I will not be lectured about sexism and misogyny by this man. I will not. The government will not be lectured about sexism and misogyny by this man. Not now, not ever.
On 9 October 2012 Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard rose from her chair in Parliament and delivered an unforgettable speech in response to an accusation of sexism from opposition leader Tony Abbott. During the next ten minutes, Gillard tore strips of Abbott, detailing his double standards and his gendered attacks. Watching the speech live, Gillard spoke to me and for me. I cheered from the sidelines and felt relief that Abbott had finally been taken to task. In the days that followed, overseas friends contacted me about the speech, sharing in the sense that something had fundamentally shifted in the discourse about gender and politics.
Ten years later, Gillard has published a book about the misogyny speech and its aftermath. Not Now, Not Ever (2022)is a compilation of essays and reflections from a cross-section of women. The speech appears as prologue, followed by the first section discussing the speech in context. Gillard writes about the lead up to the speech and the cool anger she felt in Parliament that day, fed up with Abbott's antics and that of the conservative media. She has been called 'deliberately barren' for being child-free, shock-jocks suggested she should be 'put in a chaff bag and thrown into the sea', Abbott stood with protesters waving 'ditch the witch' signs, and she was continually subjected to sexist critiques about her personal appearance. The frustration that was simmering, reached boiling point on the day of the speech.
Journalist Katharine Murphy covered the speech at the time and writes about the press response. The media read the speech entirely differently to the electorate, having been trained to dispassionately report on politics. The speech was a turning point for many in the pressroom too, who now analyse politics and policy in consideration of its impacts on women and minorities. The speech also became a pop culture phenomenon, as Kathy Lette writes in her essay, with tiktoks, t-shirts, memes and more. (I have the speech printed on a tea towel).
The second section of the book explores misogyny, intersectionality, violence, and workplace sexism. Historian Mary Beard writes about misogyny from the ancient world to today. Jess Hill, author of See What You Made Me Do, writes about misogyny and gendered violence. Jennifer Palmieri, Director of Communications for Hillary Clinton's 2016 Presidential campaign, writes about the sexism Clinton faced. There are also compelling essays by Aleida Mendes Borges, Michelle K Ryan, Miriam K Zehnter, and Rosie Campbell.
The final section of the book is future focussed. Gillard has a conversation with three feminist activists advocating for change. She talks with Chanel Contos, Caitlin Figueiredo and Sally Scales about sexism and misogyny and about the future for women. Gillard also writes a chapter on what's next, leaving the reader hopeful and inspired.
Interspersed throughout the book are quotes and reflections from women around the world about the speech and its impact on them. We hear from Tanya Plibersek, Quentin Bryce, Clementine Ford, Abbey Hansen, Cate Blanchett, Kate Grenville, Theresa May, Brittney Higgins, Ngoni Okonjo-Iweala, Hillary Clinton, and many more. These snippets are an excellent addition, balancing out the longer pieces.
I really enjoyed Not Now, Not Ever. It is a thoughtful reflection on a watershed moment in Australian politics, and on the unfinished business of equality. The only thing I would have liked included in the book was more information about the essay contributors.
Gillard was Australia's first (and so far only) female Prime Minister. While she will be forever remembered for the misogyny speech, the legacy of Gillard's leadership is much broader having brought about significant policy reforms and instituting the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. Her memoir about her time in office, My Story (2014) is also reviewed on my blog.
Gillard's speech is available online and well worth watching.
The first time I heard of John Williams' novel Stoner (1965) was in an article by Julian Barnes in The Guardian calling it the 'must-read' novel of 2013. It sounded really good, so I bought a copy, plonked it on my shelf, and there it sat for a decade! Every so often I would see it when browsing/dusting my bookshelves and think I should read it, but I always left it for another day.
Last weekend I was going away and had four-hour train journey each way, so I grabbed Stoner off my shelf, downloaded the audiobook (read brilliantly by Alfred Molina), and enjoyed my weekend with Stoner while journeying across the Australian countryside.
