Book Chat #135
A buzzing, bookish weekend
Hello reading friends and welcome to another edition of Book Chat, a newsletter for readers and eaters.
Last weekend I went to the Sydney Writers' Festival, saw a one-woman horror show, and ate Korean fried chicken.
Let’s dive in.
A woman with an interesting mind
Social commentator and humorist Fran Lebowitz is in Australia for a series of talks and has been doing lots of media. I enjoyed this interview she did with Australian journalist and broadcaster, Sarah Ferguson. It would be so much fun to say exactly what you think without worrying about what other people think of you. This is something I aspire to, but am not very good at.
I laughed out loud when she said ‘there are far too many novelists now’ and that ‘there are more people in New York who write books, than read them’. It does seem like there are a lot of books out there and not all of them are worth your time. Regular readers will know I’m a big fan of putting aside books that are not for you.
My husband told me that she was expelled from school for non-specific surliness and this also made me laugh because I used to get into trouble at school for looking bored and was quite a surly teenager.
On the upside, Fran is a big reader and is reported to own 10,000 books! Imagine having room in your house to do that?
But most of all, I agree with the idea of speaking your mind with careful consideration of the facts (if you can find them).
I like this quote:
Think before you speak. Read before you think.
Fran Lebowitz
Readers and Writers are the best!
Last weekend I attended the Sydney Writers’ Festival with my daughter Katie. It was lovely to share the day with her and be amongst other bookish people. It’s brilliant to watch people talking enthusiastically about what they’ve been reading, or milling around clutching their paper bags of newly purchased books. I felt so at home.
I listened to Charlotte McConaghy (Wild Dark Shore) and Rebecca Armitage (The Heir Apparent) talk about what it meant for them to have their books chosen by Reese Witherspoon for her Book Club. They each described ‘getting the call’, which is like winning the publishing jackpot in terms of sales.
Wild Dark Shore has won many awards and was expected to sell well, but as a debut author, Rebecca Armitage probably hoped to sell a few thousand books in Australia. Now she has a global readership and is stocked in every US book store, and only needs to think about writing the next one.
I haven’t actually read The Heir Apparent (it’s not really my genre) but it looks like fun if you like stories about royals.
We also went to the beautiful Sydney Town Hall to hear Rebecca Kuang (Yellowface, Babel, Katabasis) speak about her writing career. She is a delightful, eloquent speaker. It was truly amazing to hear the roar from the crowd and the thunderous applause as she walked on stage, a tiny figure in a purple fluttery dress. (I didn’t take her photo as she was too far away, but I also didn’t want to be distracted from the conversation).
Kuang wrote her first novel (The Poppy Wars) at 19 and is now a Professor at Yale, where she teaches creative writing. I couldn’t help thinking how amazing it would be to be taught by such a thoughtful and knowledgeable woman.
She turns 30 this week, which blows my mind.
The Birds
On the weekend I also went to the theatre with a group of friends. We saw The Birds, a play based on the short story by Daphne du Maurier.
Daphne du Maurier (1907-1989) was an English novelist and playwright who lived in Cornwall. Best known for her moody and atmospheric novels Rebecca and Jamaica Inn, she also wrote a number of horror stories, including The Birds, which is about a family in Cornwall who are besieged when inexplicably violent birds attack them in their home. The story was famously adapted for film by Alfred Hitchcock and starred Tippi Hedren and Rod Taylor.
Not being a horror fan, I have never seen the entire movie, but there’s a clip below if you’re brave.
Whilst the film depicts actual birds flying at the heads of Tippi Hedren and Rod Taylor, the play uses only sound effects and acting skills to depict the situation. It’s a one-woman play and Paula Arundel, along with the sound and lighting people, does an amazing job of creating an atmosphere of fear.
What I’ve been writing
Speaking of fear, I’ve noticed that lots of people are talking about AI and the impact it is having on creativity, books, work, and the environment. It seems to me that people are either for or against AI, which I find interesting.
Many people are very keen to tell me that they will never use AI, perhaps not realising that it’s already embedded in their lives, with or without their consent. Overall, people are concerned and want to know more, which is why I decided to write about it on my blog.
I’m not writing as an expert, just a person who’s interested in exploring ideas.
What I’ve been eating
The food scene in Sydney is very cosmopolitan these days and you can get just about any type of cuisine you can think of. I had dinner with my daughter in the city and we chose Korean food.
Our meal included soup, bimimbap, cheesy corn, rice, and Korean fried chicken.
I love Korean fried chicken! We had the crunchy kind, rather than the sticky wings, but both are delicious.
Here is a simple recipe you can easily make at home.
Lastly, I wanted to thank all the readers who sent me little notes after my last edition. It’s lovely to know you are out there.
Warm regards
Marg xxx
I love Fran, she’s one of the smartest people on the planet.
I caught that interview with Fran Lebovitz last week and loved her frankness. Your book festival sounded wonderful. Our usual event at the end of Perth Festival wasn't on last year for unknown reasons (financial? political?) and I usually volunteer and get to hear all the amazing speakers so I really missed it.