The Meaning of Recognition
The sixth collection of essays, The Meaning of Recognition came out from Picador in hardback in 2005, and in paperback in late 2006, and collected essays and addresses from 2001 to 2005. The opening title essay began its life as a lecture given in response to being awarded the Philip Hodgins Memorial Medal for Literature in 2003, and the long closing essay "Save Us from Celebrity" was first delivered as a lecture to the Australian Commercial Radio Conference in 2004. Sandwiched in between, the majority of pieces in the book were, however, commissioned as magazine and newspaper articles in the normal way.
22 of the 31 essays in the collection are reproduced here. "No fixed idea except to avoid fixed ideas." Robert Musil
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Contents
Introduction
The Meaning of Recognition
Polanski and the Pianist
Fantasy in the West Wing TLS, 4 April 2003
Pushkin's Deadly Gift TLS, 27 September 2002
Great Sopranos of Our Time TLS, 30 January 2004
A Memory Called Malouf New York Review, 21 December 2000
The Hidden Art of Bing Crosby TLS
Larkin Treads the Boards
The Iron Capital of Bruno Schulz Los Angeles Times Book Review, 3 November 2002
Criticism a la Kermode TLS, 10 August 2001
Fast-Talking Dames
Rough Guides to ShakespeareTLS, 11 July 2003
General Election Sequence Independent, from 19 May 2001 onwards (six pieces)
Primo Levi and the Painted Veil TLS, 21 June 2002
A Big Boutique of Australian Essays Australian Book Review, May 2003
Slouching towards Yeats
Cyrano on the Scaffold TLS, 30 April 2004
A Nightclub in Bali Guardian, 16 November 2002
Our First Book Australian Book Review, December 2002 to January 2003
In Memoriam Sarah Raphael Independent, 17 January 2001
Aldous Huxley Then and Now The New Yorker, 17 March 2003
Formula Zero
A Man called Peter Porter TLS, 13 February 2004
Weeping for London
Attack of the Killer Critics New York Times, 10 September 2003
Philip Roth's Alternative America
The Miraculous Vineyard of Australian Poetry Weekend Australian, 6-7 March 2004
The University of the Holocaust Sunday Times, 28 March 2004
No Way, Madame Bovary Atlantic Monthly, October 2004
The Battle for Isaiah Berlin TLS, 3 September 2004
Save Us from Celebrity A speech delivered at the Australian Commercial Radio Conference, 16 October, 2004
The Meaning of Recognition
Polanski and the Pianist
Fantasy in the West Wing TLS, 4 April 2003
Pushkin's Deadly Gift TLS, 27 September 2002
Great Sopranos of Our Time TLS, 30 January 2004
A Memory Called Malouf New York Review, 21 December 2000
The Hidden Art of Bing Crosby TLS
Larkin Treads the Boards
The Iron Capital of Bruno Schulz Los Angeles Times Book Review, 3 November 2002
Criticism a la Kermode TLS, 10 August 2001
Fast-Talking Dames
Rough Guides to ShakespeareTLS, 11 July 2003
General Election Sequence Independent, from 19 May 2001 onwards (six pieces)
Primo Levi and the Painted Veil TLS, 21 June 2002
A Big Boutique of Australian Essays Australian Book Review, May 2003
Slouching towards Yeats
Cyrano on the Scaffold TLS, 30 April 2004
A Nightclub in Bali Guardian, 16 November 2002
Our First Book Australian Book Review, December 2002 to January 2003
In Memoriam Sarah Raphael Independent, 17 January 2001
Aldous Huxley Then and Now The New Yorker, 17 March 2003
Formula Zero
A Man called Peter Porter TLS, 13 February 2004
Weeping for London
Attack of the Killer Critics New York Times, 10 September 2003
Philip Roth's Alternative America
The Miraculous Vineyard of Australian Poetry Weekend Australian, 6-7 March 2004
The University of the Holocaust Sunday Times, 28 March 2004
No Way, Madame Bovary Atlantic Monthly, October 2004
The Battle for Isaiah Berlin TLS, 3 September 2004
Save Us from Celebrity A speech delivered at the Australian Commercial Radio Conference, 16 October, 2004