AustLit

'The six years John Burbidge spent in India as a community development worker changed him in many ways, but one stands out from all the rest. It led him to confront a deeply personal secret - his attraction to his own sex. After taking the plunge with masseurs on a Bombay beach, he found himself on a rollercoaster ride of sexual adventuring. A complicating factor in his journey of self-discovery was the tightly knit community in which he lived and worked, with its highly regimented schedule and minimal privacy that forced him to live a double life.

'Written with passion, integrity and humour, The Boatman is packed with incident, anecdote, adventure and above all, real and memorable people. Burbidge takes hold of India as few have done before, deftly interweaving the search for selfhood with an intimate exploration of Indian life and society. His story shows us how, when we dare to immerse ourselves in a culture radically different from our own, we may discover parts of ourselves we never knew existed.' (Publication summary)

Presents a slightly edited version of the Preface to John Burbidge’s biography of Gerald Glaskin, Dare Me! The Life and Work of Gerald Glaskin (MUP, 2014), followed by his brief resume of Glaskin’s published work.

'Gerald Glaskin (1923-2000) pushed the boundaries of acceptability in what he wrote and how he wrote it. His twenty major publications – novels, short stories, travelogues, memoirs, plays and more – tackled such taboo subjects as homosexuality, incest and parapsychology.

In the aftermath of the Second World War Glaskin challenged white Australians to re-examine their attitudes to Asians and Aboriginal people, and his 1965 novel, No End to the Way, initially banned in his home country, was groundbreaking in its frank and honest portrayal of a homosexual relationship.

Outside Australia, Glaskin’s books were translated into multiple languages and garnered praise from critics and readers alike. He was hailed as ‘the ace of Australian story tellers’. Yet in his home country he was and remains a virtual nonentity.

Why did Australia turn its back on him? Was it his delight in provoking people? Was it his audacious, belligerent and at times overbearing manner? Was he a victim of his country’s ‘tall poppy syndrome’, or of a provincial publishing industry?

This insightful biography probes the life and work of one of Australia’s most neglected writers and in so doing, gives Glaskin his proper due.' (Publisher's blurb)

'Gerald Glaskin pushed the boundaries of acceptability in what he wrote and how he wrote it. His twenty major publications, novels, short stories, travelogues, memoirs, plays and more, tackled such taboo subjects as homosexuality, incest and parapsychology. In the aftermath of the Second World War Glaskin challenged white Australians to re-examine their attitudes to Asians and Aboriginal people, and his 1965 novel, No End to the Way, initially banned in his home country, was groundbreaking in its frank and honest portrayal of a homosexual relationship. Outside Australia, Glaskin’s books were translated into multiple languages and garnered praise from critics and readers alike. He was hailed as ‘the ace of Australian story tellers’. Yet in his home country he was and remains a virtual nonentity. Why did Australia turn its back on him? Was it his delight in provoking people? Was it his audacious, belligerent and at times overbearing manner? Was he a victim of his country’s ‘tall poppy syndrome’, or of a provincial publishing industry? This insightful biography probes the life and work of one of Australia’s most neglected writers and in so doing, gives Glaskin his proper due.' (Source: TROVE)