Literature

Toni Morrison’s Praise of Writer’s Block
Toni Morrison’s Praise of Writer’s Block
words by Millie Harris   I keep a running list of habits I blame for my writer’s block: lack of sleep, too much coffee, too little coffee, the internet, my... Read more...
Why It's No Surprise That Kafka Was a Vegetarian
Why It's No Surprise That Kafka Was a Vegetarian
words by Heidi Kewin   Franz Kafka wrote a letter to his friend, Grete Bloch, in 1914:    As a follower of natural healing I am not surprised you have... Read more...
Why I have a tattoo of James Joyce
Why I have a tattoo of James Joyce
I love Joyce because he has forced me to face everything with the tenderness that one must employ in a world such as this. His words, though rough and sometimes... Read more...
Why Do We Walk Away From Suffering?
Why Do We Walk Away From Suffering?
You can leave the theatre, but the suffering will still continue. Sarah Kane’s Blasted (1995) asks what turning away really costs us.   Read more...
Denial is a river in Egypt, “Your husband’s a homo”
Denial is a river in Egypt, “Your husband’s a homo”
Tony Kushner’s Angels in America is vast, feverish, and human — a play where politics, theology, desire, and illness collide. Returning to it again and again, I’m struck less by... Read more...
Am I a writer?
words by Chloe Milne   Every time I meet new people, I dread that inevitable first question: “So, what do you do?” (I wish it was replaced with “Can I get you another drink?”, but that only happens in my dreams). I always pause awkwardly, as if the subject of my job is some kind of dark secret. I often doubt that people I’ve just met even care what I do for a living when they ask. It’s just the polite thing to ask, isn’t it? A way for us to... Read more...
Decolonise Your Bookshelf: Long Live the Legacy of Machado de Assis
Decolonise Your Bookshelf: Long Live the Legacy of Machado de Assis
words by Cheryl S. Ezekiel A towering figure in Brazilian literature and an essential voice in rethinking the global literary canon, Machado de Assis stands by his imperative contribution to... Read more...