Tsunami Days by John Barnie

"We need more writers with bite. We have lived in the flatlands too long," writes John Barnie in one of his `observations' (`Art in the Flatlands'). And bite he delivers. Ranging across politics, history, culture, ecological disaster, the meaning of truth, poetry, what we mean by identity and more. Barnie shares a window onto the world that is both erudite and particular. Leaning towards pessimism in a darkening world, these observations are often provocative, not from any bullish desire to antagonise, but as the result of mining a rationalist line of thought with an honesty and consistency that is applied as much to the author as to his subjects. There is a clarity here that some may find uncomfortable, but the aim is always dialogue above agreement; intellectual engagement above cheap solutions and sentimentality. Barnie asks us to think, consider and dig deeper, but most of all he asks that we ".live richly among our secondary self-created meanings, while recognising them for what they are. To face without flinching the nullity of the great void." (`Varieties of Meaning')Tsunami Days is a vital collection of essays for those prepared to engage with its unflinching observations.
Binding: Paperback / softback