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In Life Class: The Education of a Biographer Brenda Niall 'describes her own life-journey, from childhood in the Melbourne suburb of Kew; her convent education; her brilliantly promising university studies cut short by family tragedy. Her first job, as editor of B.A. Santamaria's Catholic Action journal Rural Life, brought her suddenly and unexpectedly close to the dramatic events of 1954 when ALP leader Dr Evatt attacked Santamaria's Movement and the Australian Labor Party split disastrously. Later, her interviews at Raheen, Kew, with 95-year-old Daniel Mannix, for Santamaria's biography of the Archbishop, were her introduction to life-writing. She resumed her academic career at ANU and at Monash University in the thriving intellectual climate of the 1960s.
'Niall also retraces her literary footsteps to discuss the pleasures of biographical discovery and the pitfalls-technical, personal and moral-of entering other people's lives. Her biographical adventures include travels in England, Scotland and Italy, Austria and Hungary as well as scenes closer to home-in Melbourne, the Mornington Peninsula, Sydney and the Shoalhaven region of NSW.
'Niall's eventful, rich and creative life will fascinate her many confirmed fans and appeal to the growing number of readers interested in life writing. It is a valuable addition to the well-established tradition of eminent literary biographers writing about their craft.' (Publisher's blurb)
Notes
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Dedication: To my sisters and brothers and to the memory of our parents, Francis John Niall 1898-1952 and Mary Constance Niall 1902-1990.
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Works about this Work
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Untitled
2007
single work
review
— Appears in: Reviews in Australian Studies , vol. 2 no. 9 2007;
— Review of Life Class : The Education of a Biographer 2007 single work autobiography -
Untitled
2007
single work
review
— Appears in: JASAL , vol. 7 no. 2007; (p. 112-115)
— Review of Life Class : The Education of a Biographer 2007 single work autobiography -
Writing Lives
2007
single work
review
— Appears in: Quadrant , May vol. 51 no. 5 2007; (p. 88-89)
— Review of Life Class : The Education of a Biographer 2007 single work autobiography -
Alphabet Box
2007
single work
review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , April no. 290 2007; (p. 12-13)
— Review of Life Class : The Education of a Biographer 2007 single work autobiography -
Distant Lives, Still Voices
2007
single work
review
— Appears in: The Age , 24 March 2007; (p. 23)
— Review of Writing the Story of Your Life 2007 single work prose ; Life Class : The Education of a Biographer 2007 single work autobiography
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Illuminating Look at the Biographer's Art
2007
single work
review
— Appears in: The Canberra Times , 3 March 2007; (p. 15)
— Review of Life Class : The Education of a Biographer 2007 single work autobiography -
A Circumspect Eye at the Keyhole of History
2007
single work
review
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 17-18 March 2007; (p. 32-33)
— Review of Life Class : The Education of a Biographer 2007 single work autobiography -
Memoir Muted by Reticence
2007
single work
review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 17-18 March 2007; (p. 12-13)
— Review of Life Class : The Education of a Biographer 2007 single work autobiography -
Memoir
2007
single work
review
— Appears in: The Bulletin , 27 March vol. 125 no. 6562 2007; (p. 65)
— Review of Life Class : The Education of a Biographer 2007 single work autobiography -
Distant Lives, Still Voices
2007
single work
review
— Appears in: The Age , 24 March 2007; (p. 23)
— Review of Writing the Story of Your Life 2007 single work prose ; Life Class : The Education of a Biographer 2007 single work autobiography