An unsettling play about infidelity seen from the perspective of the three women involved: the wife; the lover and the daughter. George and Honor have been happily married for thirty-two years. She is a successful writer; he is a revered columnist. They have a perfect understanding of each other. Until a pushy young female journalist - on an assignment to profile George - quite deliberately seeks to undermine that understanding. The fallout is dreadful - but beautifully and convincingly portrayed in all its painful consequences. Murray-Smiths considerable skill lies in charting the minute emotional shifts and the subtle power play between the four people... Superb - Mail on Sunday Murray-Smiths writing is searching and droll; naturalistic and poetically honed - Independent on Sunday An old story; but thanks to the quality of the writing and acting we share the characters sense of sailing into uncharted waters... And there are some excellent comic touches... the piece deserves full credit for its honesty and dramatic grip - Sunday Telegraph Its an intelligent; powerful; gripping piece - The Times A really powerful new play. Joanna Murray-Smith is the most exciting Australian dramatist of her generation - New Statesman
#551426 in eBooks 1997-11-15 2014-12-23File Name: B00R4X5W18
Review
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful. Breathing Under WaterBy Michael SalcmanFire in the Belly; the first biography of David Wojnarowicz; is perhaps the saddest and most devestating book you will read this year. It contains graphic descriptions of the child abuse Wojnarowicz suffered in a completely dysfunctional family circle; his life on the streets as a hustler and male prostitute; his combustible personality and addictions to cocaine and heroin; his poverty and hand-to-mouth existence. The book situates him in the context of the emerging East Village art scene; the arrival of the AIDS epidemic; the widespread loss of major cultural figures and the important legal battles Wojnarowicz fought on behalf of the First Amendment and the gay community. Somehow; out of all this turmoil; the visceral energy of Wojnarowiczs paintings; photographs; performance art; books and films; emerges with the power of revelation. Wojnarowicz was essentially self-taught but he had the support of a major artistic presence; photographer Peter Hujar; who served as mentor and muse; friend; critic and (briefly) lover. The sections on Hujar are so evocative that the book almost becomes a dual biography. Since Wojnarowiczs death in 1992; his reputation as the central figure in the East Village scene has soared and critical reception of his art has evolved; he is now the beneficiary of what is sure to remain the pioneering and standard biography of a truly significant artist.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Devestating; InspiringBy BuffyThis book is an exhaustive look at the life of David Wojnarowicz. From the abusive parents and his life on the streets its hard to see how he was going to make it through. But somehow he channeled his pain and anger into writing and then art. None of it is ever easy even when the success comes. And when things seem to finally be going in a happier direction the world around him seems to be collapsing with the newly emerging aids epidemic. I especially like the book for the insights it offers into the meaning and imagery of his visual art and for bringing the 80s east village art scene to life. His artwork seems to have taken a back seat to some of the splashier artists of the 1980s but for those interested in that period this is recommended.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. And we are all the better for thatBy CustomerThis biography was so gripping; at times heartbreaking; at times hilarious; but always illuminating. David Wojnarowicz emerges as a complex person; and Carr doesnt shy away from showing all sides of this extraordinary artist. His road to becoming one of the most significant artists of the East Village artists movement to his time atop the national art world was twisted and would have stymied most people. But the man that Carr presents in this unbelievably written account of his life did not let the darkness conquer his light. And we are all the better for that.
