image of person or book cover 4411503515456699248.jpg
Cover image courtesy of publisher.
y separately published work icon A Bone of Fact single work   autobiography  
Issue Details: First known date: 2014... 2014 A Bone of Fact
The material on this page is available to AustLit subscribers. If you are a subscriber or are from a subscribing organisation, please log in to gain full access. To explore options for subscribing to this unique teaching, research, and publishing resource for Australian culture and storytelling, please contact us or find out more.

AbstractHistoryArchive Description

'David Walsh - the creator of The Museum of Old and New Art (Mona) in Hobart - is both a giant and an enigma in the Australian art world. A millionaire who made his wealth gambling, he has turned a wild vision into a unique and bizarre reality, he is in turns controversial, mysterious and idolised. A Bone of Fact is his utterly unconventional, incredibly absorbing and brilliantly surprising memoir, about which he says:

'Stanislaw Lem, noted Polish science fiction author and notorious smartarse, once told an American colleague that his new collection of short stories would be published in a paper bag. This conjured a mental picture of the stories being selected by lucky dip. The idea that my life story could be told that way, without a disabling manifesto, is appealing.

'Unfortunately Mr Lem had actually said 'paperback' (his meaning concealed underneath his thick accent), a wholly ordinary practice to deliver extraordinary stories. My story lacks Mr Lem's magical reality and philosophy, and it also lacks a paper bag.~

'One friend who perused an early manuscript of A Bone of Fact suggested I consign it to a garbage can, and I like the idea. The idea of a vignette popping out every time you depress the foot-pedal is a good one. So if you are reading this after it having popped out of the trash I'm probably paying royalties.'

(Publication abstract)

Notes

  • Dedication:

    For Grace...

    For Jamie...

    For Misty and James...

    For Zeljko...

    But Not for Kirsha...

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

Works about this Work

Walsh Keeps Cards Close to His Chest Sasha Grishin , 2015 single work review
— Appears in: The Canberra Times , 31 January 2015; (p. 23)

— Review of A Bone of Fact David Walsh , 2014 single work autobiography
A Welcome Contradition Amanda Lohrey , 2014 single work review
— Appears in: The Monthly , December no. 107 2014; (p. 42-47)

— Review of A Bone of Fact David Walsh , 2014 single work autobiography
The Thinking Man’s Memoir David Free , 2014 single work review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 13-14 December 2014; (p. 26)

— Review of A Bone of Fact David Walsh , 2014 single work autobiography
'David Walsh’s autobiography establishes him as one of our most interesting writers, argues David Free.'
Art and the Artless - The Life of an Accidental Collector Patricia Anderson , 2014 single work review
— Appears in: The Age , 22 November 2014; (p. 25) The Sydney Morning Herald , 22-23 November 2014; (p. 33)

— Review of A Bone of Fact David Walsh , 2014 single work autobiography
David Walsh's Catholic Guilt Barry Gittins , Jen Vuk , 2014 single work review
— Appears in: Eureka Street , 15 September vol. 24 no. 18 2014;

— Review of A Bone of Fact David Walsh , 2014 single work autobiography
Review : A Bone of Fact Veronica Sullivan , 2014 single work review
— Appears in: Books + Publishing , vol. 94 no. 1 2014; (p. 24)

— Review of A Bone of Fact David Walsh , 2014 single work autobiography
David Walsh, A Bone of Fact 2014 single work review
— Appears in: The Saturday Paper , 4 - 10 October 2014;

— Review of A Bone of Fact David Walsh , 2014 single work autobiography
David Walsh's Catholic Guilt Barry Gittins , Jen Vuk , 2014 single work review
— Appears in: Eureka Street , 15 September vol. 24 no. 18 2014;

— Review of A Bone of Fact David Walsh , 2014 single work autobiography
Art and the Artless - The Life of an Accidental Collector Patricia Anderson , 2014 single work review
— Appears in: The Age , 22 November 2014; (p. 25) The Sydney Morning Herald , 22-23 November 2014; (p. 33)

— Review of A Bone of Fact David Walsh , 2014 single work autobiography
The Thinking Man’s Memoir David Free , 2014 single work review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 13-14 December 2014; (p. 26)

— Review of A Bone of Fact David Walsh , 2014 single work autobiography
'David Walsh’s autobiography establishes him as one of our most interesting writers, argues David Free.'
Last amended 6 Aug 2015 15:25:09
Subjects:
Newspapers:
    Powered by Trove
    X