The Monthly is an exceptional Australian magazine the likes of which we do not have in New Zealand. It is about the arts and politics and the superb December/January issue was a summer reading special.
One of the stories, While Not Writing a Book, by Helen Garner I found especially entertaining. In it Helen Garner opens her diaries to show fragments of her every day. In a series of poignant entries written over the course of a summer, Garner records moments with her grandchildren, the tears she “pops” for the election of President Obama, and the experience of the arrival of long-awaited rain, bringing beauty to daily life.
Here is an excerpt:
Library Week at the local primary school and I am invited to give a talk. A boy of nine or so, in a dark brimmed hat, sits in the front row. He is fidgety at first, then sits stiller and stiller, with his eyes fixed on my face. At the end he comes up with his parents, addresse me by my full name: they have a copy of my book that they would like me to inscribe:
Me: "Is it to somebody?"
Boy: "To our whole family actually."
Me (pen poised): "Will I write 'To the whole family?"
Parents (shyly): "Yes, that would be fine."
Boy: (holds up one hand) "No." (Looks from father to mother and back again, his eyebrows an inverted V. His voice goes up a few semitones.) "No - we agreed that Helen Garner should write each name individually."
Me: "OK, what are the names?"
Boy: "Right (takes deep breath) ". The names are: Ross. Julie. They're my parents. Brady. Stephen.And Craig."
Me: "In that exact order?"
Boy: (firmly): In that exact order."
Me: "You're Craig, right? The youngest?"
Boy: (importantly "Yes, I am."
I want to thow him across the back of my bike and speed away with him forver.
Wonderful. Other writers featured in this issue include M.J.Hyland, Christos Tsiolkas, Murray Bail, David Malouf, Aravind Adiga and Robert Dessaix.
All for NZ$9.95 - a bargain for such a feast. Do check it out.
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