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AbstractHistoryArchive Description
'Some plants have sustained empires and sparked wars. Some have ignited public outrage. Think tea, opium, tulips - and thistles.
'In 1852 South Australia passed its Thistle Act, probably the first weed control legislation anywhere in the world.
'The word 'thistle' refers to a large and widespread group of plants. Several hundred species within the Asteraceae family, plus a bunch of other plants we call thistles - even though technically, botanically, they're not. Google 'thistles' and many of the sites will tell you how to get rid of them. Dig a little deeper, however, and from this weedy territory other narratives begin to emerge.
'Part accidental memoir, part environmental history and part exploration of the performative voice on the page, The Book of Thistles is about the cultural and social life of this group of plants we call thistles.' (Publication Summary)
Notes
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Includes poetry, miniature plays, memoir and creative non-fiction prose.
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Works about this Work
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Vivienne Glance Reviews The Book of Thistles by Noëlle Janaczewska
2019
single work
review
— Appears in: Mascara Literary Review , March no. 23 2019;
— Review of The Book Of Thistles 2017 single work prose -
Bimbimpap
2017
single work
review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , December no. 397 2017; (p. 39)
— Review of The Book Of Thistles 2017 single work prose'Every Saturday around Australia, the suburbs hum with the sound of lawnmowers. While cutting grass, the mowers simultaneously decapitate the milk thistles (also known as sow thistles) that sprout in most gardens around the country. But this rude beheading is little more than an inconvenience from which these hardy plants soon recover. Perhaps this is why, despite their benign name, milk thistles rate a mention on the webpage of a company that is synonymous with weedkillers. The Roundup page describes milk thistles as ‘a common weed’ that ‘can reach over two meters if not controlled’. Given the apparent threat, the solution to managing these seemingly triffid-like proportions appears obvious and unavoidable. Homeowners must take part in the ‘war on weeds’.' (Introduction)
-
Bimbimpap
2017
single work
review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , December no. 397 2017; (p. 39)
— Review of The Book Of Thistles 2017 single work prose'Every Saturday around Australia, the suburbs hum with the sound of lawnmowers. While cutting grass, the mowers simultaneously decapitate the milk thistles (also known as sow thistles) that sprout in most gardens around the country. But this rude beheading is little more than an inconvenience from which these hardy plants soon recover. Perhaps this is why, despite their benign name, milk thistles rate a mention on the webpage of a company that is synonymous with weedkillers. The Roundup page describes milk thistles as ‘a common weed’ that ‘can reach over two meters if not controlled’. Given the apparent threat, the solution to managing these seemingly triffid-like proportions appears obvious and unavoidable. Homeowners must take part in the ‘war on weeds’.' (Introduction)
-
Vivienne Glance Reviews The Book of Thistles by Noëlle Janaczewska
2019
single work
review
— Appears in: Mascara Literary Review , March no. 23 2019;
— Review of The Book Of Thistles 2017 single work prose
Awards
- 2018 shortlisted Mascara Avant-garde Awards — Non-Fiction
