Books
We all know the Prime Minister writes books but does he read them? We are left wondering because the author of Jasper and Abby and the Great Australia Day Kerfuffle did not take part in a landmark survey of federal politicians’ reading habits, to be published this Wednesday in The Australian Literary Review.
Tony Abbott was not so shy, revealing his favourite novel to be J.R.R. Tolkein’s The Lord of the Rings.
Julia Gillard played it safe with Tim Winton’s Cloudstreet, Joe Hockey showed his SNAG side with Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and Peter Garrett was immersed in a Bunnings catalogue (he also mentioned March, the Pulitzer Prize winning novel by the one-time Fairfax reporter Geraldine Brooks).
Continue reading "Revealed: our federal politicians’ favourite books" »
Welcome to a new week @ The Punch.
Today in 2007 JK Rowling completed Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It was the 7th novel in her series.
Latest 2 of 3 comments
View all comments-
Lauren says:
I remember this day, logging onto my account as “WickedLoz” at The Leaky Cauldron and finding out that “SHE HAS FINISHED IT! IT IS DONE!” Then followed an argument between countries that receive Bloomsbury editions and America which receive Scholastic editions over whether this marked the 10th anniversary of Philosopher’s… Read more »
-
yas says:
i grew up with this series; the first book coming out the year i moved to Australia when i was about 10. it took me three years to have enough language skills to stomach the first installment; i related to the idea of being the unusual outsider who belonged to… Read more »
I’ve had the last quarter of Marilynne Robinson’s 2004 novel, Gilead, waiting patiently for me on the bedside table for a year or so, hoping to be granted the honour of completion (I often struggle with the reading endgame).
Now, transported away from the bedside table on holidays, I’ve at last reached the end of this exquisitely poised depiction of a dying preacher recording a memoir for his young son.
The book is replete with theological and anthropological gems, the fruit of the author’s deep knowledge of the Bible, of ministry life, and of the significance of the shape of our close relationships on our sense of life’s meaning.
Latest 2 of 31 comments
View all comments-
colleen says:
Gilead sounds like a good read -thank you for drawing it to my attention. Read more »
-
Jasper says:
As the early Christian church gained ground they did not throw out the baby with the bath water of paganism and classical culture was kept alive by theologans in both Christianity and Islam. They recognised that even if they did not believe the religious underpinings, the tales told by the… Read more »
Last fortnight, I posted my ten favourite links from the year’s Well-readhead.
This time, I’m going a step further with my Christmas holiday recommendations, posting my favourite fiction books of the year, along with my top five non fiction books and top five TV series on DVD.
If you’re looking for something to do over the holidays, let me simply say: my name is Leigh, I’m from Queensland and I’m here to help.
Continue reading "Well readhead: Summer holiday reading and viewing" »
Latest 2 of 12 comments
View all comments-
Casquealius Omahanja says:
Michael Collins is dead, dude. They shot him. Read more »
-
Michael Collins says:
Thanks, Leigh for providing great reading on The Punch and quality journalism via your other gig on Lateline. Best Wishes. Read more »
I recently gave an address at the Media 140 Conference in Sydney about the impact of social media on journalism. I was invited to speak about the ethics and professionalism of the way I use twitter. Today’s post is adapted from my remarks.
My guiding principle is ‘If in doubt, leave it out’.
In other words, when it comes to what I put on twitter, I err on the side of caution - as I do with what I write or broadcast generally.
Continue reading "Well-readhead: How and why I use Twitter" »
Latest 2 of 7 comments
View all comments-
Anne Frankenfurter says:
Loz, Justin heazlewood is the Bedroom Philospopher. The shitmydadsays dude is called Justin Halpern, i think. At any rate, he just got a sitcom out of it. Read more »
-
Paul says:
Onya Leigh Read more »
In identifying the most revolutionary discovery or invention in human history we are confronted with a bewildering choice: from fire and the wheel, through to electricity, nuclear fission and the silicon chip. But one stands out. Simple in conception and design, but revolutionary in its impact – the printing press.
The Gutenberg bible, the first book printed with moveable type only 570 years ago, opened up the written word to all of humanity. It forced open the closed books of religion; it empowered discovery and research.
