Dry River Writings
Firstly, Less by Andrew Sean Greer. Arthur Less is a middle-aged, second-tier novelist and has been ignoring literary invitations—the kind of invitations that second-tier novelists receive, like literary panel positions, writer-in-residencies, interviewing slots at literary festivals, all in far-flung locations. But when his young lover, Freddie, out of patience with Less’s reluctance to commit, announces…
I love Radio National in the summer. They give their regular presenters a break and play reruns of the most popular shows and segments of the year. A kind of annual ‘RN Greatest Hits’. So last Saturday we heard on Ockham’s Razor—home of snappy, topical, sciencey talks—an account by cancer researcher Dr Fiona Simpson of…
Happy new year! Just the one resolution this year: to keep notes, just brief ones, on the books I read. A memory aid, really. So here’s my first instalment, a few snack-size reviews …
I told my GP a joke the other day. It was only a short joke, one of the few I know by heart. She pressed her hands to her cheeks and stared at me. Dr G is a broadminded, competent, compassionate doctor. She’s quite easy-going. I arrived at one appointment to find her wearing shorts…
Zed*, at six years, was a happy, healthy companion dog living an easy life in a Triangle village. She loved her daily walks, chasing balls, chewing bones. But Zed was a dog without a job—until this past winter when her human, Elly*, saw a notice on the Cobargo Forum: ‘Truffle dogs required’.
The tradesman was grinning. He’d brought a subcontractor with him. It took them about 30 minutes to scope out the job and jot some figures in a notebook. Of course he was grinning—my occupational therapist, who’d suggested the home modification he was quoting for, had told me that he was charging $500 for the quote,…
‘Most people in Melbourne know who runs around in tight shorts and kicks goals for Carlton or Collingwood but they have no idea where their water comes from.’ Professor David Lindenmayer This is a story about science, but it’s also a story about wilful ignorance, a looming catastrophe, and, to run with the football reference,…
Goulburn Shopping Centre, 11 am last Tuesday. I’m waiting for someone to vacate the disabled toilet. I see a dim form approach the frosted glass door and as it slides open my suspicions are confirmed: an able-bodied person. As he steps out he looks down at me (I’m on my small electric scooter), says, ‘Sorry!’…
Since the 1970s the Australian electorate has become increasingly disenchanted with the major parties. Lately this has accelerated. At the last federal election, the minor parties (including the Greens) attracted 36% of the vote. But this pattern is not spread evenly across the population; the minor party vote is a lot higher in regional areas….
On the highway, heading into Bega. Royal blue summer sky, black and white cows dotted across unseasonably green hills. I turn to the Mechanic. ‘I think I might be depressed.’ ‘Well, that’s fair enough,’ he says. ‘I’d be depressed if I were you, considering everything. I’m amazed you’re not depressed more often.’ As validating as…