There are good drunks and mean drunks – and Henry Lawson, one of Australia’s most beloved authors, certainly seems to have been a nasty one. His own publisher, George Robertson, described him as having “a very nasty temper”; Norman Lindsay once drew him about to hit a colleague with a cane. These … Continue reading
Alcoholic book reviews
A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin – book review
One sentence review: the most beautifully written, moving and yet sweetly humorous collection of short stories I can … [Read More...]
A Brief History of Seven Killings mixed with the Jamaican Dust shooter
As an uncultured man, I used to primarily associate Jamaica with the cocktail called Jamaican Me Crazy (the ingredients … [Read More...]
A drunken take on culture
The dark retro age of danceable desperation
Amongst the fluoro colours of the 80s there were delightful glimpses of black. While Prince prowled in purple and MC Hammer glittered in gold (and don’t get me started on his ultra-baggy pants), there were also … Continue reading
Temptation: a cheap and cursory pop culture examination
Temptation isn’t a topic to be treated lightly. It is, after all, the darker side of desire; the sensation of needing something we know we shouldn't have. It struggles with our conscience, mocks our good intentions, … Continue reading
Take a Long Line
Wildly malevolent and featuring the kind of character you’d find in a William S. Burroughs or Hubert Selby, Jr novel, The Angel’s Take a Long Line is one of my favourite Aussie rock songs -- and after hearing that … Continue reading