Alan Vaarwerk
Alan Vaarwerk is a former editorial assistant for Readings Monthly
Review — 24 Oct 2013
Subtle Bodies by Norman Rush
Ned, a California anti-war activist, and his wife Nina are trying to conceive – he is 48, she is 37, and the clock is ticking. When Ned, without warning, travels…
Review — 22 Sep 2013
The Antibiography of Robert F. Menzies by Bernard Cohen
In the early years of the Howard government, the Liberal Party regularly evoked the legacy of its founder and Australia’s longest-serving prime minister, Sir Robert Gordon Menzies. The Menzies era…
Review — 28 Jul 2013
The Beethoven Obsession by Brendan Ward
In the world of classical music, the 32 piano sonatas from the great composer Ludwig van Beethoven are considered the pinnacle of the art form, collectively recognised as ‘the greatest…
Review — 23 Jun 2013
For God’s Sake by Jane Caro, Antony Loewenstein, Simon Smart & Rachel Woodlock
Religion, in its various forms, has delivered both immeasurable joy and terrible conflict throughout history. Currently, many ‘neo-atheists’ predict the death of organised religion within a generation. In For God’s…
Review — 28 Apr 2013
Good on Paper by Andrew Morgan
It’s no secret that a great novel is not just the work of a great writer, but of a great editor as well. In Good on Paper, the debut…