AustLit
Latest Issues
Contents
-
Monkey Business,
single work
essay
'Chinese folktales coloured much of my childhood. From the tale of Chang’e and the moon to nian and its link to the traditions of Chinese New Year, my parents were insistent that my sister and I be exposed to all sorts of stories. I watched a serialised, Chinese drama version of wo hu chang long (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), a far cry from the English version that was pedalled out to the Western world. And of course, there was xi you ji (Journey to the West).' (Introduction)
-
The Uncertain Future of an Emerging Writer,
single work
essay
'You know how once you start to think about something intently, you begin to notice it everywhere? That happened to me when I decided that I wanted to be a writer. In fact, I already knew I wanted to be a writer, it’s just that I just decided that I could be one. All I had to do was write. After that, I kept meeting other writers and stumbling across interviews online that made me feel like maybe it wasn’t such an impossible proposition. I even started to tell people ‘writer’, when they asked what I wanted to be after I graduated, although sometimes I just said ‘journalist’ because it sounded more professional. They looked at me as though I was saying I wanted to become a ballerina at the age of twenty-three.' (Introduction)
-
Literary Production Versus Institutional Whiteness,
single work
essay
'Every child of colour in Australia attempts, at some stage in their life, to assimilate. It is a cultural affliction, one tied deeply to racialised xenophobia and the widespread valorisation of white Australia. Now, when I look back at my early efforts to champion literary theory, I realise that I was always fighting a losing battle.' (Introduction)
-
June in Poetry,
single work
essay
'A winter flush of poetry is at my door – all of it from publishers on this continent, all of it sharpening the edge of language, subject matter and form, and all of it good and fresh in its own way.' (Introduction)
-
Rules of the Game : Avid Reader and the Hollow Activism of the Men’s Rights Movement,
single work
essay
'Men’s Rights Activists and soccer players have one thing in common – the slightest perceived breach has them feigning injury, as they scream to a referee who is tired of their obvious deceit.' (Introduction)