$27.95 – Paperback book / Scribe Publications / ISBN:9781921215100
Wordwatching
We live in a torrent of words from radio and television, books and newspapers, and now from the internet. But, as Julian Burnside reminds us in this witty and erudite collection, words are both a source of pleasure and power, and can be deployed for good or for ill.
Some of these essays explore curiosities in odd corners of the language simply to remind us of the extraordinary richness of the English language: we learn, for example, that the word pedigree refers to the shape of a stork's foot, and that halcyon recalls an early Greek love story.
Other pieces use small matters of language to illustrate larger processes of cultural borrowing and change. Burnside's musings remind us that we should not be alarmed at the instability of the language; rather, we should be see its wanton borrowings as a source of strength and vitality.
Wordwatching also reminds us of the need to be aware of the misuse of language in the service of sinister purposes whether political, ideological, social or personal.
Julian Burnside
Watching Brief: Reflections On Human Rights Law And Justice
$26.95 – Paperback book / Scribe Publications
The first decade of the twenty-first century has seen a sharp decline in respect for human rights and the international rule of law. The legal conventions of the new realpolitik seem to owe more to Guantanamo than Geneva... Buy or find out more →
Wordwatching Field Notes From An Amateur Philologist
$32.95 – Hardcover book / Scribe Publications
We live in a torrent of words ? from radio and television, books and newspapers, and now from the internet. But, as Julian Burnside reminds us in this witty and erudite collection, words are both a source of pleasure and... Buy or find out more →
Wordwatching (Revised and Expanded Edition)
$29.95 – Paperback book / Scribe Publications
We live in a torrent of words - from radio and television, books and newspapers, and now from the internet. But, as Julian Burnside reminds us in this new edition of the best-selling Wordwatching, words are a source both... Buy or find out more →
Watching Brief: Reflections On Human Rights Law And Justice
$14.95 – Trade paperback / Scribe Publications
Watching Brief is a collection of essays and meditations on law, justice, human rights, ethics and, ultimately, on what constitutes a decent human society. It is also an impassioned and eloquent appeal for vigilance in a... Buy or find out more →
Wordwatching
$27.95 – Paperback book / Scribe Publications
We live in a torrent of words from radio and television, books and newspapers, and now from the internet. But, as Julian Burnside reminds us in this witty and erudite collection, words are both a source of pleasure and p... Buy or find out more →
On Privilege
$7.95 – Hardcover book / Melb Univ Press
Julian Burnside's grandparents lived in a world of handsome cars, elegant tennis parties and coiffed women. As a five year old, he saw privilege before he heard the word or learned its meaning. In this powerful broadside... Buy or find out more →