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AbstractHistoryArchive Description
'On learning that his illness was terminal, Donald Home began dictating his experience of dying, and his resulting journal is full of courage, honesty, insight and humour. Ever the intellectual, he also recorded his last thoughts on some of the big human questions: faith and regret, the uses of art, the rewards of the engaged mind. And on contemporary dilemmas such as the Iraq War, anti-Americanism and the meaning of democracy. These essays have been refined by his wife and long-time editor, Myfanwy, who has also written her own inspirational account of Donald's final weeks.' (Publisher's blurb)
Notes
-
Dedication: For Julia and Nick
Contents
* Contents derived from the
Camberwell,
Camberwell - Kew area,
Melbourne - Inner South,
Melbourne,
Victoria,:Penguin
, 2007 version. Please note that other versions/publications may contain different contents. See the Publication Details.
- Book One: Journal of a Terminal Illness, single work autobiography (p. 1-105)
- Book Two: Requiem, single work autobiography (p. 107-168)
- Book Three: A Last Look Around: Essays and Talking Points, selected work essay (p. 169-263)
- Reading and Thinking, single work essay (p. 171-183)
- Keeping Up With Culture, single work essay (p. 184-188)
- Prudence, Iraq and Cocky CEOs, single work essay (p. 189-205)
- On Not Being Anti-American, single work essay (p. 206-209)
- What is Democracy, single work essay (p. 210-214)
- What is Democracy, single work essay (p. 210-214)
- On Criticism, single work essay (p. 215-226)
- Serious Conversation, single work essay (p. 227-231)
- Looking, single work essay (p. 232-240)
- Faith, single work essay (p. 241-250)
- The Music of Regret, single work essay (p. 251-263)
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Other Formats
- Sound recording.
Works about this Work
-
Making Stories of Our Own Ends : Two Australian Memoirs of Dying
2016
single work
criticism
— Appears in: TEXT Special Issue Website Series , October no. 35 2016; 'An increasing number of end-of-life memoirs have been published over the past two decades. A number of these by American and British authors have received considerable notice and acclaim. There are, however, also a number of book-length published memoirs written by Australian narrators whose texts narrate their own dying. Despite achieving a measure of popularity with readers, few of these Australian works have been explored in detail or categorised as a discrete sub-set of the autobiographical memoir in Australia. This article discusses two Australian memoirs, Dying: A Memoir by Donald Horne and Myfanwy Horne (2007) and Dying: A Memoir by Cory Taylor (2016). Examining these texts contributes to understanding of both this revealing autobiographical practice and practices of writing and publishing popular memoir in Australia more generally. They also add to knowledge of the way individuals face, and deal with, the prospect of their own impending ends.' (Publication abstract) -
Death as a Threshold : Being with a Person as They Are Dying
2016
single work
criticism
— Appears in: TEXT Special Issue Website Series , October no. 35 2016; -
The Forum : Myfanwy Gollan : On Death by Red Tape
2008
single work
column
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 28-29 June 2008; (p. 2) Myfanwy Gollan discusses the exclusion of Dying : A Memoir from some Australian literary awards (including the inaugural Prime Minister's Literary Award) on the grounds that the book's author is dead. (Dying : A Memoir was instigated by Donald Horne prior to his death; it was completed and edited by Gollan.) -
Nostalgia Was the Easiest Temptation to Avoid
2007
single work
review
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 16-17 December 2007; (p. 32-33)
— Review of Dying : A Memoir 2007 selected work autobiography biography essay -
Writing from the Sad Height
2007-2008
single work
review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , December-January no. 297 2007-2008; (p. 36)
— Review of Dying : A Memoir 2007 selected work autobiography biography essay
-
Donald Horne : In Life and Death
2007
single work
review
— Appears in: The Canberra Times , 29 September 2007; (p. 15)
— Review of Dying : A Memoir 2007 selected work autobiography biography essay -
Late, Great
2007
single work
review
— Appears in: The Bulletin , 16 October vol. 125 no. 6591 2007; (p. 53)
— Review of Dying : A Memoir 2007 selected work autobiography biography essay -
Love but No Awe As Mortality Closes In
2007
single work
review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 20-21 October 2007; (p. 13)
— Review of Dying : A Memoir 2007 selected work autobiography biography essay -
Holding a Flame to Humanity
2007
single work
review
— Appears in: The Age , 27 October 2007; (p. 23)
— Review of Dying : A Memoir 2007 selected work autobiography biography essay -
Not Gently into That Good Night
2007
single work
review
— Appears in: The Australian Literary Review , November vol. 2 no. 10 2007; (p. 18-19)
— Review of Dying : A Memoir 2007 selected work autobiography biography essay ; Bad Hair Days 2007 single work autobiography -
The Forum : Myfanwy Gollan : On Death by Red Tape
2008
single work
column
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 28-29 June 2008; (p. 2) Myfanwy Gollan discusses the exclusion of Dying : A Memoir from some Australian literary awards (including the inaugural Prime Minister's Literary Award) on the grounds that the book's author is dead. (Dying : A Memoir was instigated by Donald Horne prior to his death; it was completed and edited by Gollan.) -
Death as a Threshold : Being with a Person as They Are Dying
2016
single work
criticism
— Appears in: TEXT Special Issue Website Series , October no. 35 2016; -
Making Stories of Our Own Ends : Two Australian Memoirs of Dying
2016
single work
criticism
— Appears in: TEXT Special Issue Website Series , October no. 35 2016; 'An increasing number of end-of-life memoirs have been published over the past two decades. A number of these by American and British authors have received considerable notice and acclaim. There are, however, also a number of book-length published memoirs written by Australian narrators whose texts narrate their own dying. Despite achieving a measure of popularity with readers, few of these Australian works have been explored in detail or categorised as a discrete sub-set of the autobiographical memoir in Australia. This article discusses two Australian memoirs, Dying: A Memoir by Donald Horne and Myfanwy Horne (2007) and Dying: A Memoir by Cory Taylor (2016). Examining these texts contributes to understanding of both this revealing autobiographical practice and practices of writing and publishing popular memoir in Australia more generally. They also add to knowledge of the way individuals face, and deal with, the prospect of their own impending ends.' (Publication abstract)
Awards
- 2007 winner The Fellowship of Australian Writers Victoria Inc. National Literary Awards — Barbara Ramsden Award Jointly awarded to the authors and the publisher's editor Meredith Rose.
Last amended 5 Jun 2020 11:13:33
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