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y separately published work icon A First Place selected work   prose   essay  
  • Author:agent David Malouf http://www.poetrylibrary.edu.au/poets/malouf-david
Issue Details: First known date: 2014... 2014 A First Place
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

'A collection of personal essays and writing from David Malouf to celebrate his 80th birthday.

'Topography, geography, history. Multiculturalism, referendums, the constitution and national occasions. Parental and grandparental romances, the sensual and bountiful beauty of Brisbane, the mysterious offerings of Queenslander houses, and leaving home. The idea of a nation and the heart of its people. Being Australian and Australia's relationship to the world. Putting ourselves on the map.

'All these subjects, and more, are explored from the generous, questioning and original perspective of David Malouf.

'At the heart of these pieces is the idea of home, where and what it is. What they illustrate is the formation of a man, an Australian and one of the best writers this country has produced.' (Publisher's blurb)

Notes

  • Dedication: To Carmen Callil

Contents

* Contents derived from the North Sydney, North Sydney - Lane Cove area, Sydney Northern Suburbs, Sydney, New South Wales,:Random House , 2014 version. Please note that other versions/publications may contain different contents. See the Publication Details.
A Traveller's Tale, David Malouf , single work short story

'There is a point in the northern part of the state, or rather, a line that runs waveringly across it, where the vegetation changes within minutes. A cataclysmic second a million or more years back has pushed two disparate land masses violently together, the one open savannah country with rocky outcrops and forests of blue-grey feathery gums, the other sub-tropical scrub. You arrive at the crest of a ridge and a whole new landscape swings into view. Hoop pines and bunya command the skyline. There are palm-trees, banana plantations. Leisurely broad rivers that seem always in flood go rolling seaward between stands of plumed and scented cane. It is as if you had dozed off at the wheel a moment and woken a whole day further on.' (Introduction)

(p. 1-4)
A First Place : The Mapping of a World, David Malouf , single work prose (p. 5-16)
Note: With title: "A First Place"
My Multicultural Life, David Malouf , single work prose (p. 17-33)
Note: Campagnatico 1984 – address to Australian Literature Conference, Milan, November 1984
Family Portrait As Happy as This, David Malouf , single work prose autobiography (p. 34-64)
L'Esotico a Casa The Exotic at Home, David Malouf , Tiberia Leo (translator) single work autobiography (p. 65-78)
The House of the Dead, David Malouf , single work prose (p. 79-98)
Putting Ourselves on the Map, David Malouf , single work prose (p. 99-113)
The Eighties, a Learning Experience, David Malouf , single work prose (p. 114-123)
The People's Judgement, David Malouf , single work prose (p. 229-235)
The One Day, David Malouf , single work essay

''Silence was a deeply established tradition. Men used it as a form of self-protection; it saved those who had experienced the horrors of war from the emotional trauma of experiencing it all over again in the telling. And it saved women and children, back home, from the terrible knowledge of what they had seen and walked away from … One result of this was that the men who had actually lived through Gallipoli and the trenches did not write about it.'

'In the century since the Gallipoli landing, Anzac Day has taken on a different tenor for each succeeding generation. Perceptively and evocatively, David Malouf traces the meaning of this 'one day' when Australians stop to reflect on endurance, service and the folly of war. He shows how what was once history has now passed into legend, and how we have found in Anzac Day 'a truly national occasion.'' (Publication summary)

(p. 236-251)
Made in England : Australia's British Inheritance, David Malouf , single work essay (p. 252-333)
The States of the Nation, David Malouf , single work essay (p. 334-350)

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

    • North Sydney, North Sydney - Lane Cove area, Sydney Northern Suburbs, Sydney, New South Wales,: Random House , 2014 .
      image of person or book cover 2656952257121699783.jpg
      Image courtesy of publisher's website
      Extent: 368p.
      Note/s:
      • Published 3 March 2014
      ISBN: 9780857984050

Other Formats

  • Also large print.
  • Braille.

Works about this Work

Provocatively Calm : On David Malouf as Essayist Patrick Allington , 2017 single work criticism
— Appears in: TEXT Special Issue Website Series , no. 39 2017;
''This article examines the essays of David Malouf, many of which have been recently collected in three thematic volumes: A First Place (2014a), The Writing Life (2014b) and Being There (2015). My starting point is to argue that Malouf’s most important essays are politically charged. As a writer-activist he posits distinctive, sometimes controversial, positions, arguing strongly and passionately for alternative ways of thinking about Australia and the world, and indeed alternative ways for human beings to move through, and participate in, the world. However, Malouf is no firebrand: the tone of his essays is relentlessly calm; he brings together the emphatic and the empathetic, and he still tries to convince the reader. This article focuses on the political implications of Malouf’s calm but opinionated approach to his essays, as well as on how Malouf sets out to persuade readers. (Introduction)
David Malouf , A First Place; The Writing Life and Being There Roger Osborne , 2016 single work essay
— Appears in: Queensland Review , June vol. 23 no. 1 2016; (p. 97-99)

'As a poet, librettist, short story writer and novelist, David Malouf has produced more than twenty volumes since his Bicycle and Other Poems was published in 1970. Until recently, 12 Edmondstone Street (1984) was his only volume of non- fiction. But throughout his writing career, he has also been an active reviewer, essayist and public speaker. His words can be found in the files of magazines and newspapers, and in his introductions to works of literature, performances and art exhibitions. His public addresses live on in the memories of those fortunate enough to have heard him speak.' (Introduction)

