Blog Archives

Chimes of conviction, David Hill

Posted on March 11, 2015 by NZ Books

How Does it Hurt?
Stephanie de Montalk
Victoria University Press, $40.00,
ISBN 9780864739698

What Lies Beneath: A Memoir
Elspeth Sandys
Otago University Press, $35.00,
ISBN 9781877578892

Give Us This Day: A Memoir of Family and Exile
Helena Wiśniewska Brow
Victoria University Press, $40.00,
ISBN 9780864739681

Somebody once wrote ponderously that some of the best fiction s/he’d read came in the form of memoirs. Actually, I think it was me. And I’m reminded of the anecdote about Jonathan Raban and Paul Theroux, after they met up while travelling around the United Kingdom gathering material. When Raban’s travel journal Coasting subsequently appeared, Theroux commented that every page gleamed with authenticity, except for Raban’s account of the afternoon they’d spent together. Theroux didn’t recognise that at all.

Tagged with: Autumn 2015, David Hill, Elspeth Sandys, Helena Wiśniewska Brow, Issue 109, Otago University Press, Stephanie de Montalk, Victoria University Press
Posted in Memoir, Non-fiction, Review

The unforgiving minute, Stephanie de Montalk and Melissa Moon

Posted on September 1, 2011 by NZ Books

Running Writing Robinson David Carnegie, Paul Millar, David Norton and Harry Ricketts (eds) Victoria University Press, S40.00, ISBN 9780864736390 This book celebrates the distinguished athletic and academic careers of Roger Robinson – the English, Cambridge-educated essayist, editor and literary…

Tagged with: David Carnegie, David Norton, Harry Ricketts, Issue 95, Melissa Moon, Paul Millar, Roger Robinson, Spring 2011, Stephanie de Montalk, Victoria University Press
Posted in Essays, Non-fiction, Review

Stitches in time, Janet Hughes

Posted on December 1, 2009 by NZ Books

The Blind Singer Chris Price Auckland University Press, $24.99, ISBN 9781869404338 Vivid Familiar Stephanie de Montalk Victoria University Press, $25.00, ISBN 9780864735980 The Tram Conductor’s Blue Cap Michael Harlow Auckland University Press, $24.99, ISBN 9781869404307 Pocket Edition Geoff Cochrane Victoria…

Tagged with: Auckland University Press, Chris Price, Geoff Cochrane, Issue 88, Janet Hughes, Michael Harlow, Stephanie de Montalk, Summer 2009, Victoria University Press
Posted in Literature, Poetry, Review

Sounding real Tina Shaw

Posted on June 1, 2007 by NZ Books

The Fountain of Tears Stephanie de Montalk Victoria University Press, $29.95, ISBN 0864735316 Ocean Roads James George Huia, $34.99, ISBN 1869692373 At the Heart of Hiruharama Isabel Waiti-Mulholland Huia, $34.95, ISBN 1869692381 Following on from the biography of her cousin,…

Tagged with: Huia, Isabel Waiti-Mulholland, Issue 78, James George, Stephanie de Montalk, Tina Shaw, Victoria University Press, Winter 2007
Posted in Fiction, Literature, Review

Poem – Stephanie de Montalk

Posted on December 1, 2005 by NZ Books

Consultation You say the mind will leave its shallow convolutions and fissures and enter the skin, bone and irascible fluid of the tympanic organ of balance to produce vertiginous dreams and scenes of high drama on stairways and small…

Tagged with: Issue 72, Stephanie de Montalk, Summer 2005
Posted in Poem

Letting go, Stephanie de Montalk

Posted on September 1, 2003 by NZ Books

I was making coffee, gazing into what I like to think is the eastern ambience of the trelliswork, diamond paving, corner grotto and leaves in the garden courtyard next door, going through my writer’s routine, when my husband said, “You…

Tagged with: Issue 63, Spring 2003, Stephanie de Montalk
Posted in Comment

Verbal aerobics and intimacies, John Horrocks

Posted on June 1, 2002 by NZ Books

Favourite Monsters James Brown Victoria University Press, $24.95, ISBN 0864734344 The Scientific Evidence of Dr Wang Stephanie de Montalk Victoria University Press, $24.95, ISBN 0864734417 Readers of James Brown’s previous collections of poetry, Go Round Power Please and Lemon, will recognise…

Tagged with: Issue 58, James Brown, John Horrocks, Stephanie de Montalk, Victoria University Press, Winter 2002
Posted in Literature, Poetry, Review

Not simply red, Stephanie de Montalk

Posted on October 1, 2001 by NZ Books

An Explanation of Poetry to my Father Glenn Colquhoun Steele Roberts, $14.95, ISBN 18877228443 Hats Jenny Powell-Chalmers HeadworX, $19.95, ISBN 0473071487 Chrome Paula Green Auckland University Press, $22.95, ISBN 1869402405 Last year my husband’s Uncle Alec, a retired Edinburgh bricklayer,…

Tagged with: Auckland University Press, Glenn Colquhoun, HeadworX, Issue 50, Jenny Powell-Chalmers, October 2001, Paula Green, Steele Roberts, Stephanie de Montalk
Posted in Literature, Poetry, Review

Something nobody counted on, Bill Hastings

Posted on December 1, 2000 by NZ Books

Unquiet World: The Life of Count Geoffrey Potocki de Montalk Stephanie de Montalk Victoria University Press, $39.95, ISBN 086473414X I completely misunderstood this book. I did what I usually do to begin reviewing a book. I checked for a subtitle,…

Tagged with: Bill Hastings, Issue 52, Stephanie de Montalk, Summer 2002, Victoria University Press, W K (Bill) Hastings
Posted in Biography, Memoir, Non-fiction, Review

The rhythm method, Paola Bilbrough

Posted on June 1, 1999 by NZ Books

From the Author of Nick Ascroft Victoria University Press, $19.95, ISBN 0864733887 Animals Indoors Stephanie de Montalk Victoria University Press, $19.95, ISBN 0864733895 A close-up of a bat’s face and prehensile paws adorn the cover of Nick Ascroft’s first collection…

Tagged with: December 2000, Issue 46, Nick Ascroft, Paola Bilbrough, Stephanie de Montalk, Victoria University Press
Posted in Literature, Poetry, Review