STEVE BRAUNIAS CELEBRATES THE BEST OF 2008In his Sunday Star-Times column yesterday author, columnist and all round funny man Steve Braunias listed his Best Of for the year. Categories included best pub, motel, burger bar, TV show, magazine and so on. He even sent himself up, as a pretty heavy cigarette smoker, with a "best cigarette warning".
But here he is on his choice of Best book of short stories:
Forbidden Cities by Paula Morris. Well, I would say that, because she's a friend, and she got me to launch it at Auckland's Unity bookstore. But what I didn't say at the launch is that the book actually gives me the creeps. The problem is that her stories are so good, so poised, so insightful - the problem is I am forced to admit to the truth of Gore Vidal's famous quote: "Whenever a friend succeeds, a little something in me dies".
Footnote:
Steve Braunias has three titles in print from Awa Press:
Fish of the Week
Roosters I Have Known
How to Watch a Bird
I haven't dipped into Forbidden Cities yet - I have that pleasure to come.
ReplyDeleteHow to Watch a Bird is a fabulous read - Hubby agrees too and he's a bird fanatic.