"The Accidental Indies reads with a lyricism and intelligence that is hard to match in other modern fictions. It is a rare combination of literature and history in a form that is daring and inspiring." Hugh Brody, author of Maps & Dreams It is a work of literary power and rare imagination - a discovery of the great discoverer. "This is a beautiful book - a kind of magic, shamanic flight to find the inner meaning of Columbus. You do not simply read this story, you ride it, relish it, and sometimes you find yourself IN it." Dava Sobel, author of Longitude and Galileo's Daughter. I suspect Finley of past lives or channeling or worse, because he seems to know what really happened heading westward over the water in 1492. Thus Robert Finley begins his exquisite prose poem, The Accidental Indies, a fantasy of precise language and provocative imagery. "Imagine the infant Columbus vaulting out of his cradle, striking his head on the world, and spawning his megalomaniacal wanderlust. "The Accidental Indies is a gem - it is boldly imagined and splendidly written." John Casey, author of the National Book Award winner, Spartina With humour, inventiveness and an exquisite gift for words, Robert Finley has rescued Columbus's adventures from the excesses of hagiography and the disparagements of outrage, and restored them, once again, to the realm of myth from whence they sprung." Alberto Manguel, author of A History of Reading and The Dictionary of Imaginary Places "I was utterly enchanted by The Accidental Indies. The Accidental Indies is a brilliant and utterly original work of literature." Eric Ormsby Through its elaboration of the rich and lively ironies of the Columbus story, The Accidental Indies looks at the nature of storytelling itself. It is a book about how we perceive and represent the world around us, about the creative and destructive power of language. This incisive and luminescent story, scrupulously grounded in sixteenth-century sources, illuminates the power that "naming" has to create a world - in this case a world still haunted by being the accidental Indies. Finley charts a course for us through the days at sea, through the voyage itself, its records and commentaries, into the fraught territory of Columbus' imaginary "Indies" and the representation of this New World on his return to Spain. It is a journey through wondrous words that begins with Columbus's earliest explorations when he first "tests the heft and roundness of this earth against his infant head" by stepping from the edge of his rocking cradle to come up short on the boards of the nursery floor. Robert Finley imagines, sings, charts, and paints the story of Columbus's problematic 1492 expedition to the Caribbean, creating a world that is as vivid and compelling as the explorer's own voyage to the misnamed "Indies". You can also Tweet us or join us on the Facebook group.At once moving and lyrical, The Accidental Indies is a tale in which we join Christopher Columbus on a fantastical voyage through western seas and Western imagination. We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to. ĭemocracy Sausage with Mark Kenny is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This podcast is produced by Policy Forum at Crawford School of Public Policy in partnership with The Australian National University. He came to the university after a high-profile journalistic career including six years as chief political correspondent and national affairs editor for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, and The Canberra Times. Mark Kenny is a Professor in the ANU Australian Studies Institute. Listen here: Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts.Īnnika Smethurst is state political editor for The Age newspaper in Melbourne and a Director on the Board of the National Press Club. Might an aversion to scrutiny come to be his Achilles’ heel?Īnd what does his ‘daggy dad’ persona reveal about his leadership style, but also about what the Australian public expects of their political figures?Īnnika Smethurst, state political editor at The Age and former member of the federal press gallery, joins Professor Mark Kenny to discuss her new biography of Australia’s 30th prime minister. Not expected to win the 2019 election, Scott Morrison has been Australian Prime Minister during a time of great uncertainty.īut how did he come to be selected, then elected, for top political office? On this episode of Democracy Sausage, journalist and author Annika Smethurst joins Mark Kenny to discuss political accountability and her new biography of Scott Morrison, The Accidental Prime Minister. Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny: The accidental prime minister with Annika Smethurst
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