Bowerman clearly loves what he does for a living, and not just because it keeps him well-fed. These days all writers need to be cognisant of audience, and willing to sell their talents in one way or another. Although Bowerman…
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Interview with Ouyang Yu
The “Angry Chinese Poet” is true to form in this feisty interview which looks at his new collection of work, about labels, on writing in two languages, the nature of ‘academics,’ his literary journal Otherland, migrants, predjudice, and his many rejections.
A review of New and Selected Poems by Ouyang Yu
Despite (and perhaps at times, because of) the anger and rejection, Ouyang Yu’s voice has become a quintessentially Australian voice. We are almost all migrants, and most people have felt the kind of self and societal alienation that many of these poems touch on. This deep-seated irony is obvious enough to add power even to those poems that anchor themselves in silliness.
A review of Putting It On Paper by Dawn Josephson
While the book is targeted towards book authors, much of the advice is useful for any writer who needs to promote themselves (that is, for any writer). Writing good press releases, cover letters, bios and self-promoting articles are the keystones…
Interview with Dr Coral Hull
In this courageous and very in-depth interview, the author of Broken Land talks about her extensive body of work, her many ongoing projects, her literary magazine Thylazine, her passions, her politics, and the positives and negatives of life as an empowered multiple.
A review of Get Paid to Write by Thomas A. Williams
Get Paid to Write is a simple to read how to book which will have long reaching impact on how writers approach their craft. It contains chapters which only scratch the surface of some areas but overall is an excellent and…
Interview with Chad Hautmann
When Billie’s Ghost first came out in October 2002, we interviewed the author, Chad Hautmann. Following its very successful debut, the book has been taken up by Penguin, and has just been re-released. The Compulsive Reader decided that it was time to interview Chad Hautmann again and find out more about the soft spoken author, the extraordinary story of how he was found by Penguin, his new book, the difficulties (and joys) of working on a second novel, his feelings towards government funding of the arts, and lots more.
A review of Billie’s Ghost by Chad Hautmann
Despite the grief and sadness, Billie’s Ghost is ultimately a tale of hope and redemption. This slim volume will haunt you long after you have turned the last page and make you want to re-discover the music of Billie Holliday…
A review of Birds Without Wings by Louis de Bernieres
The characters age beautifully, and the reader is eager for more of the quirky and believable Eskibahce characters. de Bernieres has a wonderful sense of character and the delight in the eccentric detail which takes the reader deep into the…
A review of Millard Fillmore, Mon Amour by John Blumenthal
The opening monologue is an ill-tempered attack on romantic love. The author is even cynical about the apparent attachment between a human and the pet dog. The momentary discomfort of having a narrator before one has any characters or a…