Margo Lanagan's Blog, page 12
March 25, 2011
'Fine work from a literary sadist'...
...is how Angie Schiavone's review of Yellowcake in the Sydney Morning Herald today is headed, and she urges you to take your time reading them:As with Lanagan's previous collections, Yellowcake is not a book to rush through or read in one sitting. Her day-job as a technical writer requires clear, unambiguous writing but Lanagan adheres to no such constraints when it comes to fiction, gliding
March 24, 2011
Gary K. Wolfe's Locus review of Yellowcake...
...is online.Margo Lanagan always seems to be a couple of steps ahead of us, like a tricksterish lightning bug that is never in the jar you thought you'd put it in.:D
March 22, 2011
'A Thousand Flowers' is shortlisted for an Aurealis Award!
In this excellent company of YA stories:'Inksucker', Aidan Doyle, Worlds Next Door, Fablecroft Publishing'One Story, No Refunds', Dirk Flinthart, Shiny #6, Twelfth Planet Press'A Thousand Flowers', Margo Lanagan, Zombies vs Unicorns, Allen & Unwin'Nine Times', Kaia Landelius and Tansy Rayner Roberts, Worlds Next Door, Fablecroft Publishing'An Ordinary Boy', Jen White, The Tangled Bank, Tangled
March 18, 2011
Mid-March, writing and reeling
I had 3 weeks (i.e. 9 working days) off the dayjob. The first week and a half was all about preparing for, and then attending, Perth Writers Festival, as detailed in the previous post. It was a beautifully organised, nicely paced program that allowed me to take in a few panels other than my own, and to catch up with Perth friends—hi Sal, hi Jonathan and Marianne, hi Lynn, hi Alisa and Tehani!All
February 27, 2011
Perth Writers' Festival
Off to Perth tomorrow, for the Perth Writers' Festival. I'm doing a couple of sessions on the Schools Program (one with Melina Marchetta and one Yellowcake-based, solo) and also the following:TheMagic of OzIs there a uniquely Australian fantasy voice? Margo Lanagan, Anthony Eaton and Will Elliott consider how living in Australia influences their writing.Chair: Helen MerrickUniversity Club Banquet
February 22, 2011
Angela Slatter drove by...
...and asked me five questions, over here.
February 16, 2011
POD editions of my gritty-realist YA
Allen & Unwin wrote to me today to let me know that my two YA novels from the mid-1990s, The Best Thing and Touching Earth Lightly, are now available as print-on-demand books. They can supply you with a high-quality printed book within 14 days of ordering,You can order from a bookshop or direct from Allen & Unwin. You can add The Best Thing to your basket here, and Touching Earth Lightly here.
February 2, 2011
Cold, uncertain feet—Bitch Media and Tender Morsels
In the last day or so, controversy involving three YA novels, Jackson Pearce's Sisters Red, Elizabeth Scott's Living Dead Girl and my own Tender Morsels, has arisen in several places online. The main one is the Bitch Media site, where these three books were first included on a list of '100 Young Adult books for the feminist reader', then, on the strength of comments made 'and emails received', removed and replaced with other less objectionable books.
At the moment, because we're not privy to the content of the emails Bitch Media received, it looks as if Tender Morsels was pulled entirely because of comments by 'scrumby', who hates the novel worst for the 'moral ambiguity' surrounding the gang-rape scene by the cloth-men, but has lots of other reasons besides: 'That book is absolute crap on every possible level…This thing is just so bad on so many levels it boggles the mind that anyone actually liked it'. This attack strikes me as pretty woolly and intemperate.
I think that the charge that 'the book validates (by failing to critique or discuss) characters who use rape as an act of vengeance' is idiotic. The entire novel amounts to a critique of characters who use rape for any purpose whatever. How consciously Urdda 'uses' rape is also very much in question, and when the gang-rapes are traced to her witchly powers it's immediately clear to her and to everyone around her that this is not the way such powers should be used.
