Janet Frame died today. She was one of New Zealand's greatest writers. Everyone should read her three-volume autobiography - so go and grab To The Is-Land from the library and get started. If you're afraid of words that aren't scrolling down an iridescent screen, rent the dvd of An Angel At My Table.
Janet Frame almost never became a writer, because she was very nearly given a lobotomy. A friend of hers - a psychiatrist - arranged for the publication of her first book, which was the only thing that saved her.
Here's a link. It's an essay written by Sara Paretsky, one of the better mystery writers around these days (she created V.I. Warshawski). It's about the state of freedom of speech in the USA since the passing of the amusingly-name Patriot Act.
It made me doubly glad that I live in a country where I can say what I believe out loud without being banged up in jail.
Posted by pearce at January 29, 2004 6:38 PMwow. I'm a tad stunned. The news that Janet Frame has died hadn't reached here yet. hm.
Posted by: Cal at January 30, 2004 9:12 PM