So Many Words

Sydney Morning Herald

Saturday November 26, 2005

Malcolm Knox

While your best friend is curled at your feet wondering why you're reading rather than going for a walk, you can keep everyone happy with a Dog Breed Bookmark. Everything from the Australian terrier to the Bichon Frise.

Reading under the bedcovers is hazardous if you use a candle. A better choice is the Clulite CP1 Clip-A-Lite, a powerful long-life clip-on reading light.

Australian literary quarterlies are producing strong, often groundbreaking articles. Subscribe to Heat, Griffith Review, Meanjin, Overland or Quarterly Essay.

Judy Cassab - A Portrait by Brenda Niall was one of the best Australian biographies published this year. For those seeking more on the artist, Bridgepoint Books in Mosman has Judy Cassab Places, Faces & Fantasies by Elwyn Lynn, a portfolio of Cassab's work, for $120.

This year has been a strong one for Australian literary fiction by both established and newer names. Christmas-season highlights are The Ballad of Desmond Kale by Roger McDonald and Prochownik's Dream by Alex Miller.

NSW Solicitor-General Michael Sexton worked for the Whitlam Government and has brought his insider's knowledge to the most important Australian recent political history, The Great Crash.