Just imagine a world without books and literacy. We would have no internet. Our knowledge would be limited to that which had been passed on by friends or acquaintances, or by those in power – be they religious or secular. For this was the world before the printing press.
Continue reading "More expensive books are a tragedy for us all" »
Latest 2 of 22 comments
View all comments-
Rob says:
Well written piece. Liberals should fight hard on this. More expensive books flies in the face of Labor claims to support education and equality. I disagree that the gutenberg press is THE most revolutionary invention though. I think space travel is first as it transcends this planet. Read more »
-
Bev says:
Has anyone ever thought of using their local public library - I agree owning and appreciating a book is special but the library is accessible, free to use and offers an alternative to complaining about the cost of buying books. I am sure there would be readers out there who… Read more »
I regularly find myself chairing panels at writers’ festivals or in bookshops and I give a standard spiel at the beginning of every event.
‘We’ll have time for questions at the end,’ I say, ‘And let me emphasise that we want questions, not statements. If you stand up and make a statement, I will cut you off and publicly humiliate you.’
It usually gets a laugh ... until they realise I’m completely serious.
Continue reading "Well-readhead: Don’t make me publicly humiliate you" »
Latest 2 of 15 comments
View all comments-
derek says:
yes. this is an important issue, & the public should be made aware. ever heard someone say mid-question ‘i’m not exactly sure what my question is, i just wanted to say…’ Read more »
-
Arj says:
‘We’ll have time for questions at the end,’ I say, ‘And let me emphasise that we want questions, not statements. If you stand up and make a statement, I will cut you off and publicly humiliate you.’ OOOooooooohh tough!!! Read more »
Don’t you just hate it when you’ve bought a new toy and before you’ve even got it out of the box you’re friends are saying you’ve wasted your money?
I know someone who has the new Kindle, which was released in Australia last week.
If he is the same sort of technoholic as I am, he would have been crestfallen when before he’d even unpacked it one of our acquaintances said: “Have you seen the Nook? Bet you’ll regret the Kindle.”
Continue reading "Yes, books are great but we said that about CDs" »
Latest 2 of 19 comments
View all comments-
James says:
The nook is a laggy peice of crap that wastes battery life by having a stupid dual screen arrangement. a book is a simple concept, thus an ebook reader should be simple aswell. you get that with the kindle, though the keyboard is a bit strange, it is extremely usefull… Read more »
-
Andrew H says:
I got bored waiting for a decent ebook device so download audiobooks off iTunes for my iPod then play through car system. I love having the author read to me will I deal with Brisbane traffic. Audio books remind me of those childrens’ storys on tape years ago. Read more »
Before Ben Cousins, there was Wayne Carey. The full forward from Wagga became the King of North Melbourne and the greatest train wreck of them all.
His legendary love of a bender – and a life without boundaries - culminated in a famous sex act somewhere between the tooth brush holder and the soap dish with his best mate’s wife.
Carey was the perfect example of a sports star whose self-loathing only increased the more the public fell in love with him. I don’t know if he’s ever met Andrew Johns, but you’d imagine they would have plenty to talk about.
Continue reading "Wayne Carey: Your typical angry white male" »
Latest 2 of 43 comments
View all comments-
S.L says:
A guy misses his wifes birthday because he’s on the grog with the boys and he thinks at the time that’s the norm? I don’t think so! He blames his rough upbringing for having an affair with a team mates wife? How many excuses does this high profile ex sportsman… Read more »
-
Elizabeth says:
Why do people get hung up with the headline??? Surely the most important part is always the conclusion….Read it because it has some interesting things to say about addiction, love and how hard it can be for a man to outrun his past. Having had close experience to a man… Read more »
My parents never taught me how to cook, they just taught me how not to.
My 50-something father still burns fish fingers, and has done since I was three. Probably earlier.
My mother micro-waved all of the nutrients out of anything I ever ate.
