Twenty states. Twenty-six essays.
From the theology of opioids to the aftermath of a mass shooting, from #MeToo to the paintings of George W. Bush, reporting from an East Coast ravaged by climate change to the dangerous world of the US–Mexico border.
“Brilliant”
- The Saturday Paper.
“Humorous, poignant, and censorious”
- Australian Book Review
Robyn Davidson, author of the classic memoir Tracks, has led a remarkable life of writing and nomadic travel. I
n this crisp, erudite essay, acclaimed critic and journalist Richard Cooke explores Davidson’s relationship with place and freedom, and her singular presence in Australian letters.
“Exquisite”
- Peter Craven
“Literary criticism at its best”
- Fiona Capp, The Age (Pick of the Week)
Dark Star:
Elon Musk’s Dangerous Turn
Award-winning writer Richard Cooke looks at the transformation of the world's richest person from self-described social moderate to trolling neo-reactionary and staunch advocate for hardline US conservatives. He unearths the roots of this turning in Musk's rise to power as well as in the politics of the new "tech right" and its adoring fanbase.
The essay also investigates an urgent question: what are the consequences for free speech - and hate speech - as Musk controls and reshapes the online town square?