MAY ~ Indigenous Writers

 SHADOW LINES by Stephen Kinnane

JOAN: 
Published in 2003, it is a creative interpretation of a love story caught up in the back story of the Stolen Generation. A O Neville was an English administrator who for 25 years was The Chief Protector for Aborigines in Western Australia. During this time the policy of bringing half castes into the white population was carried out even though it was massively underfunded.
It was only later in his autobiography that A O Neville acknowledged the fault of what they had done although he still claimed they were following policy reinforced by the Royal Commission.
Joan found it very interesting, but hard to get into in the beginning.

She recommended Ruby Langford's DON'T TAKE YOUR LOVE TO TOWN as a lighter read about the Aboriginal mob and their culture.

JUDY also read it, echoing the comments that it was a difficult read but well worth it. She also thought it was repetitive and ponderous.
She identified 3 streams to the story.
Firstly the grandmother's story of a young aboriginal girl taken from her family at a young age, and later then falling in love and marrying a young Englishman. Their love story was held up as an example of mixed marriage.
Secondly there is A O Neville's story and the history of discrimination in Western Australia.
Thirdly is the author's story and trying to find his own roots.

SWALLOW THE AIR by Tara June Winch

WENDY: 
She described it as a contemporary account of a disjointed, urban aboriginal society.
It the author's first book and a terrific one. It consists of short stories some of which were published separately. They are not completely linked but are sequential.
She uses vivid language, with wonderful descriptions of the surroundings.
Her main characters are resourceful and resilient.

JO: 
Jo found the book very depressing because there was so much violence, drugs and alcohol. Her own experience in the north of Western Australia in the 1980's did not reflect this.

DENISE:
Her response to the book was..... we have imposed our (white) ways through colonization. Is the white way the best way?
The author has Afghan and English heritage. Her beautiful writing brings up so many pictures,
and is very even handed and not judgemental.

JUDY J:
The story focuses on the reality of life for much of the contemporary aboriginal community.
It doesn't attempt to offer any answers to the problems of poverty, violence, racial intolerance, drugs, alcohol etc.
May, the main character is a fair skinned aboriginal trying to find her place in her culture as someone who was raised very much in the white culture. To her, aboriginality is not about skin colour nor is it a matter of degrees. You can't be half an aboriginal.
The book is currently an HSC text. An eye-opening read.

LESLEY:
A short, strong novel about a young Aboriginal girl - May. She and her brother Billie watch their mother die whilst still young and they are raised by a loving and increasingly alcoholic and gambling possessed aunt.
The visual imagery was strong, clear and succinct. She liked the way Aboriginal English was used so May's 'voice' was heard not just in what she said but the way.

ED:
Ed also began the book, finding it rather sad and depressing.

PRUE:
Prue thought it a beautiful book, and the author a gutsy young lady with an interesting heritage.
Her writing was natural and had a grace to it which made it very vivid to read. She raised social issues without pushing them.


BUSTED OUT LAUGHING by Dot Collard.

SHEILA:
The book tells her story, born in 1923, she seems to have had a reasonably happy life.  She had 9 children and women seem to carry the load, they had the children to protect and raise. In her sixties she began acting and is now considered a National Treasure.
Even though her first husband was white, when they married he was classified as black, meaning it was difficult to work anywhere. It was demeaning the way he was treated even having to apply for citizenship.

ROSEMARY:
She thought the book was poorly written and didn't like the writing.
An interesting aspect though were forms and letters which were included in the book.

 JULIA:
Julia enjoyed the book, finding it easy to read but sad.


 PARIS DREAMING by Anita Heiss

CONNIE:
Much to her surprise, this turned out to be an example of 'Chick Lit'!
A young lady who works at the National Gallery in Canberra gets the opportunity of moving to Paris (in an exchange of cultures) to take up her dream job.
But once there the story revolves around fashion, handbags, shoes etc until she happens to meet a young aboriginal man and they fall in love.....

She also read THAT DEADMAN DANCE by Kim Scott.
The book tells the story of a young aboriginal boy in Western Australia at the beginning of colonisation. His tribe is very welcoming, teaching the British how to find food and sharing their language. He danced the stories of the aboriginal people which Connie found fascinating.
But you could see it was not always going to be compatible and eventually the two races were forced to separate which was quite sad.

MY PLACE by Sally Morgan

 JUDY G had enjoyed reading it in the 1980s and was blissfully ignorant of the real situation. She now reread it with different eyes.
The Drake-Brockmans have disputed Sally Morgan's story. Did she write it just for money, and why wont she take a DNA test?
Their 2 stories are so far apart in every way.

THE OLD FRANGIPANI TREE AT FLYING FISH POINT by Trina Saffioti

DIANN
Her opening comment was that this was the most uplifting 5 minute story that she'd read.
This delightful picture book tells of a young girl whose family gathers around while she finds something to wear to a school fancy dress carnival.
It illustrates peer pressure, co-operation, family ties, resilience, growing up and improvisation.
So much in a children's book!!

JULIA:
The dedication is the moral of the story. At the heart of it, family is so important.