Benjamin Law

Astonishingly well-written. It's perhaps fair to say that the people who choose to read a Quarterly Essay publication will be either those who accept its broad social aims, or writers of "The Australian" reading it to cherry-pick quotes for their articles. Nevertheless, Mr. Law's analysis of the history of the Safe Schools program in Australia is on point and thorough. More importantly, from the first few pages, it's clear that he is not a blind follower, but someone willing to investigate further. And Law's broader point about the still-entrenched spirit of homophobia in this country is felt keenly by many of us. A very good read for anyone even remotely interested in the subject - as we all should be, for the sake of our future generations.… (altro)

Benjamin Law is not the most technically gifted writer going around, but he has a very finely honed sense of humour that makes his books very readable. What makes them especially so for me is that they are written with such an authentic voice. Law doesn't pretend to be anything he's not, and as I am also a gay man from South East Queensland, I can relate to not just what he talks about but his vernacular and his sense of humour.

The weakness of the book is that he is too aware of his limitations as a writer and so doesn't tackle serious personal themes that might elevate his work to the next level. The best writers in this genre ([a:Augusten Burroughs|3058|Augusten Burroughs|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1337222509p2/3058.jpg], [a:David Sedaris|2849|David Sedaris|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1213737698p2/2849.jpg], [a:David Rakoff|3870005|Rakoff|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66-251a730d696018971ef4a443cdeaae05.jpg]) reveal a vulnerability at the same time as they amuse and entertain. Maybe that book is still to come in his career, and I'll keep reading with enjoyment until it does.… (altro)