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Source: Harbour Publishing House
Gary Crew Gary Crew i(A23335 works by) (a.k.a. Gary David Crew)
Born: Established: 1947 Brisbane, Queensland, ;
Gender: Male
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1 y separately published work icon In The Secret Place Gary Crew , Stafford Heights : Hawkeye Publishing , 2023 26548398 2023 single work novel young adult 'What does a teenage boy do when he has no friends? When everyone who knows him sneers. When he is laughed at to his face? The answer is simple. That boy chooses his own path. That boy makes his own way in life. That boy grows stronger. He finds his secret place and there - alone, in the dark - he grows even stronger. Ben Gardner is such a boy. Ben Gardner could be you..... ' 

(Publication summary)

1 The Future of Handwriting Paul Westwood , Gary Crew , 2018 single work criticism
— Appears in: TEXT Special Issue Website Series , October no. 52 2018;

'Handwriting, as a means of personal expression, communication and creativity, is a fast diminishing skill and mode of expression. This dialogue between Paul Weston, a forensic expert in handwriting, and Gary Crew, a Professor of Creative Writing and established author, attempts to establish the necessity for the continued use of handwriting in all forms of human communication. ‘MS found: a meditation’ is a fictocritical short story alluding to R.L. Stevenson’s Essays in the Art of Handwriting (1905) and E.A. Poe’s ‘MS Found in a Bottle’ (1833). The story celebrates the longevity of handwriting and the handwritten document. It predicts the loss of elements of written creative expression if recording by hand, rather than computer or other IT mechanisms, becomes obsolete.' (Introduction)

1 Anticipatory Imaginaries : Dialogues between Academic Research and the Creative Imagination Marcus Bussey , Lisa Chandler , Gary Crew , Rachel Robertson , 2018 single work criticism
— Appears in: TEXT Special Issue Website Series , October no. 52 2018;

'The future isn’t what it used to be, that’s for sure. Eminent futurist Ziauddin Sardar summed up the situation under the banner of postnormal times. Here, in true Dickensian manner, he lays out the crisis for us:

'Welcome to postnormal times. It’s a time when little out there can be trusted or gives us confidence. The espiritu del tiempo, the spirit of our age, is characterised by uncertainty, rapid change, realignment of power, upheaval and chaotic behaviour. We live in an in-between period where old orthodoxies are dying, new ones have yet to be born, and very few things seem to make sense. Ours is a transitional age, a time without the confidence that we can return to any past we have known and with no confidence in any path to a desirable, attainable or sustainable future. It is a time when all choices seem perilous, likely to lead to ruin, if not entirely over the edge of the abyss. In our time it is possible to dream all dreams of visionary futures but almost impossible to believe we have the capability or commitment to make any of them a reality. We live in a state of flux beset by indecision: what is for the best, which is worse? We are disempowered by the risks, cowed into timidity by fear of the choices we might be inclined or persuaded to contemplate (2010 p. 435).'  (Introduction)

1 y separately published work icon Leaving the Lyrebird Forest Gary Crew , Julian Laffan (illustrator), Sydney : Hachette , 2018 14510180 2018 single work picture book children's

"'Are you lonely here?' her mother asked.

"'Never,' Alice said. ‘Not while I am friends with the lyrebird.'

"Alice has spent her life living on the outskirts of a small town. Every other morning, she is visited by a lyrebird. Her bond with this magnificent bird draws her to her nearest neighbour, Mr Brown, a widower who loves the bush and its treasures as much as she does.

"But change is coming: Alice is growing up, and having to think about her future. Mr Brown is getting older, and less able to look after himself. And as the nearby town grows, their beloved lyrebird and bushland are threatened too."

Source: Publisher's blurb.

1 y separately published work icon The Story of Eva Carmichael Gary Crew , Paul O'Sullivan (illustrator), Ulladulla : Harbour Publishing House , 2018 13504722 2018 single work picture book

'When eighteen-year-old Eva Carmichael boarded the Loch Ard, she did so amidst rumours that the ships of the Loch Line were cursed. And so it came to pass. In 1878, the magnificent clipper was wrecked off the treacherous coast of Victoria, Australia. Though the sole female survivor, and despite having lost her entire family, Eva refused to conform to the romantic image of the ‘maiden in distress.’ In the face of a media storm, Eva remained true to herself and resolute in demanding respect for her independence. Her courage and strength are qualities that still mark Eva Carmichael out today as a truly heroic woman.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

1 Mrs. Guard Reflects Gary Crew , 2017 single work short story
— Appears in: Review of Australian Fiction , vol. 21 no. 2 2017;
1 y separately published work icon Timing the Machine Gary Crew , Paul O'Sullivan (illustrator), Ulladulla : Harbour Publishing House , 2016 10177664 2016 single work picture book science fiction children's

'Enoch is studying H. G. Wells' classic novel, The Time Machine. His teacher has brought him to the museum to gain a greater appreciation of time but, as the museum closes, the lights dim and Enoch finds himself alone Or is he? Has some greater power lured him here? What is causing the entire building to vibrate? Some mighty machine throbbing into life? Take the Time journey. You may never return' (publication blurb).

