tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36622997.post2748972252332402109..comments2024-03-14T04:35:06.209+13:00Comments on Beattie's Book Blog - unofficial homepage of the New Zealand book community: Beattie's Book Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01505389626725979100noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36622997.post-75922386119618949832008-03-20T10:39:00.000+13:002008-03-20T10:39:00.000+13:00This is a valid argument, but just a couple of poi...This is a valid argument, but just a couple of points: the comment on Wellington and the 'fishing village' shows a woeful lack of historical knowledge, especially from someone who has written histories of NZ. Wellington has always been primarily a commercial centre and transportation hub. 'Bureaucrats' are such an easy target (pick any Nat Party press release) but something like 3-4ths of Wellingtonians work in the private sector. Also, it's totally unfair to compare Wgtn to Canberra, Washington DC or Ottawa, all of which were pretty much made-up capitals in which to base federal governments. NZ is not federal and Wgtn has always been NZ's 2nd or 3rd biggest city.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36622997.post-53626142192875980702008-03-16T19:44:00.000+13:002008-03-16T19:44:00.000+13:00Gordon - I'd be really interested - given those of...Gordon - I'd be really interested - given those oft-quoted sales figures and, ur, other matters - just how much in the way of royalties you've received...<BR/><BR/>other than that, I am completely cycnical about the whole publishing/reviewing situation here (I'd paticularly like some kind of study done about the link up between academic reviewers (for whom I have almost no time) and publishing media.<BR/><BR/>Other than that - storm in a teacup. Who among us - the great ANZ populace- gives a shit?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36622997.post-75908216206275175472008-02-04T17:21:00.000+13:002008-02-04T17:21:00.000+13:00Hamish,firstly, the way this thing's come across h...Hamish,<BR/>firstly, the way this thing's come across has very much been 'my town versus your town'. Yes, I was offended by the description of Wellington as nothing more than a fishing port bloated by government bureacracy. <BR/><BR/>As as New Zealander, I want to see Auckland do as well as it possibly can but it needn't come at the expense of Wellington or setting us on the path of a nasty debate. <BR/><BR/>We can't measure everything in numbers and what New Zealand needs is balance. Putting everything into one city is, to use a cliche, putting all our eggs in one basket. I've put so much energy into trying to encourage this city to grow and there's no question that moving all the bureacracy would be a major blow to Wellington. Of course it could never happen without a fight and we need to seriously question if this is the best way for all of us to spend our time. Obviously i don't think so. <BR/><BR/>Aside from this, not all of us agree on your verdict of et al or art in general. Personally I think your big picture's not quite big enough. You've studied art history. Do you really think there will be no more revolutions. <BR/><BR/>You should consider how you want to go down in New Zealand art history, as source of knowledge or a spoiler for the new generations to come? Nonetheless a spoiler that will be overcome.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36622997.post-34011430261360728642008-02-04T16:26:00.000+13:002008-02-04T16:26:00.000+13:00I had a chuckle at what Gordon had to say – and I ...I had a chuckle at what Gordon had to say – and I can image the howls it could well inspire from further south. A couple of shaky words in defence of Wellington as cultural centre though – they seem to have ‘taken’ to the arts very strongly, thus making the most of all those subsidies, and you have also to take the climate into consideration. There are far more cold, wet and windy days in which ‘arty’ things come more naturally to the fore – days on which those lucky Aucklanders may well be distracted by beaches, bush walks and other hairy-chested outdoor activities!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36622997.post-34936179007380510792008-02-04T15:52:00.000+13:002008-02-04T15:52:00.000+13:00I am amazed how quickly this debate had descended ...I am amazed how quickly this debate had descended to the trivial and childish. It is not a question of your town my town or where I live and<BR/>where you live - it is a serious question about just how accurately the cultural infrastructure - almost all Wellington based and resourced - reflects the reality of the national culture - which is everywhere. Yes, it<BR/>is in Palmerston North too and Lytellton and Port Chalmers. The conclusions in The Big Picture were not Auckland based or I hope Auckland biased. The<BR/>problem is that the cultural bureaucrats of Lambton Quay find it hard to believe that the culture is what it is and where it is, not where and what<BR/>they say it is. The example of both Te Papa - about branding the culture instead of reflecting it - and the Venice Biennale - not sending what we do<BR/>well, but sending what we think somebody else will think is done well - are classic examples of that bureaucratic mindset. It is not only a question of<BR/>the visual arts either - it reaches into those areas where demographics play<BR/>a significant part - theatre for example - count the number of subsidised theatres in Wellington and those in Auckland, divide them by the available<BR/>audience catchment and wonder. It is bad enough to have the national culture misrepresented and made up by committees, but it is worse to have it coerced<BR/>and captured as a part of Wellington City's brand. There are solutions to this and they do not need to be at anyone's cost. Ron Hanson might reflect<BR/>that if the nation's culture got a fair suck of the sav wherever it was, he may not have to move to Australia after all - he could take his pick.