Profile: Peter Carey

European settlement through areas where the only religion is the spirituality of the Aboriginal people. The bringing of Christianity to the “heathens" or, Tndeed, Christianity passing through “heathen" lands has P u > fc X c to be marked in some form, and the leader of the expedition organises a massacre of Aboriginal people. Christianity has well and truly arrived. Carey readily acknowleded the Peter Carey difficulties he faced as a non- Aboriginal attempting to write about the effects of the European invasion ithin days of his triumphant upon Aboriginal society. “A number return front London with of years ago 1 was at a playwrights' W the 1988 Booker Prize, conference in Canberra, and Gary work. While admiring his skill and Peter Carey disappeared into the Foley said, "Just stop fucking imagination, 1 found it difficult to bush with filmmaker Wim Wenders. around, you whites, because reconcile Carey the author with Carey is working on the screenplay of Aboriginal people have enough C a re y ’s other profession in Wender’s next film Till The End of misinformation to deal with about advertising. For a long time, in fact, the World, much of which is set in who we are and what we are. Let us Carey combined the two, supplemen Central Australia. deal with that and you stick to your ting his income from writing with a own stories. steady income from the advertising Work commitments aside, the “I thought that this was both agency. It took Bliss to finally expel desert is probably providing Carey absolutely right and absolutely doubts I had about Carey and with a welcome respite from the wrong. Right because I understood endless interviews, press appearances advertising. In Bliss, the main what he was saying and 1 recognised character, Harry Bliss, too works in and public functions which followed that he had every right to say that. the announcement that Oscar and advertising. After a heart attack Joy But, at the same time, 1 felt that there looks around at his work, house and Lucinda had been awarded the might be writers who were capable, world’s most prestigious literary family and decides that he has died even though they w ere not and is in hell. Nothing, however, has prize. Aboriginal, of transcending their really changed except Joy’s In many ways, Oscar and race and class to a degree by the sheer Lucinda was an appropriate choice perception of his society. power of their understanding and Earlier this year I had the to win the Booker during the sympathy and the power of their Bicentennial year (interestingly, it opportunity to question Carey about writing.” his background in advertising. was overlooked for the major Oscar and Lucinda, then, Australian literary awards). The Somewhat surprisingly, he referred continues the political trend Carey to advertising as one of the important novel is an unusual love story set in established with his first collection of Australia in the 1860s. Oscar political influences on his work. “We short stories. The Fat Man in live in a capitalist society and large Hopkins, a young member of the History, published in 1974. The Fat Plymouth Brethren, turns against his corporations are the bodies which Man was followed by another really rule our lives. I found it very father and becomes an Anglican collection of short stories, War minister. Oscar sends himself into useful and informative to be in a Crimes (1979). and the novels Bliss position where I could see the intim exile to Australia on the fruits of his (1981) and Illywhacker (1985). ate workings of large corporations successful gambling exploits. In t-or Carey, all his work is Sydney, he finds himself increasingly and I got to know a lot of people political in one sense or another. But involved in the running of those drawn to Lucinda Leplastrier, a while he may be constantly criticising strong-willed independent woman corporations quite well. I’m sure that society and suggesting alternatives, none of us would wish to have a who has bought a glass factory at he is also aware of the dangers of Darling Harbour, through their literature totally produced by overtly political writing. "Talking schoolteachers and I feel it has beena mutual obsession with gambling. about politics and writing can be And it is a bet which sets up the valuable e xperience to have had the dangerous because it can make you nitty gritty political experience of central incident of the novel — a sound like an essayist. I'm not trying glass church on a barge floating up working in advertising," to write essays or propaganda. What But whatever you think of the Bellinger River. 1 am trying to do is to create an Carey’s political “education”, it's The glass church provides Carey imaginative work and it just happens probably vitally important to read with a number of opportunities to that politics plays an important, but raise issues about colonisation of Oscar and Lucinda before you accept hopefully subtle, part in the creation your next dinner parly invitation. It's Australia. The church has to be of that work.” carried in pieces overland from the sort of book everybody will be Sydney to the mouth of the river — In the early days of Carey’s discussing for a long time to come. passing beyond the limits of career I felt a little uneasy about his Alark Roberts..

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