juliana Hatfield Feels Her Way Beyond the Spotlight

3. Helen De Witt's The Last Samurai was such a brilliant read that I am automatically looking forward to her next one, which is co-authored, and written in Mellel – here's Jenny Turner's look at Your Name Here (as yet unpublished) in the LRB

5-September-08

2008-09-04T11:13:00.003+10:00

David Rakoff made me one of his special Duct Tape Wallets, multi-coloured. Made only from duct tape, it is an actual, useable, wallet – but I haven't had the heart to start ruining it yet, it's a work of art. Seeing David perform was an absolute highlight of the festival for me.

3-September-08

2008-09-02T13:41:00.009+10:00

1. Robert Drewe talked about the joys of growing up with comic books. SMH: Batman and Philosophy: The Dark Knight of the Soul

2. LRB: Michael Wood on The Dark Knight – At the Movies: 'Heath Ledger, who died of a drug overdose at the beginning of this year, was until now best known as the stolid hero of a remake of The Four Feathers (2002) and as the rather more complex figure at the centre of Brokeback Mountain (2005). Nothing we have seen of his career prepares us for what he can do as the Joker. By turns authoritative and wheedling, often speaking casually, with long pauses, as if talking to himself, always acting, aware of circumstance and timing, and very rarely manic (unlike the always manic Nicholson, for example), he creates a character who is attractive and horrifying in exactly the right proportions: attractive because horrifying, perhaps.'

3. The Triple R FM Radiothon is over for the year but you can still subscribe and be in the running for the huge Readings voucher, and more...

4. The New Yorker: 'The Dinner Party' by Joshua Ferris: ' "I can predict everything that will happen from the moment they arrive to the little kiss on the cheek goodbye and I just can't goddamn do it."

"You could stick your tongue down her throat instead of the kiss goodbye," she offered casually as she continued to dice. She was game, his wife. She spoke to him in bad taste freely and he considered it one of her best qualities.'

5. The new Coen Brothers film: Burn After Reading – I never get sick of Frances McDormand

2- September-08

2008-09-01T17:35:00.011+10:00

1. Anya Ulinich was lovely and funny

2. Guardian blog: Join the world literature to Australia

3. Jean Hannah Edelstein

4. The new Meanjin is sensational (and a new website is on its way, but checkout the cover here)

5. Dear Henry: a little bit of mentoring on how the world works by Catherine Deveny: raises some excellent points about free versus paid work

6. The new Overland: packed full of goodies

7. Anita Heiss reminded me of the existence of Trixie Beldens

8. Which, in turn, reminded me of Sweet Valley Highs, with a world about as far from my high school in England as you could get.

28-August-08

2008-08-26T09:33:00.008+10:00

1. New York Magazine: Was Hunter Thompson's Gonzo Image His Downfall?

2. Today at the festival I'm chairing at 1pm: Chekhov's Children about the short story, with Hannah Tinti, Emily Perkins and John Clanchy

3. Also at the festival to look out for today: The Common Pursuit at 7pm, with Philip Gourevitch, Julianne Schultz, Sally Warhaft and Michael Burleigh.

4. And: Historical Novels at 4pm, with Fiona Capp, Antoni Jach, Matt Condon and Simon Cleary.

5. Not to mention: The Young Americans at 4.15, with Hannah Tinti, Mark Sarvas, Anya Ulinich and Delia Falconer.

6. The book and film that have been spiralling through my subconscious so much these past few days: Kenneth Cook's Wake in Fright.

26-August-08

2008-08-25T07:07:00.002+10:00

Click Lit: a computer program to help write a novel, thanks to DY

25-August-08

2008-08-23T14:08:00.004+10:00

Augusten Burroughs is a real storyteller and has what's known as 'the gift of the gab'. Seeing him at both the First Tuesday Book Club screening, and then his keynote address on Friday, made me want to read his books – and his brother's.

Davids Rakoff and Sedaris with Don Watson on Friday were a real highlight – I had no idea Watson was such a wit.

So many things to go to...

