BIRTH CANAL, by Dias Novita Wuri (Scribe, $30)
Should some fiction come with a trigger warning? I'm hesitant about this, possibly because I felt too much was made of the trigger warning that prefaced Brannavan Gnanalingam's Sprigs, an Ockham Book Awards-shortlisted novel about sexual violence in rugby culture, but there's also a sound argument in favour. Some content is genuinely disturbing for survivors of trauma, and it can serve as a useful headsup for anyone likely to become dismayed by authors who choose to express the dark side of humanity.
Here, then, is my warning to readers: Indonesian author Dias Novita Wuri's novella Birth Canal contains depictions of self-induced abortion, forced abortion, infanticide, violence, rape and suicide. Which makes for a relentless and often difficult read, but in her unwavering observations of the brutality of war, intergenerational trauma and the violence inflicted on women, she confronts the reader with the realisation that often it's too easy for us to simply look away.
Denne historien er fra July 8 - 14, 2023-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
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Denne historien er fra July 8 - 14, 2023-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
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First-world problem
Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.
Applying intelligence to AI
I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.
Nazism rears its head
Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.
Staying ahead of the game
Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?
Grasping the nettle
Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.
Hangry? Eat breakfast
People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.
Chemical reaction
Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.
Me and my guitar
Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.
Time is on my side
Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?
The kids are not alright
Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.
