Michael McGirr
Michael McGirr’s most recent book is Ideas to Save Your Life (Text).
Quietly powerful novel reveals the presence of a master
Decades of experience are plainly evident in the craftsmanship of Alex Miller’s new novel.
- by Michael McGirr
Latest
Opinion
Australia votes
Over 65s should hand over their voting rights – the young have much more to lose
Voting should be optional for older people. We should be permitted to graciously sit the dance out and leave the floor to others.
- by Michael McGirr
Mark Raphael Baker’s final book is a work of profound sorrow – and joy
Written as he was dying, Mark Raphael Baker’s book is a meditation on living well in the face of death.
- by Michael McGirr
A deep dive into history to find its driving force
Paul Ham has written an ambitious and stimulating book arguing that history is powered by ideas. Our reviewer is not entirely convinced.
- by Michael McGirr
This beautiful memoir beats with a radically open heart
Ailsa Piper’s salts her sorrow with spiritual longing in this subtle book about living with grief.
- by Michael McGirr
This memoir on grief is a treasure chest of honesty and raw humanity
When her partner of 25 years died, Nova Weetman found the necessity of work and her two children kept her connected to reality.
- by Michael McGirr
Take a note, said Leonardo da Vinci and Pablo Picasso – to themselves
Roland Allen’s history of the notebook looks at the writers and artists who used them over hundreds of years, and the object itself.
- by Michael McGirr
Opinion
Political leadership
Harold Holt got a pool, Curtin a pub. What does Morrison deserve for a memorial?
Australia has a rich tradition of remembering former prime ministers in inappropriate ways. We choose monuments that sit strangely at odds with the person they commemorate. For Scott Morrison, frankly, there are too many options.
- by Michael McGirr
A masterful chronicle bears belated witness to the Holocaust
The translation of Auschwitz survivor Jozsef Debreczeni’s memoir from 1950 is a crucial addition to the number of important books about the Holocaust.
- by Michael McGirr
Good fortune and good people: how a mother survived the Holocaust
Rachelle Unreich’s account of her mother’s life is a remarkable story of good people and good luck.
- by Michael McGirr
Tony Birch’s novel is a beautiful witness to pain and endurance
The issue that lies at the heart of Tony Birch’s latest novel is domestic violence.
- by Michael McGirr
Original URL: https://www.smh.com.au/by/michael-mcgirr-p536r9