Description
Temporarily out of stock
Title: Yarn Spinners
Author: NORTH MARILLA
Format: PAPERBACK
Publication date: 01/02/2017
Imprint: BRANDL & SCHLESINGER
Price: $39.95
Publishing status: Active
Worldwide, a perfect storm is brewing. The potential confluence of many challenges is understandably creating a disturbing sense of foreboding for the future. From climate change and environmental degradation, to the rise in unemployment and homelessness; from the conflicts that are causing an unending flood of refugees, to the rapid rise of populism in reaction to many of these threats there are no easy solutions, and when you put these ‘wicked problems together, it is clear that we are indeed facing a storm of considerable magnitude. History reminds us, however, that weve faced perfect storms before, so its very timely that biographer Marilla North has published a totally revised editon of Yarn Spinners, the award winning narrative biography of the life and times of Dymphna Cusack, Miles Franklin, Florence James and their contemporaries.
These three radical, controversial, and best-selling Australian authors lived and worked through the Great Depression – the deepest and longest-lasting economic downturn in the history of the Western industrialized world; through the second World War – with its atrocities and resultant flood of refugees; and into the Cold War – with its looming threat of nuclear destruction. Cusack and James working life also spanned the era that led to the launch of The Club of Rome, which alerted the world to the seriousness of climate change, environmental degradation, and the limits to growth in a finite world. How did they respond? To start with, they developed strong and supportive friendships that carried them through some very difficult times. Towards the end of the war, Dymphna and Florence pooled resources and moved to a house in Hazelbrook in the Blue Mountains, where they had milking goats, and chickens given to them by their dear friend and writing collaborator, Miles Franklin. They grew vegies, helped each other bring up Florences children while her husband was at war, and collaborated on a childrens book, Four Winds and a Family (1946), before writing their controversial best seller, an expose of WWll Sydney, Come In Spinner (1951). Throughout this period, Dymphna suffered from what she referred to as her debilitating dogs disease, (eventually diagnosed as multiple sclerosis or MS), which gave her headaches that were so bad she could hear the cat stamping. This did not, however, dampen her resolve to use her writing to fight for the common good. Together the three writers forged a path that has made it easier for all women writers. Marilla North quotes her mentor Vera Deacon when she says we stand on their shoulders. Their courage helped them face, head-on, a male-dominated publishing world, which actively sought to exclude them from public debate.
Marilla sees them as ‘strategic exemplars’ of women working collaboratively to take on the tasks that need to be done if were going to make this a better world. They fought for social justice, human rights, law reform, exposed the tragic consequences of war, took on the armaments industry and highlighted the dangers of nuclear weapons. They were involved in setting up international Peace networks and continually used the power of the pen for change.
In 1951 Dymphna wrote: Was invited last week to a meeting of English writers who are worried about the world situation And they talked such bunk about their souls, their philosophical concepts, their ethical attitudes that I lost my head and said their discussion sounded about as realistic as considering whether they would take steps about William the Conqueror! I made a really hot speech upon the responsibilities of writers, the tendencies of English ones (compared with those in other countries) to get into their ivory towers and went on to say that they might have to be content with being a second rate power militarily but there was no reason and never had been, why the English writer should consider himself of second rate importance mentally and in world influence.
With their passionate, warm, and witty letters, and the narrative thread woven by Marilla North, Yarn Spinners brings alive the friendships, loves and the battles, fought by these inspiring and intelligent women, who demonstrate how to face the many challenges that life throws up, with creativity, humour and aplomb!
ISBN: 9780994429605
Dimension: 234mm X 153mm