Synopsis
Change for us came so unexpectedly. One day my father was stalking the family as he had done for most of our lives, skulking from room to room, accompanied by a menacing silence that we had long ago accepted. And then he was gone.
Shadowboxing is a collection of ten linked stories in the life of a boy growing up in the inner-Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy in the 1960s. A beautifully rendered time capsule, it captures a period of decay, turmoil and change through innocent, unblinking eyes.
Michael’s family, led by his long-suffering mother, live as though under siege, surviving his father’s drinking and rage as well as the forces of "urban renewal." Their neighborhood is a world of simple pleasures as well as random brutality; of family life and love as well as violence and tragedy. As Michael experiences all this with a combination of wonder and fear, he matures into a sensitive adult who can forgive but never forget.
Shadowboxing is a riveting story of loss and permanence, power and weakness, stoicism and resistance.
In the tradition of John Morrison, it captures the essence of working-class life in inner-city Australia. Written in a spare, understated style that carries a surprisingly powerful emotional impact, Shadowboxing is a brilliant debut.
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About the Author
Tony Birch has published short fiction, poetry, and creative non-fiction, and has also worked as a writer and curator in collaboration with photographers, film-makers, and artists. He has a Master of Arts in creative writing and a PhD in urban cultures, and currently teaches creative writing at the University of Melbourne. Shadowboxing, his first book, was shortlisted for the 2006 Queensland Premier’s Literary Awards. Birch’s stories have been published in Best Australian Stories and his new collection, Father’s Day
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Shadowboxing
Published by
Scribe Publications Pty Ltd., 2010
ISBN 10: 1921640154
ISBN 13: 9781921640155
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Shadowboxing (Paperback)
Published by
Scribe Publications, Carlton North, 2009
ISBN 10: 1921640154
ISBN 13: 9781921640155
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Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. 'Change for us came so unexpectedly. One day my father was stalking the family as he had done for most of our lives, skulking from room to room, accompanied by a menacing silence that we had long ago accepted. And then he was gone.'Shadowboxing is a collection of ten linked stories in the life of a boy growing up in the inner-Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy in the 1960s. A beautifully rendered time capsule, it captures a period of decay, turmoil, and change through innocent, unblinking eyes.Michael's family, led by his long-suffering mother, live as though under siege, surviving his father's drinking and rage as well as the forces of 'urban renewal'. Their neighbourhood is a world of simple pleasures as well as random brutality; of family life and love as well as violence and tragedy. As Michael experiences all this with a combination of wonder and fear, he matures into a sensitive adult who can forgive but never forget.Shadowboxing is a riveting story of loss and permanence, power and weakness, stoicism and resistance.'A series of vignettes from amid the Australian lower orders, these tales appear as something of a faux-autobiography, and plain realism is their greatest strength . Tony Birch's Antipodean setting gives fresh lustre to a familiar genre, while his style is so straightforward that it is almost under-embellished.'-Joseph Crilly, Irish Times'Shadowboxing transcends the boundaries between the novel and the short-story collection.'-Ceridwen Spark, The Sydney Morning Herald'There's a Hemingwayesque minimalism about this writing, but in Hemingway the pathos was reined in more. In the 10 linked stories in Shadowboxing, the pathos is often barely contained and the effect is quite shattering . Birch's descriptions of the lower socio-economic world of inner Melbourne in the '60s are brilliant and he evokes, with a curious nostalgia, a claustrophobic world that anyone would be lucky to escape from unscathed. He has a great ability to pare down his prose, laying bare the raw flesh of the matter in the process. Despite their rigours, the stories are engaging, with flashes of larrikin humour. The book is even something of a page-turner at times, although the calamity of one page often leads only to heartbreak on the next.'-Phil Brown, The Australian Shadowboxing is a collection of ten linked stories in the life of a boy growing up in the inner-Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy in the 1960s. A beautifully rendered time capsule, it captures a period of decay, turmoil and change through innocent, unblinking eyes. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9781921640155
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Shadowboxing
Published by
Scribe Publications Pty Ltd., 2010
ISBN 10: 1921640154
ISBN 13: 9781921640155
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Shadowboxing (Paperback)
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ISBN 10: 1921640154
ISBN 13: 9781921640155