Continue reading "The way to good cooking may be learning what not to do" »
Latest 2 of 10 comments
View all comments-
Gillsy says:
AFR > I’m happy there is something wrong with me, it leaves room for improvement and fun in my life Read more »
-
Eno says:
I have spent a number of years trying to get decent at this cooking business - honestly started as I found it was a good way to impress girls (blush). I’ve had people ask the best way to learn to cook. My single lesson is ‘make sure the local Pizza… Read more »
‘Do not start me on The Da Vinci Code. A novel so bad that it gives bad novels a bad name’. That’s how Salman Rushdie described Dan Brown’s 2003 blockbuster in an interview with the Lawrence Journal-World in 2005.
Rushdie isn’t alone in his unflattering assessment of Dan Brown’s writing. More recently, professor of linguistics at the University of Edinburgh, Geoffrey Pullum told the Daily Telegraph that ‘Brown’s writing is not just bad; it is staggeringly, clumsily, thoughtlessly, almost ingeniously bad’.
And Pullum isn’t just being a high-minded literary snob, either; the professor has a point. To illustrate his case, Pullum cites a passage from Angels and Demons in which the lead female character hears about the death of her scientist father. ‘Genius, she thought. My father . . . Dad. Dead’ writes Brown.
Latest 2 of 15 comments
View all comments-
Wayne Robinson says:
You would have to be an idiot to read any of Dan Brown’s books (I have read them all). Amazon.com has a great review of “the Lost Symbol” (look for the one star reviews and the one by Valennin (or something similar). It is hilarious; having read the book makes… Read more »
-
Alison says:
@ Ben. Quite. My kids started reading (shudder) with Garfield, but I figured that was what they enjoyed, and that hasn’t stopped them enjoying Dostoevsky or Berger or Barthes now they’re older. (And, now you mention it, I read dozens of Enid Blytons between seven and ten, when I discovered… Read more »
‘There,’ I said, balancing the candle I’d snapped off the broach in the palm of my hand. ‘What do you think?’ I ran my other hand through my hair, pushing back my recalcitrant fringe. My fingers came away moist. It was hot in the workroom, but that wasn’t the only reason I was sweating.
Even though I had been making candles ever since I could remember, I awaited Pillar’s opinion nervously. It wasn’t that Pillar was such a great candlemaker; in fact, he often lamented how pedestrian and ordinary his work was and that he only earned enough lire to survive. Pillar was right. His work was nothing special, not compared with the work of the master candlemakers who lived on the salizzada and controlled the Candlemakers Scuola, but what he thought mattered terribly to me. While he lacked the artistic flair of the masters, or their golden ducats to spend on exotic waxes and wicks, his candles were solid, the wicks dependable, and they burnt long and brightly.
‘Well?’ I pressed. He didn’t usually take so long to offer his opinion. ‘Can we afford to purchase more beeswax?’
Latest 2 of 3 comments
View all comments-
Kristie says:
Loved the book, i couldnt put it down. Cant wait to see what happens in the next one. Read more »
-
Stefan Brogan says:
Spent all weekend reading Tallow, what a book, couldn’t put it down. Still reasonating, now for some sleep!! Great book. Read more »
Australia’s creative industry has again shown its canny ability to frame a debate.
The recent dispute over lifting restrictions on parallel book importation has been cast as a classic good versus evil battle. On the one side, we apparently have the noble educated patriots, boldly standing on the last line of defence for Australian culture, and on the other we have a mounting tide of sub-standard (foreign made) literature and a cabal of neo-liberal charlatans hell-bent on unleashing it on the young impressionable minds of Australian readers.
Author Tim Winton says the Productivity Commission is “hostile to Australian rights.” Louise Adler, CEO of Melbourne University Press, launched a shrill attack on the Productivity Commission as “neo-liberals and economic fundamentalists.”
Continue reading "Spare me the artists’ pain, change book import laws" »
Latest 2 of 35 comments
View all comments-
BC says:
(cont..) As a consequence, most French support the idea that it is legitimate to protect cultural activities from pure market laws and it is the role of the State to protect them and if necessary subsidize them with public money. Which goes a long way to explaining why in France… Read more »
-
BC says:
I am an Australian living in France. Before we go running off and selling our local culture down the river for the price of a few pieces of ‘online-savings’ silver, we might do well to look at the efforts undertaken in other countries to nurture (and yes, sometimes protect) local… Read more »
Everyone in Australia knows that books cost a whole lot more than they should.