1 The One They Sat Alone a Valediction : Demanding Mourning Gary Crew , 2015 single work short story
— Appears in: Social Alternatives , vol. 34 no. 3 2015; (p. 67-68)
1 2 y separately published work icon Voicing the Dead Gary Crew , Ormond : Hybrid , 2015 9139017 2015 single work children's fiction children's historical fiction

'You ask, 'Can the dead speak?'

'I answer, 'Is this blood that runs in my veins, or ink? I ask that you read me. I ask that you hear me. See me. Touch me. Others have, and tasted my blood ...'

'So writes Jack Ireland, 14 year old English born survivor of the horrors of capture by head hunters. In Voicing the Dead, internationally-awarded author Gary Crew revisits the astonishing story of nineteenth century teenager Jack Ireland who survived - and lived to fight back through his 'never say die' determination and creativity.' (Publication summary)

1 y separately published work icon The Visions of Ichabod X Gary Crew , Paul O'Sullivan , Ulladulla : Harbour Publishing House , 2015 8702826 2015 single work picture book children's science fiction

'Gary Crew (author of the award winning The Watertower) and artistic genius Paul O'Sullivan invite readers to explore - and possibly discover - the meaning behind the haunting, futuristic visions of Ichabod X.' (Publication summary)

1 1 y separately published work icon Corn Field Gary Crew , Kew East : Windy Hollow , 2014 9073181 2014 single work children's fiction children's horror

'What drew the boys into the cornfield that day? Bravado? Stupidity? Or was it more?

'Was it really to discover the truth behind the disappearance of that Pinchly kid the one who went in, and never came out?' (Publication summary)

1 Voicing the Dead Gary Crew , 2014 single work prose
— Appears in: TEXT Special Issue Website Series , October no. 27 2014;
1 3 y separately published work icon The Cuckoo Gary Crew , Naomi Turvey (illustrator), Abbotsford : Ford Street , 2014 6485454 2014 single work picture book children's

'Martin is the runt of his family. Without a mother to protect him, his overbearing father and brothers reject him. Aided by the self-sacrifice of loving friends, Martin finds the courage to fight for personal fulfilment.' (Publication blurb)

1 Fossils Gary Crew , 2013 single work short story
— Appears in: Social Alternatives , vol. 32 no. 4 2013; (p. 47-49)
1 What We Eat Gary Crew , 2013 single work prose
— Appears in: Reaching Out : Messages of Hope 2013;
1 [Essay] : The Lost Thing Gary Crew , 2013 single work criticism
— Appears in: Reading Australia 2013-;

Written and illustrated by Shaun Tan, The Lost Thing (2000) prompts readers to ask: ‘Who is this book for and what does it mean?’ Tan, in a personal email to the author, himself confesses that the work is a fable ‘about all sorts of social concerns with a rather ambiguous ending’, while the unnamed narrator of the story nonchalantly confesses: ‘don’t ask me what the moral is’. For these reasons, the reader may be forgiven for believing that the first-person narrator of The Lost Thing, represented in the illustrations as an ‘eraser headed’ young man, is possibly the author himself. But who knows, given that Shaun has declared of his work, ‘Just don’t ask the creator.’ (Introduction)

1 Museum Piece Gary Crew , 2012 single work prose
— Appears in: TEXT Special Issue Website Series , October no. 15 2012;
1 1 y separately published work icon The Boy Who Grew into a Tree Gary Crew , Ross Watkins (illustrator), Melbourne : Penguin , 2012 Z1906178 2012 single work children's fiction children's (taught in 2 units) 'A heartbreaking fable about nature and our relationship with it, and about the inevitable cycle of life. And then, as if on cue, the baby shaped its mouth into a perfect circle, drew breath into its cheeks and, curling its tiny tongue upon its bottom lip, breathed the long soft sound of wind in the trees. This is a tale of storms and bushfires and wild bees. It is a tale of an old couple and an unexpected gift from the bush. A gift they must one day return . .' (Publisher's blurb)
1 1 y separately published work icon The Architecture of Song Gary Crew , Sydney : HarperCollins Australia , 2012 Z1858728 2012 single work novel 'Small, but perfectly formed. Augustus is not a dwarf. He is perfectly proportioned, just on a smaller scale than other people. Abandoned by his mother at the circus, he is taken on by Rosa, a fiery and supremely pragmatic girl who sees great opportunity in the power of Augustus's voice. For when the little boy opens his mouth and sings, everyone's most personal and cherished memories are evoked, reducing even the most belligerent to tears ...' (Trove record)
1 The Illustrated Book : A Graphic Challenge for Teenagers Gary Crew , 2012 single work criticism
— Appears in: Viewpoint : On Books for Young Adults , Autumn vol. 20 no. 1 2012; (p. 2-3)
'Teenagers are not famous for wanting to read, especially boys ... But what may appear too taxing to even attempt is often made accessible, even pleasurable, if a book contains graphics or images; that is, if the book is illustrated.'
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