Says 'scrumby':
No, I don't linger on the sufferings of the victims, although I do indicate how deeply it's scarred them: 'Widow Fox, it's said, has lost her senses, seeing its effects upon her son. Hogback has sent for his physician at High Millet. And there are fears for Joseph Woodman's life, he is bleeding so badly'. I don't continue in this vein, though, because (a) it's clear from what I've already put Liga through that they will suffer, and for a long time, perhaps forever, and (b) it's not their story—it would push the novel out of shape for me to follow their fortunes any further than I do.
There is a lot of pressure from anxious adult carers of children and young adults to fill children's and YA literature with explicit moral messages that can only be read one way, the 'right' way. This is not, I believe, the purpose of books and reading. Fiction is a means to make parts of the world visible in all its complexity and ambiguity, not cover up its nasty bits and hope they'll go away. Fiction (particularly fantasy fiction) provides a safe place where uncertainties can be considered and explored.
I think it was a mistake for Bitch Media to remove the three books from their list. It's exposed the haste with which the original list was put together, and lost them a lot of credibility. And I can't speak for the other two novels, but in the case of my own, I think the reason they give for its removal can't be supported.
A couple of us at the office read and re-read Sisters Red, Tender Morsels and Living Dead Girl this weekend. We've decided to remove these books from the list—Sisters Red because of the victim-blaming scene that was discussed earlier in this post, Tender Morsels because of the way that the book validates (by failing to critique or discuss) characters who use rape as an act of vengeance, and Living Dead Girl because of its triggering nature. We still feel that these books have merit and would not hesitate to recommend them in certain instances, but we don't feel comfortable keeping them on this particular list.For a rundown on what's been happening, and lots of comment, I suggest you look in several places:Liz Burns's post at the School Library JournalColleen Mondor's post at Chasing Raythe post at Smart Bitches, Trashy BooksTwitter—search for "@bitchmedia" for a start. Somebody started using the hashtag #bitchplease, but as night fell in the Northern Hemisphere the original users of the #bitchplease tag crawled out of the woodwork, and that stream is a now a hilarious mix of wild misogyny and earnest feminist outrage. Search if you dare.For a calm, intelligent defense of Tender Morsels, thank you, Kirstyn McDermott.
We've replaced these books with Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones, The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley and Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden.
At the moment, because we're not privy to the content of the emails Bitch Media received, it looks as if Tender Morsels was pulled entirely because of comments by 'scrumby', who hates the novel worst for the 'moral ambiguity' surrounding the gang-rape scene by the cloth-men, but has lots of other reasons besides: 'That book is absolute crap on every possible level…This thing is just so bad on so many levels it boggles the mind that anyone actually liked it'. This attack strikes me as pretty woolly and intemperate.
I think that the charge that 'the book validates (by failing to critique or discuss) characters who use rape as an act of vengeance' is idiotic. The entire novel amounts to a critique of characters who use rape for any purpose whatever. How consciously Urdda 'uses' rape is also very much in question, and when the gang-rapes are traced to her witchly powers it's immediately clear to her and to everyone around her that this is not the way such powers should be used.
Says 'scrumby':
There's no mention of guilt or accountability or even an acknowledgment that this was a bad thing that happened. There's no mention of the men period; once that scene ends the victims disappear completely from the story.This is quite simply not true. The scenes following the gang-rapes are very clear about the evil that's been done, and about who is responsible. Several reactions are detailed—the townspeople's horror, Liga's distress, Ramstrong's calling Urdda to account, Urdda's shame, her immediate banishment to learn how to control of her magic. (There is also the gleeful reaction of the witch Lady Annie: 'Greater love no daughter has, than to shaft the buggers what shafted her mam!' This signals that a certain kind of justice has been served. But no one in their right mind could read it as an incitement to either rape or violence in the real world.) It's clear to me, if not to 'scrumby' and the list-compilers, that this is as much critique and discussion as a novel (as opposed to a feminist disquisition on the novel) ought to venture.
No, I don't linger on the sufferings of the victims, although I do indicate how deeply it's scarred them: 'Widow Fox, it's said, has lost her senses, seeing its effects upon her son. Hogback has sent for his physician at High Millet. And there are fears for Joseph Woodman's life, he is bleeding so badly'. I don't continue in this vein, though, because (a) it's clear from what I've already put Liga through that they will suffer, and for a long time, perhaps forever, and (b) it's not their story—it would push the novel out of shape for me to follow their fortunes any further than I do.
