Two bleak but beautiful books

ALL BRANCHES OPEN ANZAC DAY
Glebe and Dulwich Hill 10am to 4pm, Blackheath 9am to 5pm

Clear by Scottish writer, Carys Davies, is a short but powerful book set in 1843 and centred around two historical events - the Clearances in which thousands of rural poor were forcibly kicked off their rented land, and the schism in the Scottish church when many broke away in protest at how wealthy landowners had the power to install ministers of their choice in parishes on their estates.

Happily married, John Ferguson is one of these ministers, who, in penury, takes on the job of travelling to a remote island in order to evict the one remaining crofter. The relationship which ensues between the two men forms the basis of this stark story. It is a bleak, bleak setting, but Davies' writing is anything but - rich in detail and observation, poetic, lyrical and even at times, breathtaking.

I read beautifully constructed sentences over and over. Surprisingly, given how literary (in the purest sense of the word) this novel is, I could also see it as a film - a very beautiful film for a very beautiful book.

Crooked Seeds by South African novelist Karen Jennings is set in a.contemporaneous South Africa beset by years of drought in which citizens queue for water. The irrepressible, unforgettable (white) Deirdre lives in public housing in Cape Town. Having lost a leg in an explosion many years before, she refuses a prosthetic, bludges off her neighbours, drinks too much and whinges her way through life. She’s hard to love and Jennings bravely resists the temptation of redemption. But bones have been found in the grounds of the property her family once owned (and were dispossessed of) and Deirdre must reckon with her past. An astonishing, beautifully written novel.

For no apparent reason, either of these books could be banned in the State of Iowa, so it’s great to hear that there are now 5 major publishers as well as the Iowa State Education Association, 4 authors, 3 educators and 1 high school student as plaintiffs in a case aiming to strike down the law which bans certain books in schools and restricts teachings on sexual orientation and gender identity. How ironic that Iowa is also the home of the famous, highly regarded Iowa Writers’ Workshop which has nurtured so many brilliant writers over the last 85 years. If God can’t save America, maybe the Law can.

Morgan

Gleebooks X Utopia Arts

Over the next 6 months vibrant artworks from the Papunya community northwest of Alice Springs will be on view in the new Gleebooks cafe courtesy of Utopia Arts Sydney. Since opening Utopia Gallery in 1988 Chris Hodges and his staff have promoted the extraordinarily rich visual culture of this region and helped launch the careers of some of Australia's most celebrated indigenous artists. The first artwork featured in this series is by Mary Napangati from the remote community of Kiwirrkura on the edge of the Great Sandy Desert. Information about the artist and this artwork along with contact details for the gallery is available in the cafe. We hope you will have an opportunity to see this beautiful artwork and others in the series over the coming months.

Peter Goldsworthy – The Cancer Finishing School - Friday 3rd May - in conversation with David Marr

From poet and bestselling novelist Peter Goldsworthy, this darkly funny, bittersweet memoir offers lessons in how to live life in the shadow of an incurable illness.

What lessons might cancer teach him before it finishes him off? Goldsworthy brings his characteristic black humour and storytelling power to the tale of his own cancer journey.

Upstairs Next Week