Keywords: Christmas Story
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ARTS AND CULTURE
- Peter Craven
- 25 October 2024
In Juice, Tim Winton crafts a haunting world where climate apocalypse and moral ambiguity collide. This monolithic novel depicts a dystopian future scarred by climate change, with Winton’s intricate prose showcasing his mastery and leaving readers to grapple with its fierce ethical landscape.
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INTERNATIONAL
- Sarah Klenbort
- 03 April 2024
3 Comments
Americans, facing high healthcare costs, frequently resort to crowdfunding for essential treatments, highlighting a reliance on volunteerism to fill government gaps. Meanwhile, Australians, benefiting from a higher tax-funded safety net, donate less to charity. So how do differing approaches to social welfare influence the spirit of community and generosity?
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AUSTRALIA
- Kerry Murphy
- 04 January 2024
Throughout recent decades of Australian history, the stance every government has taken on asylum seekers has reflected the shifting political landscapes and challenging humanitarian issues that have continually shaped Australia's response to those seeking refuge.
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ARTS AND CULTURE
- Paul Mitchell
- 04 January 2024
Arguably Australia’s most celebrated living author, Helen Garner has built a reputation as a fearless and unapologetic writer whose work has remained fresh and relevant for over 45 years. We sat down with Helen to explore the challenges of confessional non-fiction, her fondness for church, and her commitment to unsparing self-analysis.
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ARTS AND CULTURE
- Peter Craven
- 15 December 2023
The Crown, that extraordinary TV series about the British Royal Family, is drawing to a close, with the final six episodes released in the prelude to Christmas. In the meantime, the producers have shrewdly done a quartet of episodes about Diana, with Australia's Elizabeth Debicki giving a dazzling performance as ‘the People's Princess’.
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ARTS AND CULTURE
- David Halliday
- 30 November 2023
2 Comments
Why another Christmas Carol and why now? This version takes a detour from Dickens’ original delving deeper into Scrooge’s past, painting him not just as a villain, but as a victim of circumstances. It suggests that behind every act we hastily label as ‘cruel’ lies a story of fear and anxiety, and a flesh-and-blood human being. And forgiveness, then, becomes an acknowledgment of our shared human frailty.
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ENVIRONMENT
- Anthony N Castle
- 28 November 2023
1 Comment
There is an economic case for acting on the climate crisis but the economics can be a distraction unless we start the conversation at the right place: the environment. A heating climate will cost us trillions. If we don’t act at all, it will cost us everything.
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AUSTRALIA
- Barry Gittins
- 16 November 2023
6 Comments
How should our nation reckon with its colonial history and its lasting impact on contemporary society? From the stark realities of early settlement to the enduring legacies of injustice towards Indigenous peoples, this piece explores what it means for a country to grapple with its identity amidst a backdrop of change.
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INTERNATIONAL
- Warwick McFadyen
- 08 November 2023
1 Comment
This November 11, for many at ceremonies around the nation, the clocks will stop, the breath will pause for a minute to remember the dead and injured of war. And like the poppies in Flanders fields, the lists of names of men killed in action continues to grow: in Africa, in Europe and Asia. If history is our teacher, then we are very poor students.
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ARTS AND CULTURE
- Juliette Hughes
- 13 October 2023
1 Comment
An intricate tale that delves deep into the realm of cults, deception, and the human psyche, The Running Grave goes beyond a mere detective yarn, with a narrative that confronts society's susceptibility to manipulation and questions the very fabric of our beliefs.
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ARTS AND CULTURE
- Juliette Hughes
- 09 August 2023
9 Comments
Navigating the labyrinthine world of James Joyce is a lifelong pursuit for some, and for Frances Devlin-Glass, it's a calling. From a chance encounter at a Bloomsday celebration to yearly seminars, her passion for Joyce has become a beacon for those eager to explore. But what is it about Joyce, and the global celebration of his work, that keeps readers coming back?
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AUSTRALIA
- Anthony N Castle
- 02 August 2023
6 Comments
Despite a decisive electoral shift and promises to solve generational crises in housing, climate, and the cost-of-living, the change many longed for seems slow under Labor. What can be realistically expected from a government with a mandate for change, yet wrestling with complex problems that defy simple solutions?
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