There is a lot of pressure from anxious adult carers of children and young adults to fill children's and YA literature with explicit moral messages that can only be read one way, the 'right' way. This is not, I believe, the purpose of books and reading. Fiction is a means to make parts of the world visible in all its complexity and ambiguity, not cover up its nasty bits and hope they'll go away. Fiction (particularly fantasy fiction) provides a safe place where uncertainties can be considered and explored.
I think it was a mistake for Bitch Media to remove the three books from their list. It's exposed the haste with which the original list was put together, and lost them a lot of credibility. And I can't speak for the other two novels, but in the case of my own, I think the reason they give for its removal can't be supported.
January 27, 2011
Year already running away from me
Charging into the deadlines here like a bull into a brick wall. *does not whinge about deadlines she brought on herself* *really, does not* *NO, Margo*
I hope you are all well.
The James Franco was a good read. I see a lot on Twitter about how pretty he is and where you can find pictures of his bottom, but you know, his brainbox isn't all that bad either. He has a strong stomach and a nice tight...style. :D
Tove Jansson's Travelling Light is also a fine read, as I knew it would be. I'm spinning this one out so it lasts longer. It's my Christmas present to myself—the only book I got, although there are vouchers still, oh yes.
I'm back at work 3 days a week (except when nice things like Australia Day reduce it to two)—have been since 4 Jan. Gee Sydney's peaceful in January, both public-transport-wise and campus-wise.
Yellowcake is happening, is a real printed book. Allen & Unwin sent me a copy to fondle last week, and today have followed it up with a thumping great boxful of them. So pretty, so yellow! Official publication date, 1 March. In Australia, that is. Looks as if the US and UK will have to wait a while for it to come out there, certainly until after the selkies novel.
Speaking of which (selkies), nothing horribly dramatic has happened since I sent off the revisions on 8 January. Nobody's said 'Itsperfectdontchangeaword', which of course is what you always want to hear, but nobody's said 'OMGtearuptheschedule', either, so things look okay that way.
In other news, our younger son started work as a bike courier in town this week. So, you know, pray for him and everything. And for us in our parently angst.
I hope you are all well.
The James Franco was a good read. I see a lot on Twitter about how pretty he is and where you can find pictures of his bottom, but you know, his brainbox isn't all that bad either. He has a strong stomach and a nice tight...style. :D
Tove Jansson's Travelling Light is also a fine read, as I knew it would be. I'm spinning this one out so it lasts longer. It's my Christmas present to myself—the only book I got, although there are vouchers still, oh yes.
I'm back at work 3 days a week (except when nice things like Australia Day reduce it to two)—have been since 4 Jan. Gee Sydney's peaceful in January, both public-transport-wise and campus-wise.
Yellowcake is happening, is a real printed book. Allen & Unwin sent me a copy to fondle last week, and today have followed it up with a thumping great boxful of them. So pretty, so yellow! Official publication date, 1 March. In Australia, that is. Looks as if the US and UK will have to wait a while for it to come out there, certainly until after the selkies novel.
Speaking of which (selkies), nothing horribly dramatic has happened since I sent off the revisions on 8 January. Nobody's said 'Itsperfectdontchangeaword', which of course is what you always want to hear, but nobody's said 'OMGtearuptheschedule', either, so things look okay that way.
In other news, our younger son started work as a bike courier in town this week. So, you know, pray for him and everything. And for us in our parently angst.
January 14, 2011
The Faber Academy—and a giveaway!
Writers from Sydney and surrounds, take a look at this wonderful thing: the Faber Academy's 'Writing a Novel' course. If you're a novelist, either developing or fully fledged, who needs a kick in the pants—well, several kicks in the pants by the sound of it—and some extensive hand-holding over a whole SIX MONTHS of Tuesday nights and Saturdays, you couldn't do much better.
Thirty people will get to take this course: Kathryn Heyman (look at the fire in those eyes—will she ever get you churning out the chapters!) will teach fifteen people and the broodingly handsome The Resurrectionist author James Bradley will teach the other fifteen. Those are two top teachers, people.
