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  • Christ runs away from Christmas (11 Dec 08)
    Christ climbed down from His bare Tree this year and ran away to where there were no rootless Christmas trees hung with candycanes and breakable stars Christ climbed down from ...
  • Loaf mass poetry (14 Sep 08)
    Ian Duhig The Lammas Hireling After the fair I'd still a light heart and a heavy purse he struck so cheap. And cattle doted on him: in his time mine ...
  • And what there is to conquer? (31 Mar 08)
    I read poetry but much of it is a mystery to me dense and impenetrable; especially so when metaphors and images convey to me no meaning at all and sentences ...
  • Delighted (08 Mar 08)
    One of my great delights is good writing--essays especially. I aspire to be a clear and succinct writer myself. A fine example is Delight as small collection of by pieces ...
  • Discover again the grumpy inspector (26 Feb 08)
    I've just finished Ian Rankin's latest and last Rebus novel Exit music (2007). A great read and a fine story. J.B. Priestly has the right idea about reading crime thrillers ...
  • Christmas Eve ... all on their knees (25 Dec 07)
    A friend showed me this for Christmas Eve. I like it.The Oxen Christmas Eve and twelve of the clock. 'Now they are all on their knees ' An elder said ...
  • First names (29 Sep 07)
    I have greatly enjoyed First Names a book of poems by Simon West published by Puncher and Wattmann. Dr West is a specialist in Italian poetry comparative literature and translation ...
  • The publication of meaning (24 Jul 07)
    In a long bleat in The Australian "Pulping our poetry" (07 Jul 07) Rosemary Neil laments big publisher's lack of interest in Australian poetry. She cites a study by University ...
  • Wright on writing poetry (13 Jul 07)
    Doing something I should have done years ago I've been reading Australian literary magazine Overland. It is offering a prize for new poets -- the Overland Magazine Judith Wright Prize ...
  • On madness and poetry (06 Jul 07)
    I've been reading a lot of modern poetry recently mostly Australian and American and trying to work out why I find it difficult to be poetic myself. Reading poetry and ...
  • To end the circle (24 Jun 07)
    This is Canberra poet Michael Fitzgerald-Clarke a fellow church member. His work includes chapbooks Deep Wings (White Heron Press 2004) and from Pudding House Press S-h-h-hidelplonk (2002) and Three Hundred ...
  • Still life in poetry (20 Mar 07)
    I've been reading through The Best Australian Poems 2006 edited by Dorothy Porter (Black Inc. 2006). One of the poems that took my attention is by Judith Bishop "Still Life ...
  • Red Carpets and other Banana Skins (28 Feb 07)
    Kerry O'Brien interviewed Rupert Everett on the ABC's flagship 7.30 Report last night (27 Feb 07) particularly about Everett's recent autobiography Red Carpets and other Banana Skins. The full transcript ...
  • Birds' nests and metanoia (22 Oct 06)
    From October to December St Mark's here in Canberra is honoured by a visit from poet and spiritual director Fr Michael McCarthy. An Irish Catholic priest Fr McCarthy was born ...
  • The singing of birds (12 Oct 06)
     Best of any song is bird song in the quiet but first you must have the quiet. Wendell Berry. 1997.I in A timbered choir: the Sabbath poems 1979-1997. New York ...
  • Empty objective (09 Oct 06)
    For a few weeks now I've been slowly pondering Wendell Berry's wonderful A timbered choir poems. Most of the poems focus on Berry's reflections on family and his natural surrounds. ...
  • Detective reflections (29 Sep 06)
    Now that I have more time for such things I've discovered a liking for good contemporary detective novels such as those of Ian Rankin and P.D. James. I particularly like stories ...
  • all-consecrating Sabbath (31 Aug 06)
    I've just bought Wendell Berry's A Timbered choir: the Sabbath Poems 1979-1997. Already I'm struck by this poem; it reflects where I'm at myself right now. I'll enjoy this book! ...
  • Betjeman (27 Aug 06)
    Cocooned in Time at this inhuman height The packaged food tastes neutrally of clay We never seem to catch the running day But travel on in everlasting night With all ...
  • Da Vinci dull (12 Jun 06)
    Gloomy reviews (23% at Rotten Tomatoes 2.5 stars from At the Movies) persuaded James and I not to bother with the movie The Da Vinci code. But there's been so ...