The absurdity in the debate about whether to make books cheaper is that politicians who will make the final decision – some of whom are beating their chests about our cultural heritage – are voting with their mice and buying books online from cheaper online retailers overseas.
Our website The Punch is surveying the nation’s MPs about their media consumption, including the use of new media, the type of technology they use, and how they buy movies, music and books.
Continue reading "Book debate is absurd when we’re buying them overseas" »
Latest 2 of 44 comments
View all comments-
Faye says:
Steer clear of fishpond.com.au They have very poor after sales service. No phone number and no email address on their site. And they take at least a week longer to ship than they state. When I did find a way to contact them they were very slow to respond. I… Read more »
-
Ted says:
I think Wayne has forgotten to mention or he may be ignorant of the fact that discount department stores such as Big W, Target etc buy huge quantities at very low prices from publishers and are prepared to sell books at a loss to drive customer traffic into their stores.… Read more »
Fathers Day - or in our house Feathrs or Farthers day depending upon the cards I received last year - is nearly upon the kids. Last year I got lots of cards - approximately 8 by my count. I don’t have that many children nor did I discover I had some I didn’t know about. Instead my known children were extremely productive; to the tune of 2.67 cards per child. What is more, they were all self-made.
We now have a rule at home that Hallmark holidays should mean that no money should be spent that would go anywhere near Hallmark. That means everything is made.
Not only did I get the cards but several paintings and a treasure hunt. The last one was imaginative but, ultimately fast, because my then 6 year old son organised the whole thing but didn’t have the patience to wait for me to decipher his clues and took me straight to the treasure.
Latest 2 of 4 comments
View all comments-
Stefano says:
So Simmo, you confirm what we all know - Father’s day and Mother’s day are just bullshit. Retail exercises contrived by retailers to extract the dollars from your wallet in the name of lurv. Read more »
-
Simmo says:
i had the task of buying my own presdent for this year as my wife couldn’t get the kids to agree on what to get me. I was told to get a DVD of my choice which I thought to be easy but the i ended up spending over an… Read more »
Today is the 64th anniversary of the mass publication in America of George Orwell’s Animal Farm, a book considered one of the most influential of all time.
What a pity I’ve actually never read it.
And this is despite the fact that I’ve owned a copy since I was 17, when everyone else I knew read it. Or did they?
Continue reading "Five reasons to read the book before watching the movie" »
Latest 2 of 11 comments
View all comments-
J says:
Lucy, please read Animal Farm - Rob is right, you can easily knock it over in a day. It’s powerful, and will stay with you. It’s brilliant. And if you haven’t already, read 1984 as well. It’s one of my favourite books of all time. Read more »
-
Gibbot says:
PC - That would have to be one of my all time favourite novels. Again, though, any attempt to adapt it for celluloid is bound to disappoint. Jimmy has a good point. A film can be a success if it draws new readers to the book. LOTR is an exceptional… Read more »
EDs: Simone Holzapfel worked as Tony Abbott’s media advisor when he was in the Howard Government ministry.
In many ways, Tony Abbott is one of a kind. In a focus group-led political world where our leaders too often speak in clichés, perfectly deliver their politically correct lines and image is everything, Tony Abbott stands apart. But will his frankness translate to political success or failure?
The thing about Abbott is that you don’t have to like him, or his views, but you have to respect him. Because, unlike many of his colleagues, you know where he stands because his views on just about everything - no matter how challenging or difficult the issue - are on the public record.
Continue reading "Tony Abbott: The last politician to speak his mind" »
Latest 2 of 28 comments
View all comments-
Diana Mulholland says:
Abbot is the Sarah Palin of Australian politics. ‘Nuff said. Read more »
-
Macca Streeth says:
I’m sure that the point oh-five percent of the population gullible enough to vote for this clown think he’s a great chap. The rest of us believe in evolution and know the environment is in trouble, we can’t afford to let a moron run our beautiful country. As if Rudd… Read more »
The Productivity Commission’s recommendation for the removal of parallel importation restrictions on books is a cause for celebration for book lovers in Australia.
