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Lee Kofman Lee Kofman i(A81949 works by)
Born: Established: 1973 Siberia,
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Russia,
c
c
Former Soviet Union,
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Eastern Europe, Europe,
;
Gender: Female
Arrived in Australia: 2000
Heritage: Jewish ; Russian
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Works By

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1 At the Russian Restaurant Lee Kofman , 2020 single work short story
— Appears in: Griffith Review , no. 69 2020; (p. 199-209)
1 What I’m Reading Lee Kofman , 2019 single work column
— Appears in: Meanjin Online 2019;
1 Bruised Lee Kofman , 2019 single work essay
— Appears in: Split : True Stories of Leaving, Loss and New Beginnings 2019;
1 1 y separately published work icon Split : True Stories of Leaving, Loss and New Beginnings Lee Kofman (editor), Edgecliff : Ventura Press , 2019 15932001 2019 anthology essay autobiography

'In this compelling anthology of personal essays, curated by award-winning author Lee Kofman, some of Australia’s most beloved writers reveal, for the first time, powerful, occasionally funny and often heartbreaking stories of significant endings and their aftermath.

'Graeme Simsion, author of The Rosie Project, shares how he discarded his past – perhaps autistic – self, while comedian Sami Shah writes about his public split from Islam, the religion of his birth. Ramona Koval delves into the bittersweet end to her career at the ABC and Fiona Wright explores how her anorexia has affected her romantic relationships. Whereas Kate Holden suggests that for some, splitting – whether from memorabilia, books or lovers – is unimaginable.

'Join eighteen acclaimed storytellers in their candid and courageous reflections on the intrinsic human experience of loss and leaving, that acknowledge the price we can often pay for a much-needed end, or new beginning.' (Publication summary)

1 4 y separately published work icon Imperfect Lee Kofman , Mulgrave : Affirm Press , 2019 15392380 2019 single work autobiography

'By the time she was eleven and living in Russia, Lee Kofman had undergone several major operations on both a defective heart and injuries sustained in a bus accident. Her body harbours a constellation of disfiguring scars that have shaped her sense of self and her view of the world. But it wasn't until she moved from the Soviet Union to Israel and later Australia that she realised these markings weren't badges of honour to flaunt but were, in fact, imperfections that needed to be concealed.

'In a seductive mix of memoir and cultural critique, Kofman casts a questioning eye on the myths surrounding our conception of physical perfection and what it's like to live in a body that deviates from the norm. She reveals the subtle ways we are all influenced by the bodies we inhabit, whether our differences are pronounced or noticeable only to ourselves. She talks to people of all shapes, sizes and configurations and takes a hard look at the way media and culture dictates how bodies should and shouldn't be.

'By turns illuminating, confronting and deeply personal, IMPERFECT challenges us all to consider how we exist in the world and how our bodies shape the people we become.'  (Publication summary)

1 8 y separately published work icon Rebellious Daughters : True Stories from Australia's Finest Female Writers Maria Katsonis (editor), Lee Kofman (editor), Edgecliff : Ventura Press , 2016 9889117 2016 anthology autobiography

'Good daughters hold their tongues, obey their elders and let their families determine their destiny. Rebellious daughters are just the opposite.

'In Rebellious Daughters, some of Australia’s most talented female writers share intimate and touching stories of rebellion and independence as they defy the expectations of parents and society to find their place in the world.

'Powerful, funny and poignant, these stories explore everything from getting caught in seedy nightclubs to lifelong family conflicts and marrying too young. Beautifully written, profoundly honest and always relatable, every story is a unique retelling that celebrates the rebellious daughter within us all.

