Two very different books I have enjoyed reading during Sydney’s lockdown have been Belinda Probert’s Imaginative Possession and Kitty Flanagan’s 488 Rules for Life: The Thankless Art of Being Correct.
Deprived of the usual variety of human company, I’ve found some books really come into their own at such a time. They can offer us some of the comfort of conversation as well as a good laugh.
In Imaginative Possession, Belinda Probert examines her initial feelings of disconnection with the Australian bush on arrival as an English migrant and her quest for imaginative possession of her adopted homeland beyond its coastal cities. Probert seeks to understand other Australians’ experiences through reading extensively about Australian geography, botany and history, particularly Indigenous perspectives, but her personal engagement with country living offers new, more personal insights.
Probert moved from Melbourne to a small property in rural Victoria. Her anecdotes about the plants, animals, and birds she came to know infuse the book with interesting information and self-depreciating humour. Her conversational style makes the serious discussion accessible as well as providing a pleasure close that of catching up with an old friend for a long and stimulating chat.
Imaginative Possession is the first publication from the new Western Australian-based publishing house, Upswell. Started this year by a former UWA Press publisher, Terri-Ann White, Upswell will publish a small number of books a year chosen as likely to remain important contributions to Australian literature. As well as distributing its books in the usual way, Upswell has set up a subscription system whereby readers can support the new publishing venture and receive a copy of each new publication. It is a new approach to publishing in Australia and I wish Upswell every success.
Kitty Flanagan’s 488 Rules for Life started as a short segment on the ABC TV comedy show The Weekly in which she questioned why the best-selling book 12 Rules for Life by Jordan Peterson had only 12 rules. She wrote her book in response to viewers’ expectations for a list of all her rules. I laughed so much reading this book. Despite it being only one extended joke, Kitty Flanagan’s rules amused me with the insights they provided about human behaviour in all sorts of settings. Thanks to a friend who sent me this book with some chocolate and homemade hazelnut shortbread to provide some cheer during lockdown.