Stoner is the story of an ordinary man, living an ordinary life. The protagonist William Stoner grows up on an impoverished farm in Missouri. His parents make great sacrifices to send him off to university in the hopes he will learn new agricultural methods to improve the family farm. All students undertake a compulsory literature course, and Stoner's mind is opened by Shakespeare's sonnets. Without telling his family, he changes his major and pursues his passion.
The novel is primarily set on the campus of the university, where Stoner attends grad school, teaches and becomes a member of the faculty. He is not ambitious for promotion, happy to teach his favourite subjects and supervise doctoral candidates, his entire career. A clash with a colleague propels much of the narrative, and brings forth a fascinating discussion on the role of the academy and the value of literature.
In many ways, Stoner remains still while the world turns around him. During his lifetime, there are two world wars, the great recession, social change, urbanisation. But Stoner remains entirely himself, experiencing the joys and disappointments of life. He is stoic, unadventurous, principled and true to himself.
Williams portrays a man who is held in 'no particular esteem' by colleagues, does not 'rise above the rank of assistant professor' and will be barely remembered by those who knew him. Stoner has dedicated his whole life to his work, often at the expense of his family, and seemingly has little to show for it. Yet there is value and meaning in Stoner's small life, he has contributed in his way.
Having spent two decades in university completing various undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, I loved the depiction of the academy. The character of Walker, a lazy student who bluffs his way through class, reminds me so much of people I have encountered in my studies. I found myself cheering on Stoner in his campaign against this sort of student.
Written in beautiful yet plain prose, John Williams' novel is one that will stay with me for a long time - especially the final chapter as Stoner reflects on his expectations of life. It is a sad, hopeful, compelling, simple story about love and life.
At the 2022 Sydney Writers Festival I attended a session featuring debut novelist Hayley Scrivenor talking about her newly published crime thriller Dirt Town (2022). I love Australian noir and it sounded like a book I would enjoy. My mum gave me a copy in July, but I shelved it as I had just read Garry Disher's Bitter Wash Road and Matthew Spencer's Black River, so felt I needed a gap before I read another crime novel.Each time I considered reading it there was something more pressing, like the latest Robert Galbraith and Jane Harper. But to kick off my reading this year while I was still on my summer holidays, I grabbed Scrivenor's novel and had a wonderful time engrossed in this book.
Set in Durton, a fictional town in NSW, the story revolves around a twelve year old girl, Esther Bianchi, who goes missing on the way home from school. Her best friend Ronnie wants to know what happened to Esther. Lewis may have information that can help, but can he say anything without getting into trouble? Detective Sarah Michaels, a missing persons specialist, is sent to Durton to investigate and soon finds that this small town has some big secrets.
Told from different perspectives over a period of a few days, I really enjoyed the writing style of this novel and could not believe it was a debut. There is a maturity in the writing, and the decision to include intermittent chapters headed 'We', in the style of a Greek chorus of the town's children, was particularly compelling. Scrivenor managed to capture the distinct voices of Ronnie (and her obsession with llamas), Detective Michaels, Lewis, and Constance (Esther's mother) in these alternating narratives.
Dirt Town, published as Dirt Creek in North America, is an intelligent, atmospheric, character-driven, page-turning, crime novel showcasing a writer to watch. I hope that Scrivenor continues to write in this genre and perhaps makes a series with Detective Michaels.
In 2021 Grace Tame was thrust into the national spotlight when she was named Australian of the Year for her advocacy for survivors of sexual assault. Before that recognition, I knew of and admired Grace Tame through journalist Nina Funnell's #LetHerSpeak campaign to abolish gag laws preventing sexual assault victims from speaking out about what happened to them.
Over the past few years, Tame has frequently told the story of her childhood trauma in interviews and other speaking engagements. When she was fifteen years old, Tame was groomed and repeatedly raped by her 58 year old math teacher. The perpetrator was found guilty and jailed (for a frustratingly short period), but the Tasmanian gag laws in place allowed him to speak about what happened but not her. I heard Tame speak directly about her experiences when she was the keynote speaker at the 2021 Early Childhood Australia conference and was moved by her resilience and unflinching survivor-centric approach. She is an articulate advocate, reframing the narrative and shining a light in dark corners.
