John Purcell: The Lessons

Mothers, Fathers, and Others : Siri Hustvedt

In her latest book of essays Siri Hustvedt ranges far. She speaks of her family and her early life. She examines the power of art and of reading. She looks back at favourite books like Jane Eyre, and Wuthering Heights, she thinks about what we might be drawn to read during a pandemic, she plays around with the words of a famous story-teller, Scheherazade, and she examines the life of a prolific artist and journal writer, Louise Bourgeois. She also, as so often with her, tries to tease apart the debate about the relative merits of male and female art/writing.

Ken Bruen: The Dramatist

Homesick: Why I Live in a Shed : Catrina Davies

The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.  Maya Angelou

Daniela Krien: Love in Five Acts

Overseas

Judy and I had always planned to go overseas together when we finished our training. That’s what we called it in Australia, Overseas, but really it meant London. And all those years ago, it meant going by ship.

Louise Gluck: Abundance

Fallen Leaves

to sweep the garden

before I leave

falling willow leaves

Basho

four years now

you’ve been gone~

the raven’s endless cry

Gaga

Junichiro Tanizaki: Naomi