Life sentences
Life sentences LATEST
December, 2023
The author is challenged on the privilege of the progressive, egalitarian ideals of her ‘multicultural’ generation
November, 2023
The author of ‘Lola in the Mirror’ on how an amended ‘Reservoir Dogs’ quote has served as his personal mantra when faced with a challenge
October, 2023
A regular phrase of the author’s father provides an apt description for the grand test facing Australia in the Voice referendum
September, 2023
‘May condors never land on your tongue’
A quizzical line from the author’s father has always reminded him of the importance of playfulness, whatever one’s age
August, 2023
‘You never know who you might meet’
A piece of motherly prompting, at first dismissed but later embraced, helped in the author’s life and her writing
July, 2023
‘You don’t have to like people, only love them’
An observation from Father Bob Maguire – and an antisemitic man in need of charity – taught the author a valuable life lesson
June, 2023
‘O remember / In your narrowing dark hours / That more things move / Than blood in the heart’
The poetry that delivered perspective when the author came face to face with a grizzly bear in the wilds of Alaska
May, 2023
How the memory of parental advice sparked the critic to write a memoir in the form of letters to neighbours, relatives, teachers, friends and colleagues
April, 2023
‘When in doubt, make a fool of yourself’
The inspirational advice from a book that emboldened the author to pursue a career in writing and cartooning, and to approach life with joy
March, 2023
‘The past is a foreign country...’
How a novel’s opening line reflected the author’s dissonance as a teenage reader, and remains an apt tribute to the enduring power of fiction