'There was a conference on literature at Monash Uni earlier this year and not one of the 70 papers presented was by an author. When this was pointed out to a prominent scholar the reply was that the Wool Board doesn't need to consult with the sheep. As a fiction writer, I found the analogy pretty apt. Being more pragmatic than academic, I'm dodging heavy duty theorising. This article is simply a practical overview of gay writing in Australia, an examination of recent history, choices and consequences. To push the analogy, it's a look at combs, both wide and narrow, which publisher uses which and what kind of fleece is currently considered to be most marketable.' (Introduction)
