-
1 month ago | 
independentaustralia.net | Rosemary Sorensen |Yanis Varoufakis |Pankaj Mishra |Patricia Lockwood
Does the state of the world turn readers to “escapist” books, or does it just turn readers away from books? Rosemary Sorensen reports. DESPITE THE CLAIM that so-called escapist romance novels are booming because, apparently, women want to “be inspired and feel joy”, it might seem all too hard right now to pick up a book of fiction, and stay with settings, characters and plots that have absolutely nothing to do with what’s going on in the world.
-
2 months ago | 
independentaustralia.net | Rosemary Sorensen |Omar El Akkad
Creative artists who platform against genocide should be applauded, not vilified, writes Rosemary Sorensen. IS IT BRAVE TO DO what Brisbane jazz musician Kellee Green did — naming her piano composition ‘River to Sea’ and urging people in her winner's speech at the Queensland Music Awards (QMA) to boycott Israel-connected businesses?
-
Mar 26, 2025 | 
independentaustralia.net | Rosemary Sorensen |Jeffrey Goldberg
The Atlantic's handling of the Trump Administration's group-chat security breach debacle should be commended, writes Rosemary Sorensen.
IN A WEEK WHEN the incompetence of some of the people of the United States of America was on hilariously terrifying display, may we please tip our hats to competence — to those who have the expertise and experience to do things well.
-
Jan 15, 2025 | 
independentaustralia.net | Rosemary Sorensen |Justin Ractliffe
Rosemary Sorensen examines the practice of book packaging – where teams of editors, influencers and writers write books on demand – and, posits the silencing of cultural and literary criticism is causing a dangerous lack of accountability in cultural production.
-
Jan 1, 2025 | 
independentaustralia.net | Rosemary Sorensen
Court certified rapist Bruce Lehrmann and his creepy support crew continued to interest and offend IA's audience this year, particularly this April article by multiple 2024 top-tenner, Rosemary Sorensen.
*****
Why does Bruce Lehrmann appear to be such a protected species? Rosemary Sorensen offers her analysis.
-
Dec 27, 2024 | 
independentaustralia.net | Rosemary Sorensen
Germaine Greer at 84 is still a powerful force, as was Rosemary Sorensen's hit September story about the famous academic and activist. *****Whatever she talks about and whenever she does it, Germaine Greer is impressive. Her latest media outing is an interview for British-American journalist Louis Theroux’s podcast, recorded at the end of 2023 when Greer was still 84. That followed hard on the heels of a shorter interview by David Wenham recorded for ABC TV. Wenham’s was much better.
-
Dec 18, 2024 | 
independentaustralia.net | Rosemary Sorensen
Following a search to replace managing director and editor-in-chief David Anderson, the ABC has found its man right under its nose. ABC Chair Kim Williams AM announced that former CEO of Nine Entertainment, Hugh Marks, who abruptly resigned in late 2020 following disclosure of his relationship with a staff person, will lead the broadcaster ‘into a new era of innovation and audience engagement’.
-
Dec 12, 2024 | 
independentaustralia.net | Rosemary Sorensen
'Honest' is the word critics often use to describe Helen Garner's writing. Her latest book, 'The Season', is efficient, clever, unusual and provocative. But honestly, it certainly isn't, writes Rosemary Sorensen. THE BLOKES ARE gushing over Helen Garner’s little book, The Season, which, she says, is simply about “footy and my grandson and me. About boys at dusk”.
-
Dec 4, 2024 | 
independentaustralia.net | Rosemary Sorensen
Peter Dutton is mimicking Donald Trump's strategies — making Australian politics more cynical, more angrily partisan, more culturally charged, overly politicised, and Americanised veteran journalist, Dr Nick Bryant tells the National Press Club, writes Rosemary Sorensen. IN THRALL TO THE DOMINANT CULTURE of the United States for the past century, if Australia were to lurch towards the politics of that failing nation, the perils are enormous.
-
Nov 13, 2024 | 
independentaustralia.net | Rosemary Sorensen
The re-election of Donald Trump has amplified the voices of America's misogynists who believe that 'women are property'. Rosemary Sorensen writes.
FEMINISM HAS MADE a difference to women’s lives in the past 50 years. Misogyny, nevertheless, is still very much embedded in masculinist belief systems, as the United States Presidential Election of a vulgar, sexist, abusive man shows. And while feminism cannot be destroyed, it’s now definitely on the defence, with misogyny on the rise.
