Author Archives: Content Catnip

Book Review: The Fahrenheit Twins by Michel Faber

I had the pleasure of meeting Michel Faber at the Auckland Writers Festival this autumn. He’s a reserved, humble and softly-spoken fellow who was gobbled up by the overly bold interviewer, someone far less important, whose name escapes me. Faber brought with him onto the stage a pair of dainty red women’s shoes and onlyContinue reading “Book Review: The Fahrenheit Twins by Michel Faber”

Book Quotes that will give you an insatiable desire to read the whole thing

If you’re not already a complete recluse and homebody like I am, you will be after reading these book quotes, which are succinct, powerful, compelling and just amazing. There is no need for literary context here, each quote possesses a standalone brilliance that makes it irresistible. Light thinks it travels faster than anything but itContinue reading “Book Quotes that will give you an insatiable desire to read the whole thing”

Every Picture Tells A Story: An Elephant in the Tea Room (1939)

At Robur Tea Room in Sydney in 1939, an elephant made a visit and majestically trumpeted in front of photographer Sam Hood and his friends. Thanks to the State Library of New South Wales. Found here.

Medieval Icelandic Sagas: Tales of Blood Feuds, Dangerous Women and Warriors

In this series of podcasts, Australian writer and broadcaster Richard Fidler and his friend, Icelandic writer Kári Gíslason travel to Iceland to regail us with the stories of the ancient Vikings; tales of blood feuds, dangerous women, fugitives and warrior poets. They also go to the windswept country to discover more about Kari’s own mysterious origins.Continue reading “Medieval Icelandic Sagas: Tales of Blood Feuds, Dangerous Women and Warriors”

Every Picture Tells A Story: Cracking Open a Keg on Cockatoo Island, 1925.

Here’s the auspicious launching of the HMAS Warrego II a Cockatoo Island Dockyard in Sydney Harbour circa 1925. Trainspotters here will remember that I did a post a few years ago about the creepy and now largely abandoned Cockatoo Island and it’s industrial relics. Read it here. Well this photo recalls when Cockatoo Island was inContinue reading “Every Picture Tells A Story: Cracking Open a Keg on Cockatoo Island, 1925.”

The Soul of the World: David Foster Wallace

David Foster Wallace combined his phenomenal intelligence and gift for writing with a high level of self-awareness, and a deep awareness of the brutality and enormity of the world. He had an almost omnipotent ability to understand and communicate about what it means to be human in his iconic books. Like most highly sensitive peopleContinue reading “The Soul of the World: David Foster Wallace”