Gillian Polack's Blog, page 335

gillpolack @ 2009-12-03T20:16:00

I have a review book I'm determined to finish. It's determined to give me nightmares. This review process is turning into an epic struggle.

The length isn't an issue, nor is the subject matter. The author is someone trusted and true. The novel itself will probably turn out to be excellent, when I can get far enough into it.

The problem is the cover. If anyone reading this has any input into covers, if someone in your vicinity has the brilliant idea of creating a part-velvet/part-shiny paper...

gillpolack @ 2009-12-03T00:56:00

Why has it taken me this long to work out why I love the Gospel of Nicodemus so very much? It's a rather good example of retcon, is why.

gillpolack @ 2009-12-02T18:41:00

Today is one of those days that are just very slightly awry. I redeem those days by eating chips and by finishing a book. The book I finished was Tobias Buckell's Sly Mongoose. I've been saving it for such a time and it did the job. Liz Gorinsky gave it to me last year, and just now I want to tip my hat to her. I don't normally leave new books unread for so long, but I have a stack of books that are specifically for awry days and I've been working my way through them, steadily. I'll nee...

gillpolack @ 2009-12-01T13:18:00

I'm very tired of top ten, top 100, top 322, top 5492.4 lists of books. Four have appeared in my in-tray in the last hour. To a list, they represent the books the creators know from their normal work and to a creator, that knowledge is limited. None of them expand my wish to read or my understanding of books I must read urgently. None of them persuade me that the Christmas shopping frenzy is something I should share.

Lists of books are too common these days. Instead of having trouble disc...

gillpolack @ 2009-11-30T16:53:00

Every time I discover a writer in love with the variety and richness of words, I stop and take a break and rediscover different facets of writing, just to give my mind a rest. That's what I did just now. I had a Susan Hill in my backpack and I've spent a happy half hour with her careful language. My mind feels rested.

It struck me that for some writers words are a cast of thousands, peopling their stories, but for others, words are a different kind of mechanism. Hill doesn't spend a lot of ...

gillpolack @ 2009-11-30T13:48:00

I'm home. My brain is following at its own speed. My allergies seem to have been left behind in Sydney, which is reassuring because I had a few problems this time round. Apart from that, it was a lovely visit.

I have to admit, much as I love Sydney and all my Sydney friends and family, the thought of not travelling until January is tempting. Although there are plusses to bus travel and bad nights. I've read 6 books since Friday.

My mail today included an invitation to my nephew's wedding ...

gillpolack @ 2009-11-29T15:43:00

Today, Sydney developed a dust-sky to keep me entertained.

Sydney Uni had a film and a wedding and other ephemera to distract us on our way to the Nicholson. The Nicholson Museum has four exhibitions running at once right now, which is ambitious. Some great stuff, but some disconcerting and depressing results of the odd focal points. The ancient world and the 19th century reinvention and memorising of the ancient world were entirely lacking in Jewish elements. In fact, if I relied on the ...

gillpolack @ 2009-11-28T22:49:00

I spent today at the Freecon. I spent the early evening at a nice Italian place in Haberfield, being happy with friends. As we left, the waiters and other diners walked past the table to see Llyn's sketch of the street. Tonight I'm watching good TV in good company. All this explains the sad randomness of my convention report,

The Freecon was fun. I was given leave to not be on the movie panel (claiming lack of movie knowledge) as long as I heckled from the audience – I asked exactly one que...

gillpolack @ 2009-11-27T11:10:00

I had Important and Entertaining Stuff to say today. I think I did, anyway. It all frothed away into the ether when I had a silly dream. The silly dream was trying to make me feel guilty for being lazy this week, I'm sure of it. I need to declare a vendetta on silly dreams. Then they'll declare vendetta back and the whole thing will escalate. Dreams feuds!

If you are in Sydney and keen on following the escalation, all you have to do is turn up at Bankstown Library any time between 9 am a...

gillpolack @ 2009-11-26T18:48:00

a_d_medievalist asked me five questions a few days ago. I thought it was about time I answered them!

1. Is resistance futile?

It depends what one is resisting.

2. What is your favourite native Australian fauna?

Many people ask me this. For a while it was the wombat. This was mainly because a bunch of non-Australian friends kept enthusing about koalas and I wanted an alternative creature to enthuse about. Also because I adored "The Muddle-Headed Wombat" as a kid.

I graduated from this very ...