Comments for Liticism

Comment on Trying and Failing at Febfast: on Jill Stark’s High Sobriety by Peter Hannigan

Peter Hannigan — Fri, 17 May 2013 09:57:26 +0000

An interesting alcohol related party trick is to ask people when they last had a day without drinking any alcohol. This can get serious if it follows a discussion of the definition of alcoholism. It can also be funny as people try to remember that moment 5 years ago when…

Another test of relationship with alcohol is to work in a Muslim country where alcohol is strongly disapproved of, although still legal with some difficulty of access. It can always be found if you don’t mind the price – and some people (not just westerners) chase it. On the other hand it is good to use the experience to take a break.

I don’t think the relationship to alcohol is an ‘all in’ drink to extreme or ‘all out’ never touch it thing – you change the relationship over time to reflect your circumstances and the impact on yourself. For me that has meant over the years reducing quantity and increasing quality.

Comment on Trying and Failing at Febfast: on Jill Stark’s High Sobriety by Pusscat

Pusscat — Fri, 17 May 2013 02:37:59 +0000

Thanks so much, Stephanie, for making available your thoughts on Stark’s excellent book.
You have captured so exactly me, at thirty, in 1991. Without Stark or the internet to help me think about my own situation, I was precisely where you are now with respect to grogging on.
Like you, I could observe peers and how a shifting attitude either did, or did not, enable people to change the way they drank.
Luckily, I sniffed something on the wind somehow, and I realised that not making quite a big effort to change might cause things to end quite badly for me personally.
Now well into my 50′s and over two decades into unbroken abstinence, I’m so glad for excellent writing like yours and Stark’s, because there must be lots of others like me confronting what may or may not be an urgent dilemma for them. Especially, I’m glad that you are both women.
I’m genuinely surprised to look back and remember that I once truly believed that ethanol enhanced my life in any way at all.
Thanks, Lit-icism, for great writing as usual.

Comment on Trying and Failing at Febfast: on Jill Stark’s High Sobriety by Bill Brown

Bill Brown — Fri, 17 May 2013 02:15:24 +0000

I find this topic fascinating. I grew up in a family that did not drink alcohol or smoke. I was warned about the dangers of illicit drugs, but for some reason no-one told me about the dangers of alcohol, to which I later became addicted. It is 20 years now since I last imbibed. But, as one of my early mentors used to say, the only thing that really matters is that I have not drunk alcohol today. (Bill Brown is a pseudonym, by the way).

One of my memories is meeting a well known poet in a detox clinic. I had no idea at the time that he was so well known. He was convinced he could not possibly write poetry while sober. A group of us took turns to make his tea and coffee as his hands were shaking so badly he was incapable of doing it himself. A year later he was dead.

One of my favourite descriptions of alcohol follows:

Dear Bulletin

I’m awfully surprised to find myself sober. And, being sober, I take up my pen to write a few lines, hoping they will find you as I am at present. I want to know a few things. In the first place: Why does a man get drunk? There seems to be no excuse for it. I get drunk because I am in trouble, and I get drunk because I’ve got out of it. I get drunk because I’m sick, or have corns, or the toothache: and I get drunk because I’m feeling well and grand. I get drunk because I was rejected; and I got awfully drunk the night I was accepted. And, mind you, I don’t like to get drunk at all, because I don’t enjoy it much, and suffer hell afterwards. I’m always far better and happier when I’m sober, and tea tastes better than beer. But I get drunk. I get drunk when I feel that I want a drink, and I get drunk when I don’t. I get drunk because I had a row last night and made a fool of myself and it worries me, and when things are fixed up I get drunk to celebrate it. And, mind you, I’ve got no craving for a drink. I get drunk because I’m frightened about things, and because I don’t care a damn. Because I’m hard up and because I’m flush. And, somehow, I seem to have better luck when I’m drunk. I don’t think the mystery of drunkenness will ever be explained – until all things are explained, and that will be never. A friend says that we don’t drink to feel happier, but to feel less miserable. But I don’t feel miserable when I’m straight. Perhaps I’m not perfectly sober right now, after all. I’ll go and get a drink, and write again later.