<BR/><BR/>Hamish KeithAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36622997.post-1370427619688987732008-02-04T14:16:00.000+13:002008-02-04T14:16:00.000+13:00Parish pump politics of this sort helps explain wh...Parish pump politics of this sort helps explain why the New Zealand Society of Authors is turning into an Auckland organisation rather than a national one.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36622997.post-2366883567988112362008-02-04T12:42:00.000+13:002008-02-04T12:42:00.000+13:00Hey Hamish,I'm not really to Australia, Just tryin...Hey Hamish,<BR/>I'm not really to Australia, Just trying the point of desperate I would be feeling if you guys got your way. What's the problem here? Are feeling threatened? Why can't we call get along?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36622997.post-70418092498318574542008-02-04T10:31:00.000+13:002008-02-04T10:31:00.000+13:00Couldn’t agree more! From a visual arts perspectiv...Couldn’t agree more! From a visual arts perspective, the view is even more biased. Grants to Wellington based artists and organisations are disproportionately high.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36622997.post-37926497699183952342008-02-04T09:27:00.000+13:002008-02-04T09:27:00.000+13:00Gordon is quite right, but this is an issue bigger...Gordon is quite right, but this is an issue bigger than demographics. We really need to question why every New Zealand cultural lever or button has a Wellington hand or finger on it. This is an issue we questioned in the Heart of the Nation survey nearly nine years ago and the fundamental reason why so many Wellington cultural institutions lobbied to successfully bury that report. Quiet simply does the US allow Washington to shape its culture, or Australia Canberra or Canada Ottawa? Ron Hanson might like to ponder that when he moves to Australia. In The Big Picture I struggled to expose the counterfeiting and capture of our national culture. It is not hard to guess why; people shape a culture not committees, however geographically or bureaucratically convenient those committees might be.<BR/><BR/>Hamish Keith <BR/>[posted on request by paul reynolds]Paul Reynoldshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13558887847347922330noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36622997.post-61841857357582293682008-02-04T02:04:00.000+13:002008-02-04T02:04:00.000+13:00If Gordon McLauchlan “just want[s] to break this s...If Gordon McLauchlan “just want[s] to break this stranglehold that Wellingtonians hold on our culture (many of them with an insufferable smugness) for no reason whatever that I can discern,” he’ll have to come up with some actual reasons why Auckland is more deserving. <BR/><BR/>His population argument is entirely specious. If sheer weight of numbers was the decisive factor, then not just Creative NZ but every body with a national focus should be relocated to Auckland. <BR/><BR/>And what does it matter <I>what</I> Wellington would be like without the government? (As an aside, the “fishing village” comparison is exactly why some people dislike Aucklanders… What does it say about Mr McLauchlan’s opinion of places like my home town of Palmerston North?). The fact is Wellington has the arts infrastructure, which attracts a lot of creative types from around New Zealand. A quick look at the bios for 2008 Montana judges (http://www.booksellers.co.nz/mba_abt_judges.htm) illustrates how most “Wellingtonians” are imports. <BR/><BR/>If you’re going to impose a provincial quota system (gasp!) for Montana judges it should be based on the number of people qualified to judge the award in a given region. In that respect, Wellington punches above its weight, no denying that. <BR/><BR/>Don’t get me wrong: I welcome debate about Wellington’s place shaping NZ culture, but I simply didn’t hear anything convincing coming from Mr McLauchlan, and find it scary that so many people were swayed by his parochialism.<BR/><BR/>PS: Bureaucrats are people too.Craig Cliffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04683220586520558481noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36622997.post-69735811321034723682008-02-03T21:46:00.000+13:002008-02-03T21:46:00.000+13:00Please tell Gordon to keep up his campaign against...Please tell Gordon to keep up his campaign against our self important filing cabinet of a capital, it made me laugh. Keep it coming!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36622997.post-36611604652425542692008-02-03T16:58:00.000+13:002008-02-03T16:58:00.000+13:00Bless you Gordon. I’ve been bouncing between Londo...Bless you Gordon. I’ve been bouncing between London and New York and it was wonderful to mainline a large syringe of sibling spleen venting, though it made me more homesick. <BR/><BR/>Having lived and worked in both our ‘capitols’ for many years there is no denying the figures presented, but surely only two sets of figures matter - where do all the writers live, and where do they want their organisations of representation situated?<BR/><BR/>If they declare for Auckland then surely the matter is decided. But might not the very figures Gordon uses be a cause for alarm? Might not Auckland based organisations be even less attentive to the needs of the scattered writing community than they are at present. On the plus side, Aucklanders do, potentially, have more time on their hands if only we could harness it efficiently. With modern technology, committee meetings could take place in rush hour traffic, we could even have them broadcast live on radio so Auckland writers can listen in their cars and the rest of us can tune in on our verandas.