22-August-08

2008-08-22T07:45:00.002+10:00

MWF today: don't miss The Whole Shebang. Sophie Cunningham is hosting Toni Jordan, Mandy Brett, Bridie Riordan, Susan Johnson, Aviva Tuffield, David Astle, Nikki Christer, Jeremy Fisher, Joel Becker, Jenny Darling - and more... It's an intensive one-day workshop for emerging writers.

Tonight: Germaine Greer

20-August second go & 21-August-08

2008-08-20T10:31:00.003+10:00

1. Brascoe Publishing

2. Hunter Publishers

3. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is a great book despite its title

4. Guardian blog: You don't need adults to sex up children's literature

5. New York Review of Books: EM Forster, Middle Manager by Zadie Smith

6. Andrew O'Hagan at The Observer

7. Idlewind Press in the Nicholas Building

8. Salon: Who Will Save Public Schools?

9. Paper Cuts: The Berserk After Work Club and Perfect

Thanks to Mister Nora: Melbourne hooks the books

Big whoops for all the writers and editors and publishers and readers who will benefit from this decision, and there's plenty of opportunity to celebrate over the next fortnight. I guess the next question is, how will it really affect us all?

20-August-08

2008-08-19T07:36:00.003+10:00

David Rakoff is coming to this year's Melbourne Writers' Festival. Look out for him at:

Beyond Your Navel masterclass on Saturday

Don't Get Too Comfortable with Max Barry on Sunday afternoon, and

What's Funny About America? with David Sedaris and Don Watson on Saturday afternoon

19-August-08

2008-08-18T07:40:00.006+10:00

1. Jacinta Halloran's excellent Dissection is being launched by Helen Garner tonight at the Avenue Bookshop

2. World Without Books: Indigenous Literacy Day is September 3, thanks to LP

18-August-08

2008-08-16T13:56:00.007+10:00

1. New York Times: He Blurbed, She Blurbed by Rachel Donadio

2. The new Bachelor of Arts (Creative Writing) at RMIT

3. Guardian blog: What's the point of literary agents?

4. Australia is nowhere on this list of Top 10 literary destinations, which would have to surprise those who participated in Melbourne's bid for Unesco City of Lit. Zoe and I were interviewed about it for Stateline recently. Fingers crossed.

13-August-08

2008-08-12T09:12:00.008+10:00

1. A few MWF picks:

Genre Jumper with Kate Atkinson and Catherine Cole – 30 August, 10am

Secrets and Lies with Hannah Tinti, Joan London and David Francis – 30 August, 4pm

Writing Love with Mark Sarvas, Kathryn Lomer and Andrew Riemer – 30 August, 10.15am (for those who can be in two places at the same time)

2. Lit Mob, thanks to KF

3. The Atlantic: My Life in Sales by Ann Patchett

4. And The Perils of Literary Success by Curtis Sittenfeld

5. The Age, from 2003: The Great Escape Artist, Andrew O'Hagan

11- August-08

2008-08-08T14:14:00.009+10:00

1. My review of Susan Johnson's Life in Seven Mistakes for the Sydney Morning Herald

2. With John Marsden's release of Hamlet next month, he may get a giggle out of this: Hamlet (Facebook News Feed Edition) by Sarah Schmelling at McSweeney's

3. One of the books that was shortlisted for the Vic Prem's Unpublished Ms Award in 2006 is now on the Ned Kelly's shortlist: Chris Womersley's The Low Road which I reviewed for The Age

Friday afternoon

2008-08-08T13:08:00.004+10:00

The Vic Prem's shortlists have been announced. I had the pleasure of joining Kevin Brophy and Liam Davison in judging the Unpublished Manuscript Award, so beneath the bed are boxes and boxes of bound manuscripts (what to do with them?), some of them with scrawlies all over them.

Our shortlist is strong, and includes one ms, by Daniel Ducrou, that's already been shortlisted for the Vogel:

Daniel Ducrou, Conditions of Return

Mandy Maroney, Going Finish

Robert Power, In Search of the Blue Tiger