Henry Lawson,

Letter to the Bulletin (1903)

Comment on Tony Abbott, ebook author by Tim Vicenete

Tim Vicenete — Wed, 15 May 2013 10:32:44 +0000

I read it and got to say it left me unimpressed. There is plenty they could go after Labor for but instead they complain about the small stuff that the Libs don’t have a good record on either like government advertising.

They also keep beating on the refugee bandwagon which will appeal to some voters but will turn many people off them. Labor don’t deserve a second term, but the Libs are being too extreme. Labor could still pull this off and that is a really depressing thought.

Comment on Tony Abbott, ebook author by Venise Alstergren

Venise Alstergren — Tue, 14 May 2013 05:27:31 +0000

It is to be hoped that Tony Abbott will publish a criticism of Coalition mistakes in two years’ time. Starting with how the Liberals managed to antagonise Clive Palmer and Bob Katter. I can’t stand either of these two gentlemen but, after watching last night’s Q&A on the ABC, I’d venture to suggest they like Abbott and his brain dead thugs as a duck loves bullets. Not!

Comment on Tony Abbott, ebook author by Jones Mark

Jones Mark — Tue, 14 May 2013 03:20:05 +0000

I wouldn’t argue that it is a worthy contribution. In fact the Liberals do themselves a disservice with some “waste” on this list being petty criticisms that happened under the Howard Government and will happen under an Abbott Government.

Take for example Media Monitors. This service existed under the previous Liberal government and will into the future, perhaps you could get better value for the service, but the implication is that it is used for spin. The same goes for criticisms of Government advertising on the NBN and Carbon tax, when the GST and Workchoices had a much larger spend, the later estimated at $120 million. Also this idea that Media departments in government agencies are spin doctors when these were in place under the previous Liberal Government and will be there for an Abbott Government.

Comment on Tony Abbott, ebook author by Tony Abbott, ebook author – Crikey (blog) » red book

Tony Abbott, ebook author – Crikey (blog) » red book — Mon, 13 May 2013 10:50:42 +0000

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Comment on Tony Abbott, ebook author by Tony Abbott, ebook author – Crikey (blog) - AmazonLaureate: eBook & Author Reviews - amazonlaureate.com

Mon, 13 May 2013 10:10:21 +0000

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Comment on The persistence of gender: a Stella Miles Franklin shortlist by The persistence of gender: a Stella Miles Frank...

The persistence of gender: a Stella Miles Frank... — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 08:49:52 +0000

...] Crikey (blog) The persistence of gender: a Stella Miles Franklin shortlist Crikey (blog) It's hard not to see a rivalry between the two prizes now, with the Miles Franklin clearly on the back foot since the accusations of gender bias. [...

Comment on All-female 2013 Miles Franklin shortlist announced by mjlivi

mjlivi — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 01:33:22 +0000

Good shortlist, although I don’t quite get Mateship with Birds – I thought it was less impressive than Tiffany’s first book. I’m not sure Modjeska really counts as a debut novelist though (I guess it’s the most straightforwardly fictional of her books to date).

Comment on Chris Somerville’s We Are Not The Same Anymore: an interview by mjlivi

mjlivi — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 06:24:37 +0000

Well it’s on my long list now. Shortlist to be announced sometime in 2017 at this rate.

Comment on Chris Somerville’s We Are Not The Same Anymore: an interview by Bethanie Blanchard

Bethanie Blanchard — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 02:51:53 +0000

haha I know how you feel! So many neglected books beside my bed. This is a lovely collection though – and under 200 pages so won’t take you away from the Stella longlist for too long..

Comment on Chris Somerville’s We Are Not The Same Anymore: an interview by mjlivi

mjlivi — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 02:46:35 +0000

Aargh – can you please stop intriguing me with new books? I’m still trying to work my way through the Stella Prize longlist!

Comment on There’s No Such Thing As Real America: Ron Rash’s Nothing Gold Can Stay by Paul Donoughue

Paul Donoughue — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 14:01:10 +0000

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Comment on ‘I know when I am writing erotica or literary fiction. I feel it in my body’: an interview with Krissy Kneen by 'I know when I am writing erotica or literary fiction. I feel it in my body … - Erotica Stories

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 13:07:47 +0000

...] 'I know when I am writing erotica or literary fiction. I feel it in my body … [...