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Good Reading : March 2004
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4 (GoodReading) Caroline Baum PUBLISHER Rowena Cseh rowena@goodreadingmagazine.com.au CONSULTING EDITOR Caroline Baum editor@goodreadingmagazine.com.au EDITOR Kathy Mossop kathy@goodreadingmagazine.com.au ART DIRECTOR Ann Gordon, Tanya McAllan Design Mecca DESIGN ASSISTANT Jenni Leigh PRODUCTION DIRECTOR David Morcom TECHNICAL DIRECTOR Gabor Cseh ACCOUNTS MANAGER Jennifer Hooper Phone 61 2 4365 2748 Fax 61 2 4365 1762 NATIONAL ADVERTISING MANAGER Maria Biggelaar sales@goodreadingmagazine.com.au SUBSCRIPTIONS Merle Bennett Good Reading Magazine Reply Paid 3835 SYDNEY NSW 2001 AUSTRALIA Phone 61 2 9810 2477 Fax 61 2 9810 2488 subscriptions@goodreadingmagazine.com.au Website: www.goodreadingmagazine.com.au ISSN 1445-2839 Subscription rates – 12 issues per annum Within Australia $74.00 New Zealand A$105.00 International A$150.00 PUBLISHED BY Good Reading Magazine Pty Limited ABN 38 003 750 150 9 Stephen Street Balmain NSW 2041 Australia www.goodreadingmagazine.com.au Phone 61 2 9810 2477 Copyright © 2004 Good Reading Magazine Pty Limited All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the publisher. The views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the publishers. Liability howsoever arising as a result of the use of, or reliance upon, any advice, representation, statement, advertisement, opinion or conclusion expressed in Good Reading is expressly disclaimed by the publishers and participants in its preparation. PRINTED BY Agency Printing Phone 02 8825 8900 DISTRIBUTED BY NDD Distribution Phone 02 9353 9911 PHOTO CREDIT Photo of Caroline Baum courtesy of Ovation – the arts and entertainment channel. So many people seem to have a fantasy about writ- ing a book – more and more people seem to be having a go. What is it about a writer’s life that seems so desirable, I wonder? Is it the solitude they long for or is it the imagined glory and riches of writing a popular bestseller? I tend to think it’s the latter. It’s not difficult to envy the lifestyle of crime writer Donna Leon, whom you can meet on page 14. She lives in Venice, which gives her a head start, and each of her crime thrillers is eagerly awaited by a devoted audience: who could ask for anything more? For those taking their first creative steps, keeping a journal can be an important part of the process. Stephanie Dowrick, a trusted navigator of the inner life, talks about the value of such a record on page 35.You’ll want to set aside some quiet time and find yourself a handsome notebook for your private thoughts and imaginings. Sometimes writers get boxed into a role – particularly children’s writers, who can find it very difficult to break into the adult market, given the vocal expectations of their young fans who don’t want to be left high and dry. But Jackie French has not let that put her off and has written her first novel for grown ups – she talks about it on page 26. How she found time to tackle such a meaty subject on top of her gardening and other commit- ments continues to baffle me. This month GR’s reading group tackles a modern classic: Elizabeth Smart’s By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept – surely one of the longest titles of a novel in any lan- guage. This slim volume has had tremendous impact and acquired a cult following. Beryl Bainbridge claims it was one of the books that made her want to become a writer, while Angela Carter described it as ‘Madame Bovary blasted by lightning’. See if you agree with the group’s assessment on page 12. Finally this month, it’s time for me to say goodbye. After nearly three years with GR, it’s time for a change. I’ve loved editing the magazine, particularly because your feedback and response to it has been so positive and inspiring. The magazine is in very good hands and will continue to bring you the books and writers you want to know about while I find out if the life of a writer is the life for me! Happy reading! (foreword)
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