pat's reviews
36 reviews

The End of Certainty: Scott Morrison and Pandemic Politics (Quarterly Essay, #79) by Katherine Murphy

informative reflective medium-paced

4.25

Various reflections from reading through this…

• I really do enjoy the long-form essay approach of Quarterly Essays, and have been neglecting reading them, even though I have a subscription. I'm glad I've halted that neglect for at least a moment.
• One aspect of this essay is rumination on how Australia and the world has changed during the COVID-19 pandemic - which, look, we don't lack for, but it's thoughtful and thought-provoking.
• The other aspect is an analysis of Scott Morrison as both a Prime Minister and a person. I do not agree with a lot of his politics, and that remains the case, but I guess I'm open to the fact that he's at least somewhat trying to lead well.
• And with all the politics and character analysis, it had me thinking: if I was in power, what would I do differently? How would I manage people's expectations and hope? How would I structure policy, seek consensus, communicate and bring people together? I still entertain a faint idea of going into politics, and part of me would love to take all these thoughts and turn them into something practical. I remain impatient with the system though, which is a big part of why I've not walked down this path yet.

All in all, I found this essay a great overview of the past ten months of Australia - both politically and broadly.

Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot by Mikki Kendall

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

4.25

Black Panther, Vol. 8: The Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda, Part Three by Chris Sprouse, Daniel Acuña, Ta-Nehisi Coates

adventurous fast-paced

4.0

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

After Australia by Michael Mohammed Ahmad

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Millefiori by Omar Musa

emotional funny reflective fast-paced

4.75

If I fall off-track, I beg your pardon.
I had the best intentions when I started.
We know that the world is a horror story,
but we also know it's got love notes in the margin.

I'm still finding my groove when it comes to reading poetry - or maybe, when it comes to reflecting upon poetry. The fact that the poets are sharing such personal reflections can be striking - I sometimes feel like it isn't my place to be reading this, that I'm intruding. And Omar certainly has some deeply personal themes in here, alongside some cultural thoughts that definitely aren't mirrors of my own experience. But even though his world is in many ways different to mine, he makes it so easy to connect, to be lifted up by his words and feelings.

Here's one of my favourites read aloud (albeit too close to his face and with some background noise): Lanterns – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgv0z6YTtow

Throat by Ellen van Neerven

challenging emotional funny reflective fast-paced

4.0

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

adventurous lighthearted fast-paced

4.0