Messages
12/10/2024
14 : 14
In Praise of Pessimism
Or, reading Joshua Foa Dienstag to get into the Christmas spirit ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
12/1/2024
12 : 44
On belatedly learning the value of first editions
The 50th Anniversary of Frank Moorhouse's The Electrical Experience ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
11/5/2024
14 : 54
Reading Aurelian Craiutu’s “Why Not Moderation?” in a moment of uncertain polarisation and partisanship
Or, 'Political labels be damn' ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
10/29/2024
13 : 54
Notes on the question of Australia’s Poet Laureate
Or, the first concern of a cultural diplomat ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
8/22/2024
14 : 4
'Being shown the instruments of torture'
Or, the art and craft of biography ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
6/14/2024
4 : 24
Notes on Commensality
Or, why we should sit together more around a kitchen table ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
11/28/2023
0 : 34
‘When the facts conflict with the legend’
How does a biographer balance storytelling with the truth?
11/14/2023
4 : 24
The Doors of Psychoanalysis
Or, Standing on the Outside Looking In
9/12/2023
4 : 14
On Frank Moorhouse: Strange Paths
Reflections of an accidental biographer
6/22/2023
14 : 24
Invite your friends to read Public Things Newsletter
Thank you for reading Public Things Newsletter — your support allows me to keep doing this work. If you enjoy Public Things Newsletter, it would mean the world to me if you invited friends to subscribe
5/17/2023
6 : 34
Northrop Frye’s Four Levels of Literary Meaning
Or, the nuts and bolts of reading
10/17/2022
0 : 4
‘He waxes desperate with imagination’
Or, re-reading “Hamlet” with Margreta de Grazia and Luiz Costa Lima
10/3/2022
1 : 4
A Substacker Reads Luiz Costa Lima in Australia and Bursts into Tears (with apologies to László F. Földényi)
On mimesis, fiction, and the control of the imaginary
9/12/2022
1 : 4
On Edgar Allan Poe and the economics of literary theft
Otherwise known as publishing
8/29/2022
2 : 4
Notes On Askēsis (Part 2 of 2)
Or, the itinerary of a word through the Ancient world, its various contexts and meanings
8/22/2022
3 : 8
Notes On Askēsis (Part 1 of 2)
Or, the itinerary of a word through the Ancient world, its various contexts and meanings
8/8/2022
1 : 44
Albert Camus and democracy
Or, 'the social and political exercise of modesty'
8/8/2022
1 : 44
Before you read the latest Public Things Newsletter...
The essay that I have just posted, and which you would have already received in another email – on Albert Camus and democracy – marks 12 months since I posted my first essay in Substack: the first in a
7/25/2022
12 : 55
Sidebar: Toward a form of art criticism for the current moment
Or, further reflections on Lucienne Rickard's “Extinction Studies”, and beyond
6/26/2022
13 : 55
Vale Frank Moorhouse, 1938-2022
Death is a perennial theme for literary fiction. To have a main character die is a sure fire way to manufacture a dramatic plot turn or a poignant ending, to create a certain mood or a degree of