Received Wisdom David Marr , 2015 single work review
— Appears in: The Monthly , May no. 111 2015; (p. 62-65)

— Review of A First Place David Malouf , 2014 selected work prose essay
Review : David Malouf. A First Place Steve Evans , 2014 single work review
— Appears in: Le Simplegadi , November no. 13 2014; (p. 92-95)

— Review of A First Place David Malouf , 2014 selected work prose essay
David Malouf : A Life of Letters Kerry Kilner , 2014 single work criticism
— Appears in: Island , no. 138 2014; (p. 44-45)
'At the State Library of Queensland on Friday 6 June 2014, David Malouf gave an address as a part of his SW Brooks visiting lectureship at the University of Queensland. The event was also part of Queensland Week and was one of a series of events honouring Malouf ’s contribution to Australia’s literary culture. Malouf opened his inspiring talk by reflecting on how recent public events associated with his 80th birthday had given him cause to think about the complex factors at play in the creation of what has become his ‘body of work’. The metaphor of the body in this phrase struck him as significant because of the sort of writer he is.' (Author's introduction)
Elegant Eloquence Peter Craven , 2014 single work review
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 1-2 March 2014; (p. 32-33) The Age , 1 March 2014; (p. 32)

— Review of A First Place David Malouf , 2014 selected work prose essay ; Earth Hour David Malouf , 2014 selected work poetry
'As he approaches his ninth decade, new poetry and a collection of essays remind us of the brilliance of David Malouf, writes Peter Craven.'
David Malouf : A First Place Kathy Gollan , 2014 single work review
— Appears in: The Newtown Review of Books , March 2014;

— Review of A First Place David Malouf , 2014 selected work prose essay
'David Malouf’s absorbing essays, full of erudition and with his trademark lucid prose, engage with the troubled issue of Australian identity.'
An Exile of the Mind at Home Amid Strangers Insights into Our National Character Andrew Fuhrmann , 2014 single work review
— Appears in: The Sun-Herald , 9 March 2014; (p. 13) The Sunday Age , 9 March 2014; (p. 12)

— Review of A First Place David Malouf , 2014 selected work prose essay
David Malouf : A First Place 2014 single work review
— Appears in: The Saturday Paper , 1-7 March 2014; (p. 22)

— Review of A First Place David Malouf , 2014 selected work prose essay
Shadow Lives : David Malouf Maps the Emotional History of Australia Kevin Rabalais , 2014 single work review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , May no. 361 2014; (p. 13-14)

— Review of A First Place David Malouf , 2014 selected work prose essay
Chapter & Verse Phil Brown , 2014 single work column
— Appears in: Brisbane News , March 5-11 no. 970 2014; (p. 10-11)
Words Are Everything for Malouf William Yeoman , 2014 single work column
— Appears in: The West Australian , 4 March 2014; (p. 6)
David Malouf : A Life of Letters Kerry Kilner , 2014 single work criticism
— Appears in: Island , no. 138 2014; (p. 44-45)
'At the State Library of Queensland on Friday 6 June 2014, David Malouf gave an address as a part of his SW Brooks visiting lectureship at the University of Queensland. The event was also part of Queensland Week and was one of a series of events honouring Malouf ’s contribution to Australia’s literary culture. Malouf opened his inspiring talk by reflecting on how recent public events associated with his 80th birthday had given him cause to think about the complex factors at play in the creation of what has become his ‘body of work’. The metaphor of the body in this phrase struck him as significant because of the sort of writer he is.' (Author's introduction)
Provocatively Calm : On David Malouf as Essayist Patrick Allington , 2017 single work criticism
— Appears in: TEXT Special Issue Website Series , no. 39 2017;
''This article examines the essays of David Malouf, many of which have been recently collected in three thematic volumes: A First Place (2014a), The Writing Life (2014b) and Being There (2015). My starting point is to argue that Malouf’s most important essays are politically charged. As a writer-activist he posits distinctive, sometimes controversial, positions, arguing strongly and passionately for alternative ways of thinking about Australia and the world, and indeed alternative ways for human beings to move through, and participate in, the world. However, Malouf is no firebrand: the tone of his essays is relentlessly calm; he brings together the emphatic and the empathetic, and he still tries to convince the reader. This article focuses on the political implications of Malouf’s calm but opinionated approach to his essays, as well as on how Malouf sets out to persuade readers. (Introduction)
David Malouf , A First Place; The Writing Life and Being There Roger Osborne , 2016 single work essay
— Appears in: Queensland Review , June vol. 23 no. 1 2016; (p. 97-99)

'As a poet, librettist, short story writer and novelist, David Malouf has produced more than twenty volumes since his Bicycle and Other Poems was published in 1970. Until recently, 12 Edmondstone Street (1984) was his only volume of non- fiction. But throughout his writing career, he has also been an active reviewer, essayist and public speaker. His words can be found in the files of magazines and newspapers, and in his introductions to works of literature, performances and art exhibitions. His public addresses live on in the memories of those fortunate enough to have heard him speak.' (Introduction)

Last amended 27 Feb 2020 11:31:18
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