Author Archives:
Books, Television
Australian stories: ABC TV’s The Slap
When Christos Tsiolkas’s The Slap was published in 2008, it was one of those suddenly ubiquitous novels – everyone seemed to own a copy and everyone was talking about the social issues it raised. Read more
Film
‘You transfix me, quite’: late thoughts on Jane Eyre
The transposition of a novel to screen always has an odd effect, like seeing a painted portrait move. There’s the vexed question of whether to judge the film on its own merits or in the fidelity to which it accurately translates the essence of the tale, especially … Read more
Comment
‘It’s about the stories, it’s about the treasures’: Dressed for Murder – fashions from the world of Hitchcock at MWF11
The ‘stories unbound’ theme of this year’s Melbourne Writers Festival – with its fluttery book exploding outward in posters across the city – was nicely evocative not only of the way in which writers festivals unshackle narratives from the bindings of bookcovers, or of the many battles … Read more
Film, News
Bait: Bret Easton Ellis jumps the shark?
Bret Easton Ellis is reportedly working on a screenplay for a shark horror film. The Guardian and various film sites have reported this week that Ellis is collaborating with Paul Schrader (the screenwriter of such films as Taxi Driver and Raging Bull) on a shark-infested psychological horror … Read more
Interviews, Theatre
Interview with Tamara Saulwick, creator and performer of Pin Drop
Fears are something we are thought to grow out of, as we leave our childhood beds and the threat of monsters hidden beneath them. Yet, the ‘things that go bump in the night’ encountered as an adult have the potential to be far more real and dangerous. … Read more
Interviews
Interview with Raphael Brous: I Am Max Lamm
If a butterfly flaps its wings in Brazil, can it set off a tornado in Texas? Similarly, if a young tennis champion trains his forehand swing every day, could it have spectacularly lethal consequences? The notion of the ‘butterfly effect’ – where seemingly inconsequential conditions can have unintentionally devastating results – is a concept that came to mind in the reading of Raphael Brous’s Read more
Books
Daytime / Nighttime books: Literary pleasures in the darkness and light
The distinction fascinated me – the idea that the way one reads a book, the coupling of certain novels with time or place has the ability to compliment the narrative, in the same way that certain colours affect mood. Read more
Interviews
Interview with Alan Bissett: International Guest of the Emerging Writers’ Festival
The first time I meet Alan Bissett he’s wearing gold shoes. They have a backstory that is a combination of Cinderella and Irvine Welsh’s Trainspotting. This is probably the best introduction … Read more
Issue Four
Literary Stalkings: On the Trail of Bret Easton Ellis
When Bret Easton Ellis visited Australia last year, antipodean readers revisited their fascination with the cult American writer and his novels, including new addition Imperial Bedrooms, American Psycho and Less than Zero. Bethanie Blanchard’s essay, ‘Notes from the Underground: Why Bret Easton Ellis Fails on Film’ appears … Read more
