'In Otherland (2010), Maria Tumarkin writes: ‘Humility is a big deal to me…’, and her first three nonfiction books – all of which delve deeply, unapologetically and revealingly into ‘serious’ territories – carry the imprint of that Big Deal, in their conception and tone. Tumarkin has previously approached trauma, genocide, war, loss, guilt, systematic oppression, and survival with exploratory urgency. Her newest book, Axiomatic, is written in the same spirit. Here, Tumarkin has taken Australian society and culture as her chief subject for the first time, attending to very real but not obviously historical crises, while expanding on thematic concerns that run through her body of work. It is her most vital, compressed and compelling book to date.' (Introduction)
I recommend poet Wisława Szymborska. – Axiomatic I prefer moralists who promise nothing. - Wisława Szymborska, ‘Possibilities’ We know ourselves only as far as we’ve been tested. - Wisława Szymborska, ‘Moment of Silence’ On this third planet of the sun among the signs of bestiality a clear conscience is number one. - Wisława Szymborska, ‘In Praise of Feeling Bad about Yourself’