Customer Reviews

5 reviews

• Marian Redmond

  I'm so glad they saw the value of your description of your life and the path you blazed in those times of change. It was once the case that living in Brisbane was not a good launching pad to the world, but you've overcome that barrier and they do say that it's a timely story of the personal in the political world and so that it crosses cultures and countries. It's a piece of luck in that sense. You lived and wrote a great story. It seems appropriate that it is a UK publisher. Maybe you belong, not only to a progressive political tradition, but to the rollicking storytellers of Irish literature. It reminds me of the Anglo Irish writer, Joyce Cary's book, The Horse's Mouth, about a bohemian artist, in that it is exuberant, lively and amusing.

• Jude Munro

  It’s wonderful. The way you’ve written is so typical of you - erudite and funny - full of great insight and moment.

• Gordon Curtis

  I remember you well Gay. I thought you were very clever and very attractive. You were also a bit intimidating back then. Your programmes were intelligent and fierce. I listened and took note. Being one of the earliest announcers you helped set the direction and tone of our station. I can go on about the importance of Z as a transformative entity for the people of Brisbane as well as ourselves as individual people.

• Sandra Gobbo

  Gay, one thing also from someone who was 18 at the time, you have generously omitted how comprehensively you and other feminists wiped the floor with both Tony Abbott and Peter Costello at the AUS annual conferences (77-78). As a young very impressionable lesbian, I was so inspired by the way you all completely demolished their arguments in so many plenaries – I kind of think Tony Abbott made some of his decisions as Prime Minister as revenge for those devasting embarrassments – he was no match for the intellectual capacity of yourself and Laurie Bebbington. Looking forward to reading the final edition.
  
  

• Barbara Preston

  This is an impressive book. Structurally, it combines effortlessly with your personal. social and political experiences, while thematically always pointing to a potentially better future. Your travails were so difficult, your setbacks so real, that I wondered what kept you going- apart of course from your Irish upbringing, sense of humour, and stubbornness.
  
  The book is important not only because it chronicles your life and the crucial events you were involved with, but the many other dedicated lives that fill the pages. It deserves to be read by the older, current and future generations, and hopefully, it will be.
  
  I found your writing to be flowing, accessible, erudite but never ‘academic’. On the contrary, it was a fascinating mixture of straightforward language holding real emotions and great precision of expression, when required.
  
  I enjoyed it immensely and looked forward to turning each page, even though sometimes felt exhausted by your various exploits!
  
  Three things come through to me most forcefully from the book. The first, that you have had a most challenging, difficult, even traumatic life; the second, that you have contributed to many essential, life-enhancing, overdue changes to Australian society and thirdly, that you have been surrounded and supported by much affection and love on your journey. I have no doubt this support was reciprocated.
  

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