'Not every woman is a mother, grandmother, aunty or sister – but all women are daughters.' (Publication summary)

1 No Permit for Dignity : Working My Way into Australia Lee Kofman , 2016 single work autobiography
— Appears in: Griffith Review , no. 51 2016; (p. 269-279)
'Early in my life in Australia, during the year I spent on a bridging visa that included no work permit, and with the little savings I had running out, I rejoiced when a new job offer finally came my way. My prospective employer, Boris, knew about my financial hardships. He was also my co-worker at the only cash-in-hand job I'd managed to find until that point and which earned me five dollars per hour - a Russian video library in St Kilda. My family left Russia for Israel when I was twelve, but now, at twenty-six, I still spoke fairly decent Russian. And I loved that place, which was really a cross between a neighbourhood house and a crazy supermarket that sold everything from smoked salmon to dubbed South American soap operas. Yet I couldn't survive on those wages. And Boris said he had something for me.' (Publication abstract)
1 Diamonds in the Red Alley Lee Kofman , 2016 single work prose
— Appears in: The Lifted Brow , June no. 30 2016; (p. 77-80)
1 Living the Beauty Paradox Lee Kofman , 2015 single work prose
— Appears in: Seizure [Online] , October 2015;
1 Wearing the Mother Outfit Lee Kofman , 2015 single work autobiography
— Appears in: Mothermorphosis : Australia's Best Storytellers Write About Becoming a Mother 2015; (p. 197-215)
1 The Honesty Problem Lee Kofman , 2015 single work autobiography
— Appears in: Meanjin Online 2015; Meanjin , Autumn vol. 74 no. 1 2015; (p. 172-179)
1 Muses on Fire : On Literature and the People That Inspire It Lee Kofman , 2014 single work essay
— Appears in: Kill Your Darlings , July no. 18 2014; (p. 78-92)
''The only people for me,' Jack Kerouac wrote in his autobiographical novel On the Road, 'are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles...' I read this, now legendary, sentence some years ago and was struck by how precisely Kerouac summed up my own writerly obsessions.' (Publication abstract)
1 2 y separately published work icon The Dangerous Bride Lee Kofman , Melbourne : Melbourne University Press , 2014 7913781 2014 single work autobiography

'What do you do when your husband claims to be madly in love with you, but doesn't desire you sexually? When your therapist is more interested in opening an online sex-toy shop with your husband than in saving your marriage? Do you try yet another counsellor, get divorced or settle for a sexless marriage?

'Lee Kofman, rebellious daughter of ultra-orthodox Jews, has always sought her own way. True to her Bohemian dream where love can coexist with sexual freedom, she decided to experiment with an open marriage . . . despite the fact that her previous non-monogamous relationship ended in disaster.

Our cultural mores suggest that love without monogamy is impossible, but Lee hoped she could do better the second time round and embarked on a personal exploration to find out whether she could save her marriage while being non-monogamous in an ethical way. For several months she talked to swingers, polyamorists, cross-dressers, suburban families, artists and migrants—in short, to anyone who has ever been involved in an unconventional relationship.

'Set during Lee's first years in Australia, it is also the story of migration, and an exploration of the eternal conflict between our desire for security, but also for foreign places—in love and elsewhere. The Dangerous Bride tells the story of her quest.' (Publication summary)

1 Procrastination : Declaration of War Lee Kofman , 2014 single work column
— Appears in: Writing Queensland , September no. 244 2014; (p. 8-9)
1 Of Monsters and Monogamists (From a Work-In-Progress) Lee Kofman , 2013 extract autobiography
— Appears in: Kill Your Darlings , January no. 12 2013; (p. 56-68)
1 Luna Park a La Moscow Lee Kofman , 2013 single work short story
— Appears in: The Paradise Anthology 2013; (p. 42-43) The Big Issue , August no. 491 2015; (p. 46-47)
1 Extra Charge Lee Kofman , 2013 single work prose
— Appears in: The Paradise Anthology 2013; (p. 43-44)
1 Seduction i "Tonight I'm beautiful.", Lee Kofman , 2013 single work poetry
— Appears in: The Paradise Anthology 2013; (p. 30-31)
1 Abated Conference Plans i "I want to organise a conference about your body", Lee Kofman , 2013 single work poetry
— Appears in: The Paradise Anthology 2013; (p. 30)
1 Passion in a Time of War Lee Kofman , 2012 single work autobiography
— Appears in: Griffith Review , Autumn no. 35 2012; (p. 154-164) The Best Australian Essays 2012 2012; (p. 253-263)
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