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Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. 'Change for us came so unexpectedly. One day my father was stalking the family as he had done for most of our lives, skulking from room to room, accompanied by a menacing silence that we had long ago accepted. And then he was gone.'Shadowboxing is a collection of ten linked stories in the life of a boy growing up in the inner-Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy in the 1960s. A beautifully rendered time capsule, it captures a period of decay, turmoil, and change through innocent, unblinking eyes.Michael's family, led by his long-suffering mother, live as though under siege, surviving his father's drinking and rage as well as the forces of 'urban renewal'. Their neighbourhood is a world of simple pleasures as well as random brutality; of family life and love as well as violence and tragedy. As Michael experiences all this with a combination of wonder and fear, he matures into a sensitive adult who can forgive but never forget.Shadowboxing is a riveting story of loss and permanence, power and weakness, stoicism and resistance.'A series of vignettes from amid the Australian lower orders, these tales appear as something of a faux-autobiography, and plain realism is their greatest strength . Tony Birch's Antipodean setting gives fresh lustre to a familiar genre, while his style is so straightforward that it is almost under-embellished.'-Joseph Crilly, Irish Times'Shadowboxing transcends the boundaries between the novel and the short-story collection.'-Ceridwen Spark, The Sydney Morning Herald'There's a Hemingwayesque minimalism about this writing, but in Hemingway the pathos was reined in more. In the 10 linked stories in Shadowboxing, the pathos is often barely contained and the effect is quite shattering . Birch's descriptions of the lower socio-economic world of inner Melbourne in the '60s are brilliant and he evokes, with a curious nostalgia, a claustrophobic world that anyone would be lucky to escape from unscathed. He has a great ability to pare down his prose, laying bare the raw flesh of the matter in the process. Despite their rigours, the stories are engaging, with flashes of larrikin humour. The book is even something of a page-turner at times, although the calamity of one page often leads only to heartbreak on the next.'-Phil Brown, The Australian Shadowboxing is a collection of ten linked stories in the life of a boy growing up in the inner-Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy in the 1960s. A beautifully rendered time capsule, it captures a period of decay, turmoil and change through innocent, unblinking eyes. Shipping may be from our Sydney, NSW warehouse or from our UK or US warehouse, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9781921640155
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Shadowboxing (Paperback)
Published by
Scribe Publications, Carlton North, 2009
ISBN 10: 1921640154
ISBN 13: 9781921640155
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Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. 'Change for us came so unexpectedly. One day my father was stalking the family as he had done for most of our lives, skulking from room to room, accompanied by a menacing silence that we had long ago accepted. And then he was gone.'Shadowboxing is a collection of ten linked stories in the life of a boy growing up in the inner-Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy in the 1960s. A beautifully rendered time capsule, it captures a period of decay, turmoil, and change through innocent, unblinking eyes.Michael's family, led by his long-suffering mother, live as though under siege, surviving his father's drinking and rage as well as the forces of 'urban renewal'. Their neighbourhood is a world of simple pleasures as well as random brutality; of family life and love as well as violence and tragedy. As Michael experiences all this with a combination of wonder and fear, he matures into a sensitive adult who can forgive but never forget.Shadowboxing is a riveting story of loss and permanence, power and weakness, stoicism and resistance.'A series of vignettes from amid the Australian lower orders, these tales appear as something of a faux-autobiography, and plain realism is their greatest strength . Tony Birch's Antipodean setting gives fresh lustre to a familiar genre, while his style is so straightforward that it is almost under-embellished.'-Joseph Crilly, Irish Times'Shadowboxing transcends the boundaries between the novel and the short-story collection.'-Ceridwen Spark, The Sydney Morning Herald'There's a Hemingwayesque minimalism about this writing, but in Hemingway the pathos was reined in more. In the 10 linked stories in Shadowboxing, the pathos is often barely contained and the effect is quite shattering . Birch's descriptions of the lower socio-economic world of inner Melbourne in the '60s are brilliant and he evokes, with a curious nostalgia, a claustrophobic world that anyone would be lucky to escape from unscathed. He has a great ability to pare down his prose, laying bare the raw flesh of the matter in the process. Despite their rigours, the stories are engaging, with flashes of larrikin humour. The book is even something of a page-turner at times, although the calamity of one page often leads only to heartbreak on the next.'-Phil Brown, The Australian Shadowboxing is a collection of ten linked stories in the life of a boy growing up in the inner-Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy in the 1960s. A beautifully rendered time capsule, it captures a period of decay, turmoil and change through innocent, unblinking eyes. Shipping may be from our UK warehouse or from our Australian or US warehouses, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9781921640155
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