By that I mean the millions of Australian consumers who will benefit from the removal of these outdated protectionist measures.
The books debate this time round (there have been five earlier reports to Government - all but one recommended the full removal of protection, while the fifth recommended partial removal) has predictably been dominated by hysterical doomsday claims from authors and publishers.
Continue reading "Freeing up the books market is great news for readers" »
Latest 2 of 12 comments
View all comments-
stephen says:
If these authors can’t make a living under the new rules, then perhaps they should find another job. (Capitalism, heh) Read more »
-
A Music Publisher says:
“Last year a record amount of royalties was paid to a record number of recipients for sound recordings in Australia. Hardly the sign of an industry in decline.” What’s your source on this? Was this an intentional mis-representation of the facts, or a statement made out of ignorance? Whilst there… Read more »
Recently, a stranger walked up to me in a café.
‘Is that The Sydney Morning Herald you’re reading?’ she asked. She looked about 30 and her hair was tied back in a ponytail. I told her it was and she immediately drew closer to take a look.
‘I just need to see yesterday’s word,’ she said.
Continue reading "AMARKEEGO spells GEEK-O-RAMA: Well read-head" »
Latest 2 of 5 comments
View all comments-
Mary Garden says:
Ahah, so good to see some of us are still reading the news on PAPER! Including Bill Leak. And the boyfriend needed paper to scribble his attempts. Trying doing that on a screen. Read more »
-
KSM says:
Target has used the word “wuthering” twice this year, and I missed it both times. Damn them! As a fan of Emily Bronte but not one of obscure Saxon words, I don’t think this one should qualify, which makes it doubly galling that I missed it both times. Damn them… Read more »
I borrowed my first book from the University library the other day. I realise that doesn’t really seem like a big deal but for me this momentous occasion becomes interesting because I am a third year student. In the three years I’ve been at Monash, I’ve not once borrowed a book until now. In fact, the only time I visit the library is to steal free wifi and there was that one time I forgot my notebook so I had to use the free computers to check Facebook.
But the reason I haven’t borrowed a book before is not because I’m a bad student. I mean, my grades are only average but I think that might have something to do with the number of hours I spend drinking instead of studying.
Continue reading "Who the hell is Dewey? Books on life support" »
Latest 2 of 20 comments
View all comments-
Rachelle says:
Im technacally an iGen or whatever you whant to call my age group. Im 16 and i read a lot and so do most of my friends. I do love fiction but if i can find a non fiction book i like i dont descriminate because its fact as a… Read more »
-
Ramiel says:
i like books; I’m just a few years older than you… but being part of the consumable species and a sucker, it’s not just for the nostalgia of feeling papercuts and smelling the bindings of the ol vintage… i want, i want, i want! i want to absorb info, i… Read more »
Recent posts
The latest and greatest
What voters really think of Tony Abbott’s religion
Religious epithets like the “mad monk” and “captain Catholic” are routinely applied… Read more
Most commented
The talk of the town
- My Southern Cross tattoo now brands me as a racist 638
- Atheists can do better than saying believers are stupid 257
- Why there is no International Man’s Day 181
- It's time to allow gay marriage in Australia 178
- Nation's top scientists agree: the climate is changing now 169
- The alternative 164
- Mr Rudd, asylum seekers are real people 136
- Tony Abbott is driving would-be parents crazy 120
- Token ceremony openings must be brought to an end 84
- Only a dope would say cannabis is worse than grog 83
Punch live
Up to the minute Twitter chatter
Don't bring your children and other "rules" of supermarket shopping. Got a gripe or two of your own? Add to my list: http://bit.ly/dBWydm
What voters really think of Tony Abbott, great piece by Nic Christensen & Tina Tek: http://bit.ly/bvLWSz#thepunch
Am actually going to miss the Blackhawks that have been stalking Sydney lately.
Gentle jabs to the ribs
Breaking news: Something is going on
Is this the greatest ever send-up of 24-hour news? Warning: contains strong language and hilarity. From… Read more
Latest 2 of 33 comments
View all commentsAdd your comment