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AbstractHistoryArchive Description
'As I Was Saying is a swirling conversation with the reader on everything from travel to dogs and cats, from sport and swearing to the pleasures of idleness. Punctuated at regular intervals by talks Dessaix has given on a wide range of subjects, as well as by some of his most incisive journalism, the conversation invites the reader to join a leisurely guided tour of his chamber of curiosities, featuring pieces collected all over the globe from across the centuries. Whether writing home from Vladivostock or Damascus, discussing what makes for good conversation or thinking aloud about the paintings, poems and books he loves, Dessaix always writes with an intimacy and attentiveness that beguile, entertain and make his readers eager for new discoveries.' (Publisher's blurb)
Contents
* Contents derived from the
North Sydney,
North Sydney - Lane Cove area,
Sydney Northern Suburbs,
Sydney,
New South Wales,:Random House Australia
, 2012 version. Please note that other versions/publications may contain different contents. See the Publication Details.
- On Noise and Silence, single work prose (p. 9-24)
- On the Nose, single work prose (p. 25-32)
-
Conversation,
single work
prose
(p. 33-43)
Note: The version published in As I Was Saying contains a short extract from Dessaix's book Arabesques.
-
Letters to an Unknown Friend,
single work
essay
Robert Dessaix provides a personal overview of the history, and role, of the essay.
- Vladivostok, single work prose travel (p. 65-82)
- Postcard from Damascus, single work prose travel (p. 83-88)
-
Alexandria,
single work
prose
travel
Dessaix draws on the works of Durrell, Forster and Cavafy in this prose piece about travels to Alexandria, Egypt.
- Beauty, single work essay (p. 116-137)
- Caught You! Reflections on Being Painted, single work essay (p. 138-164)
- Australia, single work essay (p. 165-183)
- So Long, Mate, single work prose (p. 184-191)
- The Subjunctive, single work prose (p. 192-200)
- Swearing, single work prose (p. 201-212)
- On Phrasebooks, single work prose (p. 213-220)
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Other Formats
- Sound recording.
Works about this Work
-
Book Review : As I Was Saying
2014
single work
review
— Appears in: Transnational Literature , May vol. 6 no. 2 2014;
— Review of As I Was Saying 2012 selected work essay autobiography prose -
A Life Spent on the Self
2012
single work
review
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 31 March-1 April 2012; (p. 36)
— Review of As I Was Saying 2012 selected work essay autobiography prose -
Devilishly Engaging Meanders
2012
single work
review
— Appears in: The Canberra Times , 17 March 2012; (p. 27)
— Review of As I Was Saying 2012 selected work essay autobiography prose -
An Idle Mind Creates Thoughtful Reflection
2012
single work
review
— Appears in: The Saturday Age , 17 March 2012; (p. 27)
— Review of As I Was Saying 2012 selected work essay autobiography prose -
Grab-Bag of Thoughts on Road to Discovery
2012
single work
review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 10-11 March 2012; (p. 18-19)
— Review of As I Was Saying 2012 selected work essay autobiography prose
-
Grand Illusion
2012
single work
review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , March no. 339 2012; (p. 50-51)
— Review of As I Was Saying 2012 selected work essay autobiography prose -
Grab-Bag of Thoughts on Road to Discovery
2012
single work
review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 10-11 March 2012; (p. 18-19)
— Review of As I Was Saying 2012 selected work essay autobiography prose -
An Idle Mind Creates Thoughtful Reflection
2012
single work
review
— Appears in: The Saturday Age , 17 March 2012; (p. 27)
— Review of As I Was Saying 2012 selected work essay autobiography prose -
Devilishly Engaging Meanders
2012
single work
review
— Appears in: The Canberra Times , 17 March 2012; (p. 27)
— Review of As I Was Saying 2012 selected work essay autobiography prose -
A Life Spent on the Self
2012
single work
review
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 31 March-1 April 2012; (p. 36)
— Review of As I Was Saying 2012 selected work essay autobiography prose -
As Robert was Saying
2012
single work
column
— Appears in: The Monthly , March no. 76 2012; (p. 46-49) -
Robert Dessaix : In Praise of Idleness. Like a Dog. But Not a Cat.
2012
single work
column
— Appears in: Crikey , April 2012;
Last amended 3 Jul 2020 08:47:40
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