As well as your tutor, you'll get to hear from Malcolm Knox, Sue Woolfe, Bernard Cohen, Kate Grenville, one of the excellent A&U editors, Charlotte Woolfe and David Malouf. *wonders how she can sneak in to some of those guest nights*
The course will to be tailored to the class group's needs, and there's a pile of individual work going on in that provisional-ish course outline. I love the sound of 'Individual Novel Surgeries'. There's also a publishers and agents reading night—what might happen there, do you suppose?
Here's Allen & Unwin's press release about the Faber Academy venture, from back in November. Here's Allen & Unwin's page about the Academy, containing links to the extensive course outline (because it's an extensive course!) and the instructions on how to apply.
Faber (for whom A&U are the distributor in Australia) started these courses in London in 2008, and now they're all over the place. Some august names associated with them: Jeanette Winterson, Kazuo Ishiguro, Margaret Atwood, Hanif Kureishi.
This sounds like a really solid course. A&U are hoping, they say, that you'll emerge with a completed novel draft at the end of it. If you're at the right point in your writing (and your finances), think about it.
Giveaway
I was going to blog about the Faber Academy anyway, but A&U have offered to support this post with a giveaway: a copy of James Franco's short story collection Palo Alto. As you see, this book is not out until February, so you have the chance to be a whole week (see closing date) ahead of all other readers in Australia (although the contest is open to anyone, anywhere). 'Claustrophobic and ominous', 'vices of all kinds, self-destructive, often heartless nihilism', 'stark, vivid, and disturbing'—can you resist?
If this sounds like your kind of read, tell me the stupidest thing you did in your misspent youth. You have one week to delve back into those embarrassing memories and come up with an impressive mistake you made, near-death experience you inflicted on yourself, or wild thing you did that makes you cover your eyes and shake your head today. (This contest is open to people still enjoying their misspent youths, too. I don't mind how fresh the embarrassment is.) Type it below, and make us cringe!
Thirty people will get to take this course: Kathryn Heyman (look at the fire in those eyes—will she ever get you churning out the chapters!) will teach fifteen people and the broodingly handsome The Resurrectionist author James Bradley will teach the other fifteen. Those are two top teachers, people.
As well as your tutor, you'll get to hear from Malcolm Knox, Sue Woolfe, Bernard Cohen, Kate Grenville, one of the excellent A&U editors, Charlotte Woolfe and David Malouf. *wonders how she can sneak in to some of those guest nights*
The course will to be tailored to the class group's needs, and there's a pile of individual work going on in that provisional-ish course outline. I love the sound of 'Individual Novel Surgeries'. There's also a publishers and agents reading night—what might happen there, do you suppose?
Here's Allen & Unwin's press release about the Faber Academy venture, from back in November. Here's Allen & Unwin's page about the Academy, containing links to the extensive course outline (because it's an extensive course!) and the instructions on how to apply.
Faber (for whom A&U are the distributor in Australia) started these courses in London in 2008, and now they're all over the place. Some august names associated with them: Jeanette Winterson, Kazuo Ishiguro, Margaret Atwood, Hanif Kureishi.
This sounds like a really solid course. A&U are hoping, they say, that you'll emerge with a completed novel draft at the end of it. If you're at the right point in your writing (and your finances), think about it.
Giveaway
I was going to blog about the Faber Academy anyway, but A&U have offered to support this post with a giveaway: a copy of James Franco's short story collection Palo Alto. As you see, this book is not out until February, so you have the chance to be a whole week (see closing date) ahead of all other readers in Australia (although the contest is open to anyone, anywhere). 'Claustrophobic and ominous', 'vices of all kinds, self-destructive, often heartless nihilism', 'stark, vivid, and disturbing'—can you resist?
If this sounds like your kind of read, tell me the stupidest thing you did in your misspent youth. You have one week to delve back into those embarrassing memories and come up with an impressive mistake you made, near-death experience you inflicted on yourself, or wild thing you did that makes you cover your eyes and shake your head today. (This contest is open to people still enjoying their misspent youths, too. I don't mind how fresh the embarrassment is.) Type it below, and make us cringe!
