
Sign up to save your podcasts
Or


How did hearing Samuel Becket say ‘fuck it’ on a scratchy tape kickstart a multi-doctoral author’s archive addiction?
In this episode, Yves and Clare talk to Dr (Dr) Matthew Lamb about his colossal biography of colossus intellect, activist, journalist, novelist, publisher and archivist, Frank Moorhouse.
How does a biographer navigate a living subject, especially when that person is a self-proclaimed chameleon? Do the personal archives of such a protean figure help or hinder truth-telling about a man who urged: ‘when the facts conflict with the legend, print the legend’. And where does responsibility lie when your subject commands ‘make it salacious’—but also requires discretion about his sexuality and gender?
By Clare Wright and Yves Rees5
33 ratings
How did hearing Samuel Becket say ‘fuck it’ on a scratchy tape kickstart a multi-doctoral author’s archive addiction?
In this episode, Yves and Clare talk to Dr (Dr) Matthew Lamb about his colossal biography of colossus intellect, activist, journalist, novelist, publisher and archivist, Frank Moorhouse.
How does a biographer navigate a living subject, especially when that person is a self-proclaimed chameleon? Do the personal archives of such a protean figure help or hinder truth-telling about a man who urged: ‘when the facts conflict with the legend, print the legend’. And where does responsibility lie when your subject commands ‘make it salacious’—but also requires discretion about his sexuality and gender?

105 Listeners

97 Listeners

6 Listeners

858 Listeners

14 Listeners

42 Listeners

40 Listeners

88 Listeners

44 Listeners

16 Listeners

160 Listeners

118 Listeners

78 Listeners

157 Listeners

63 Listeners