Masthead and Jill

I'll back you up on that. Books in Aust are now very expensive. I returned
from a trip to Sydney, yesterday, with an 80 page paperback book that cost
$40! And then I saw another book I really wanted, an anthology of recent
American poetry for a small sum of $45, which I had to put back on the shelf
since the latest Tad Williams novel, I held in my shaking hand, was twice the
size for half the price. And don't expect a reply, I now cannot pay my
Internet account. My mobile phone went last year. Books are more important.
As for food, well. . . being gluten intolerant I can't live on cheap bread.
And to make things worst, my book buying is considered no longer a tax
deduction since the wisdom of our government considers my writing activity a
mere hobby, not a livlihood, even if I am doing a research degree. (Lets face
it, it is a humanities degree, that must be a hobby, not being IT or hard
science, even if I know more about cybernetic theory then most computer
scientists with PhDs I have ever met.) And don't even think of asking my
university library for the books I need. They don't even have the funds to
enroll more research students, let alone buy books these students need. The
frightening thing is, even the Labor scum's knowledge nation rhetoric is just
that, bullshit. As for actually living in Sydney, how can you afford to?
Welcome to Australia, the land of opportunity. Australia is a name for a
nation that sets out to con you. Don't believe the propaganda of a
comfortable safe society the tourist industry PR peddles! What happens to the
Australian Aborigines is but a visible tip of an iceberg. What do you think
about Australia, this country of ours where nobody is well? (With apologies
to Auden's _The Orators_.)

Chris Jones.

PS. . . I did think of selling drugs, but everyone else has the same idea and
the market is flooded, so no hope there and I am way long past being young
enough to sell my arsehole, anymore. Again, the market is flooded with
unemployed teenage boys. Maybe I should try armed robbery, but knowing my
luck I would get a suspended sentence and community service, rather then five
years free accommodation and food at Her Majesty's pleasure in Long Bay,
complete with a nicely stocked library.


On Friday 06 July 2001 11:38, you wrote:
> on 6/7/01 11:23 AM, [log in to unmask] at [log in to unmask] wrote:
> > Books are somewhat outside my budget
> > since they seem to have doubled in price in the past year. And I'm sure
> > that's not just my subjective bewailing.
>
> No, it isn't subjective bewailing. Both GST and low Australian dollar have
> made nearly all overseas books in Australia almost in the luxury class.
> I've seen reasonably slim volumes around the $100 mark and many books I'm
> interested in are routinely between $40 and $50 - so I really really have
> to want it. On the other hand, recently picked up a new American Penguin
> edition (released only last year) of Berrigan's Sonnets for around $22 and
> as the marked US price was $16 and the Canadian was $23 I reckon it was a
> bargain (or a mistake). And nice to know that US Penguin still publishes
> poetry.
>
> Best,
> Jill