While missing out on a Clio may have been entirely predictable, having a post included in On Line Opinion/Club Troppo's exhibition of the best Australian blog posts of 2007 was completely unforeseen! It's a very pleasant surprise, and the exposure is nice too (On Line Opinion has something like 145,000 readers a week, according to Wikipedia). My post is here; all of the best posts are listed here.
I have to say, though, the post in question is not something I would have picked for my best of 2007: I don't think it's particularly well-written or insightful. Commenter Pericles would seem to agree: 'What a strange piece. I had thought that the practice of delving into the past and finding odd observations about "overseas" had long passed its use-by date'. Arrrgh -- and here was me thinking that anything that the proper study of history was anything and everything that had happened in the past for which records still exist. Why do I never seem to get these memos? Is there some mailing list I should be on? It's especially bad news for historians of Tocqueville and the like. And somebody should tell George Simmers that his examination of D. H. Lawrence's opinions of Australians 'is an entirely pointless exercise, and a stunning waste of your time and mine', since Pericles uses that very example for our instruction. Anyway, thanks, Pericles, for letting me know -- won't happen again.
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George Simmers
George Simmers is thoroughly aware that he's wasting his time, and enjoys pointless exercises. What would life be without them?
Mr Pericles is probably right in implying that you don't learn much accurate info about Australia from "Kangaroo" - but you learn a lot about Lawrence, and about England, too. (I'd be willing to argue that it's more of a "condition of England" novel than it is a "condition of Australia" one.
If Mr Pericles doesn't realise that digging out old snippets from the past is an immensely enjoyable exercise, and occasionally a staggeringly enlightening one, then I feel sorry for him.
Brett Holman
Post authorSorry to rope you into this post, George, but his mention of Lawrence and Australia was just too perfect an opportunity to pass up! You're right on all counts, of course. Some people are just grumps, and I guess Pericles is one of them ...