Now, at a 28 years of age, Tame is wise beyond her years and has channelled her energy into writing a memoir of her life and the challenges she has endured. In The Ninth Life of a Diamond Miner (2022)she writes with great love for her family - particularly the matriarchy of strong women who have been role models and supporters - and her deep friendships. Tame describes her autism and about her experiences with eating disorders. She talks about mistakes she has made and the challenges she has overcome. This book is personal and political, particularly as she writes about the role the media has played covering her story.
The Ninth Life of a Diamond Miner is an interesting, but difficult book. I expected to find some of the content confronting, but did not anticipate the humour, tenderness and lightness. She forces readers to think, and challenges them to be open-minded. She is smart, sassy and self-aware. At the same time, there were parts of this book that were a slog to read. While she speaks lovingly of friends and extended family - she seemingly mentioned every family member, share house roomie, and person she has ever met - this was way too much. Tame also has strong opinions about loads of things and would often use distracting asides to express her views or share inside jokes. The non-linear narrative felt unfinished, and would have benefited from a sharp edit. Despite this, I am glad I read this memoir and learned more about Tame as a person, in her own words.
The conclusion of the book is hopeful. She has found personal and professional success through her engagement to her partner Max and the advocacy she continues. The work she is doing via The Grace Tame Foundation - to harmonise sexual assault laws nationwide, access superannuation in civil suits, and change legislation to remove the word 'relationship' in relation to child sexual abuse - is commendable. She will undoubtedly succeed at whatever she sets her mind to.
I always promise I won't buy any more books until I have read the ones I already have... but that promise never lasts long! I am hoping to make a dent in this pile though, as I am looking forward to each one, and I want to get a start on my reading before award longlists are announced from March.
Things are getting back to normal (whatever that means!). I am finally planning to travel overseas again after far too long at home. At this stage the plan is to explore southern Italy and Greece, so I will likely look out some books that will inspire my adventures. Recommendations welcome!
I am looking forward to a number of new books due to be published in 2023, including works by: Eleanor Catton (Birnam Wood), Rebecca Makkai (I Have Some Questions For You), Margaret Atwood (Old Babes in the Woods), Curtis Sittenfeld (Romantic Comedy), Colson Whitehead (Crook Manifesto), Samantha Irby (Quietly Hostile), Emma Cline (The Guest), Brett Eason Ellis (The Shards), Emma Donoghue (Learned by Heart), Max Porter (Shy), and many more. While I won't get to all of them this year, I have preordered many from my library.
For the past few years I have consistently been able to read at least 30 books a year. While I could push myself by setting a higher goal, I like my 30 book plan. However I will continue to explore new authors, genres and subject matters. To diversify my reading and to challenge myself to read more broadly, I have updated my annual checklist to add some fun to my reading.
20th century modern classic
Debut novel
First Nations Author/Issues
Poetry collection
Biography or memoir
19th century classic
Retelling of another story
Protagonist is over 50
Short story collection
Essay collection
Pre-19th century classic
Novel in translation
LGBTQIA+ Author/Issues
Women's prize longlister
Non-fiction bestseller
Book on the 1001 list
By a favourite author
Novella in November
Australian literary prize longlister
Current affairs/politics
Published in 2023
New to me author
Book in my To Be Read pile
Booker prize longlister
Non-fiction history
Last year I focussed mainly on fiction. This year I want to add more non-fiction to my list, but also get back to the classics and include other forms of writing - poetry, drama, essay, short stories - into the mix. I had thought about focussing on a particular author this year (who? Neville Shute? Robertson Davies? Graham Greene? Hilary Mantel?) and reading all of their works. But I don't think that will work for me as I have too many books I want to read and not enough time to read them all!