  • Quiet week (11 Apr 06)
    Anglicans online writes in its editorial this week:For most active Christians Holy Week is a Busy Week. For bishops priests and deacons there are all of the usual duties of ...
  • My small span (21 Mar 06)
    The Prayer of the Bee Lord I am not one to despise your gifts. May You be blessed Who spreads the richness of Your sweetness for my zeal . . ...
  • Poetic nation (20 Jan 06)
    As part of an Ideas Tour to celebrate its 150th anniversary The Atlantic has an archive of extracts from notable articles from its past. Among these are part of a ...
  • Michael Rayner Thwaites 1915-2005 (13 Nov 05)
    I have just learned of the death on 1 November of Michael Rayner Thwaites much loved Canberra poet distinguished public servant and Anglican Christian. I've previously written about him and ...
  • A cat foregone (11 Nov 05)
    There is still some chaos to be sorted out in my study after moving with James into our new apartment just one year ago. While cleaning out a corner I ...
  • Just so (10 Nov 05)
    A privilege of operating the bookstall at a church fair is first pick at the selections! These are what I found: John Paul II Veritatis splendor 1993 D. Broughton Knox ...
  • Overpopulated fishbowl (03 Aug 05)
    In an earlier post on Google Earth I commented on the great detail that can now be seen in photography from satellites -- and I am sure the Western military ...
  • Winter chills and Canberra poetry (27 Jun 05)
    The winter is here in strength and there is snow on the hills around Canberra. Often we have quite cold nights followed by chilly clear days with fine sunshine. On ...
  • The little sound - Carol Shields (15 May 05)
    Hopefully I am literate but I am not a literary personexpert in literary criticism (explanation of correction!). Yet I admire good writing and enjoy finely crafted short stories and essays. ...
  • Unfinished journey (22 Jan 05)
    Ginninderra Press is a valued local Canberra local publisher that includes many volumes of poetry among its offerings. It recently publishedUnfinished journey collected poems 1932-2004 a new anthology of the ...
  • Seven pillars (11 Jan 05)
    I mentioned earlier a forgotten treasure unearthed while tidying up my books. Here's another one though not forgotten. My copy of T.E. Lawrence's Seven pillars of wisdom: a triumph (New ...
  • Reading (25 Dec 04)
    I'm using some of the summer holidays to sort out my books after the chaos of the move to a new house. Every now and then I unearth a small ...
  • Reading for 50,000 bedtimes (11 Nov 04)
    Looking for a really big read? Try the the new Oxford edition of the Dictionary of National Biography just 60 volumes about 50 000 articles and 60 000 pages. A ...
  • Cursed profit (04 Nov 04)
    As part of a piece called "Dedication" from his Permit me voyage (Yale 1934) James Agee wrote what must be one of the most horrendous curses ever written against those ...
  • Notes on "True Union in the Body" (02 Nov 04)
    Notes on True Union in the Body? Some time ago the ' Anglican Institute ' distributed the small book True union in the body? to every Anglican bishop. The Institute ...
  • Agee (16 Sep 04)
    In an earlier post I remarked that I was attracted by the lyrics of the song "Sure on this shining night" the third of Four songs Op. 13 by Samuel ...
  • Awaiting his return (18 Apr 04)
    James is away for a couple of weeks and the separation feels strange. An unexpected absence of only an hour can sometimes be scary.PauseYou are late coming home To the ...
  • Vasco's rest (01 Apr 04)
    Hopefully copyright will allow me to quote this delightful though earnest piece from The Curly Pyjama Letters by Michael Leunig (Viking Penguin 2001) and encourage you to buy the book. ...
  • Nowhere but the reverence of the heart (19 Mar 04)
    Over the west side of this mountain that's lyrebird country. I could go down there they say in the early morning and I'd see them I'd hear them.Ten years and ...
  • Exit strategy? (17 Mar 04)
    At election time in Australia as well as in a certain large Pacific neighbour ... from Iraq Afghanistan East Timor the Solomons and New Guinea . . . Next year ...
  • Hints and guesses (04 Mar 04)
    Men's curiosity searches past and future And clings to that dimension. But to apprehend The point of intersection of the timeless With time is an occupation for the saint - ...
  • Courage humans! (04 Mar 04)
    "Courage men! The human beings may yet defeat the politicians." Thus Alistair Cooke ended the foreword to Talk about America: 1951-1968. This week he announced his retirement at age 95 ...
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