Screw Steve Irwin

[jack_ryder]

Colin Thiele died yesterday

I know who I want the state funeral to go to.

Comments

[murasaki-1966.livejournal.com]

Same here.

You beat me to it, love. I was just about to put this on my blog.

[mrteufel.livejournal.com]

I guess my education was remiss. Never saw Storm Boy, never heard of Colin Thiele.

Whatever his faults Steve Irwin did a lot for conservation. While I understand not everyone liked him, and even I could only stand him in small doses, I don't understand the violent attitudes against him.

Now if little johnie died, I'd happily piss on his coffin before they closed the lid.

[murasaki-1966.livejournal.com]

Go thee hence, and read

Storm Boy

Magpie Island

and the Sun on the Stubble.

Next you'll tell me that you don't know who Patricia Wrightson is.

[mrteufel.livejournal.com]

Patricia who? Really.

I don't remember any of the books on curriculum in school. I was too busy reading Heinlein, Asimov, Poul Anderson, Harry Harrison, James Blish, Arther C Clarke, Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle... Oh, Ursula LeGuin... C.S. Lewis...

[jack-ryder.livejournal.com]

I contend that Wrightson and Thiele would probably have taught more Australian kids respect for Australian wildlife and landscape than Irwin ever did. But then they were never big in the US, were they?

[murasaki-1966.livejournal.com]

My God. You seriously don't know who Patricia Wrightson is?

Good grief.

Read this
http://www.latrobe.edu.au/childlit/Authors/Wrightson.htm
It saves me giving you a lecture. Then go and read either "the ice is coming" or "the Nargun and the stars"

And stop reading all that hard science fiction. You'll go blind.

[mrteufel.livejournal.com]

I think I like fiction where the action is largely outside the character's head, and where anything* may happen. Stories set in childhood are especially troublesome, as they may cause me to reflect upon my own rather unpleasant history. (No, not that.)

I did read "The World According to Garp" after seeing the Robin Williams movie, and found it sufficiently trippy. But then I read another of John Irving, and realised he was using the same tropes, so he lost me.

*for certain values of the term. Whatever happens should be unexpected, but later show to be consistent with the rules established for the fictional background.

[murasaki-1966.livejournal.com]

Try "A little fear" by Patricia Wrightson, which is about an old lady, a dog and a rather annoyed Aboriginal spirit. It's also a small book. Go on try, you know you want to.

[mrteufel.livejournal.com]

I'll give it a go. Can you tell me of a good Australian online bookstore?

[murasaki-1966.livejournal.com]

Save your money and visit your local library. Or I can lend you "A little fear" next time we meet.

Seriously, a lot of Wrightson's stuff is out of print. As is Thiele's. I don't know a good online bookstore, but Abbey's in the City have a great range of kids books and would probably have some of Wrightson's work.

[mrteufel.livejournal.com]

Consider it done.