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36622997.post-20548136338258038372008-02-03T16:22:00.000+13:002008-02-03T16:22:00.000+13:00Let Auckland have the big business. We'll keep the...Let Auckland have the big business. We'll keep the culture.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36622997.post-14427221270883679122008-02-03T15:59:00.000+13:002008-02-03T15:59:00.000+13:00Well put case by Gordon McLauchlan.Mind you, consi...Well put case by Gordon McLauchlan.<BR/><BR/>Mind you, consider some time the New Zealand "book experts'" bias against non-fiction writing.<BR/><BR/>One edition of "The Learning Revolution" sold 10 million copies in China in seven weeks (10,261,000 copies overall in China, plus a separate edition in Taiwan), and overall our book has been translated into 19 languages as well as US and English-English.* Even in the much smaller-population Swedish market, sales to date total 45,000 copies.<BR/><BR/>Ah, well, as Holland-born, Canadian-American-educated co-author Jeannette Vos has now married another New Zealander and is now based here, we might eventually get invited to speak at our first Auckland authors' conferenceÐfifteen years after our book was first published here.<BR/><BR/>Gordon Dryden<BR/>Co-author, The Learning Revolution and The New Learning Revolution, Auckland<BR/><BR/>* I'm sure you will have on file the sales of other New Zealand fiction writers that have exceeded 10 million copies. In China, incidentally, it is mandatory for publishers to print, on the imprint page of each print-run, the number of copies in that print-run and the numbers printed previously Ð ostensibly a check on tax evasion. So there at least you know if an "all-time best seller" is really one.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36622997.post-24447949299271768572008-02-03T14:44:00.000+13:002008-02-03T14:44:00.000+13:00Gordon is quite right, but this is an issue bigger...Gordon is quite right, but this is an issue bigger than demographics. We really need to ask why every New Zealand cultural lever or button has a Wellington hand or finger on it and why ever major cultural resource is<BR/>Wellington based. This is an issue we questioned in the Heart of the Nation survey nearly nine years ago and the fundamental reason why so many Wellington cultural institutions lobbied to successfully bury that report.<BR/>Quiet simply does the US allow Washington to shape its culture, or Australia Canberra or Canada Ottawa? Ron Hanson might like to ponder that when he<BR/>moves to Australia. In The Big Picture I struggled to expose the<BR/>counterfeiting and capture of our national culture. It is not hard to guess<BR/>why that happened; people shape a culture not committees, however<BR/>geographically or bureaucratically convenient those committees might be.<BR/><BR/>Cheers <BR/>Hamish KeithAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36622997.post-11357971225987584932008-02-03T14:30:00.000+13:002008-02-03T14:30:00.000+13:00Oh, puh-lease! This is not about being pro-Auckla...Oh, puh-lease! This is not about being pro-Auckland or anti-Wellington! Read the article again! I for one could not agree more. Thank you Gordon McLauchlan for presenting such a lucid and detailed appraisal.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36622997.post-12221689707885928782008-02-03T13:44:00.000+13:002008-02-03T13:44:00.000+13:00Yes, poeple are leaving Wellington and going to Au...Yes, poeple are leaving Wellington and going to Auckland because all big business is moving up there and people are following the jobs. Does this mean that everything should move to Auckland just because it's bigger? Soon Auckland will be this big bloated, baggy monster (some would say it already is) and all the other cities will just have to shut down. Where is the sense in that?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36622997.post-49504146275891230002008-02-03T12:22:00.000+13:002008-02-03T12:22:00.000+13:00interesting stuff...but GM describes Te Papa as "a...interesting stuff...but GM describes Te Papa as "an architectural joke"...er, wasn't it designed by Auckland architects? ANONAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36622997.post-17698653336122780442008-02-03T12:18:00.000+13:002008-02-03T12:18:00.000+13:00call me provincial Wellingtonian but I think it's ...call me provincial Wellingtonian but I think it's ridiculous and would be a huge waste of resources and energy, plus I'd probably move to Australia. Auckland has a lot of good things going for bit in terms of infrastructure (especially roading) it's too screwed up to handle it. Sort out the roads and then maybe we could consider it. Wellington is on the rise but surely Auckland and Wellington can grow. What an insult!<BR/> <BR/>I am first and foremost and New Zealand and secondly a Wellingtonian. The world is changing rapidly and New Zealand needs to be poised to secure it's place in it. This means all New Zealanders need to work together, we're all on the same boat. This is not a time for division of diviciveness. I am also an American citizen and am sick to death of this kind of attitude which ultimately drags us all down. May we all move forward together.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36622997.post-87906067626107786302008-02-03T11:39:00.000+13:002008-02-03T11:39:00.000+13:00On the evidence provided you have to say it is sla...On the evidence provided you have to say it is slam dunk in favour of PEN.<BR/>It certainly deserves a serois debate.<BR/>As part of this, people mght like to pnder on Hamish Keith's wonderful pithy polemic , " the reason why Wellington is the cultural capital of New Zealand is because it keeps stealing all the cultural capital" <BR/>Discuss?Paul Reynoldshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13558887847347922330noreply@blogger.com