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Ronald Hugh Morrieson: A biography
246 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 1996
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August 17, 2022
A terrifically gripping narrative of Ronald Hugh's life (1922-1972), and life in small town NZ circa 1930-1970, Hawera in particular. Having spent my high school years (early 1950s) in Hawera, I feel i should have read this book before getting there, not now - i obviously missed all the action, which seems to have happened in the many hotels around the place. As someone lacking sporting aspiration, Ron was something of a loner in Hawera, though he had (very loyal) girlfriends and a great love of pub life, the drink and fags, and was a terrific raconteur and practical joker - the drink and fags curtailed his life at age 50 after a somewhat pitiful decline. Julia has written a quite sympathetic account, and has provided vast (easily read) detail around various aspects eg the writers of the time, some of who were very helpful to Ron in getting published (Maurice Shadbolt, Frank Sargeson ...). Very hilarious (and touching) account of Ron's attendance at the 1971 Palmerston North (Massey University) Writers Conference and the stand-offish academics!
Ron was an accomplished musician, and had his own group that played at the quaint "dances" that were such a feature of small town nz in the 1950s (consider Peter Cape's song "Down the hall on Saturday Night"). Like his mother he gave piano lessons in the big (unmaintained) house of heart Kauri in Regent St, built by his grandfather. He was an ardent admirer of Charlie Parker, Django Reinhardt and Fats Waller.
Julia Millen must have done a huge amount of research to write the detailed description of Ron's life that she has done, and has presented it in a page turner of a book.
The Dictionary of NZ Biography (DNZB) puts Ron's contribution most eloquently:
"Ronald Hugh Morrieson holds a unique place in New Zealand literature. No other writer has so vividly depicted New Zealand provincial life or captured its colloquial language. Morrieson’s life – its isolation and oddity and his premature death – has also captured the imagination."
Ron was an accomplished musician, and had his own group that played at the quaint "dances" that were such a feature of small town nz in the 1950s (consider Peter Cape's song "Down the hall on Saturday Night"). Like his mother he gave piano lessons in the big (unmaintained) house of heart Kauri in Regent St, built by his grandfather. He was an ardent admirer of Charlie Parker, Django Reinhardt and Fats Waller.
Julia Millen must have done a huge amount of research to write the detailed description of Ron's life that she has done, and has presented it in a page turner of a book.
The Dictionary of NZ Biography (DNZB) puts Ron's contribution most eloquently:
"Ronald Hugh Morrieson holds a unique place in New Zealand literature. No other writer has so vividly depicted New Zealand provincial life or captured its colloquial language. Morrieson’s life – its isolation and oddity and his premature death – has also captured the imagination."
Displaying 1 of 1 review