Editor's note

It has been a great year for good writing at The Conversation. Our Friday essays have explored topics as varied as the end of a friendship, the life of the ethical vegan, living with the threat of bushfire and how Simone Biles transformed gymnastics with her athleticism and advocacy.

From Michelle Grattan’s insightful analysis of Scott Morrison the man, to Mitch Goodwin’s evocative exploration of the song Space Oddity at 50 our writers have probed, pondered and we hope, provoked joy.

Here, then, is our selection of the standout writing of 2019.

Suzy Freeman-Greene

Section Editor: Arts + Culture

Friday Essays

Shutterstock

Friday essay: on the ending of a friendship

Kevin John Brophy, University of Melbourne

A 40-year friendship ends badly and publicly, leading to a forensic examination of what it means to have and be a friend.

Simone Biles is the greatest gymnast the world has ever seen – but she is also unlike any other athlete the sport has known. Noushad Thekkayil/EPA

Friday essay: from delicate teens to fierce women, Simone Biles’ athleticism and advocacy have changed gymnastics forever

Ella Donald, The University of Queensland

Simone Biles enters the 2019 World Gymnastics Championships already with the most all-around gold medals ever. The greatest of all time, she has changed the sport forever.

The author in his vegetable patch. Wendy Kinsella

Friday essay: on being an ethical vegan for 33 years

John Kinsella, Curtin University

For poet John Kinsella, veganism is an ethics of commitment. Living as a vegan, he writes, is not a holier-than-thou situation, but a move towards being more respectful of life.

Hidden Women

Hidden women of history: Tarpe Mills, 1940s comic writer, and her feisty superhero Miss Fury

Camilla Nelson, University of Notre Dame Australia

Miss Fury was the first female superhero written and drawn by a woman. The comic in which she featured was syndicated in 100 newspapers but her creator has largely been excluded from the pantheon of comic greats.

Hidden women of history: Théroigne de Méricourt, feminist revolutionary

Peter McPhee, University of Melbourne

This frail and often hated woman became a passionate advocate of a woman's place in a democratic society before a tragic episode broke her.

From Michelle Grattan

It’s possible to overthink Morrison. A long-time associate and friend says “what you see is what you get”. AAP/Dean Lewins

Against the odds, Scott Morrison wants to be returned as prime minister. But who the bloody hell is he?

Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra

If someone asked the “real Scott Morrison to please stand up”, two men might rise to their feet. The uncompromising, don't-give-an-inch hard Scott, and a more conciliatory, flexible character.

Some of our favourites

Friday essay: why traditional Persian music should be known to the world

Darius Sepehri, University of Sydney

There is so much more to Iran than politics. Its traditional music carries messages of beauty, joy, sorrow and love to the world.

How creativity can help us cultivate moral imagination

Elizabeth Reid Boyd, Edith Cowan University

The poet Percy Bysshe Shelley believed that we can exercise our moral imagination 'in the same manner as exercise strengthens a limb'. Here, then, are some tips for fostering empathy through art.

Friday essay: living with fire and facing our fears

Danielle Clode, Flinders University

Living in a bushfire-prone area means every decision - from plants to parking spots to holidays - is shaped by fire risk. We live and die by the advice we are given, and the advice we ignore.

Space Oddity at 50: the ‘novelty song’ that became a cultural touchstone

Mitch Goodwin, University of Melbourne

Fifty years ago, on July 11, 1969, David Bowie released Space Oddity. With its adventurous orchestration, unsettling harmonics and melancholy narrative, the now classic song captured a moment.

 

Featured jobs

Editorial Internship

— Carlton VIC, Australia

More Jobs

Featured events

Pregnancy and Beyond Health Seminar

Kolling Institute of Medical Research, Kolling Auditorium, Level 5, Building 6, Royal North Shore Hospital, 10 Westbourne Street , St Leonards, New South Wales, 2064, Australia — University of Sydney

More events
 

Contact us here to list your job, or here to list your event.

For sponsorship opportunities, email us here