Jean-Francois Vernay disputes some of the ways in which Christopher Koch's novels have been interpreted, including as 'naturalist' or 'realist' writing. Vernay concludes that while Koch may not 'novelize facts', he uses them as 'props in his fiction so as to present his provocatively resembling vision/version of reality'.
Carol Hetherington canvasses aspects of the debate surrounding the 'paradigm of nation' over the period from the late twentieth to the early twenty-first centuries. In the context of the development of AustLit: The Resource for Australian Literature, Hetherington says: 'It seems abundantly clear that while "National constructs are regarded with suspicion" (Nicholas Jose, 'A Shelf of Our Own: Creative Writing and Australian Literature.' Australian Book Review 276 (Nov.) 2005: 27), the tension between maintaining a national focus, and at the same time exploring its boundaries and intersections with other spaces, is likely to provide fruitful discussion.'
Hetherington explores grounds for author inclusion in E. Morris Miller's Australian Literature from Its Beginnings to 1938 (and its 1956 revision) and compares these with later definitions of 'Australian'. Factors considered include place of birth or education; status as visitor, resident or expatriate; and adoption of citizenship.
A case study is provided of sisters Constance Little and Gwenyth Little (qq.v.) to illustrate the challenges involved in assigning nationality.
Henningsgaard discusses the emergence of regionalism as a concept in Australian literary studies and its development as a cultural framework for critical engagement. He particularly notes the upswing in attention to regionalism in the late 1970s and the 1980s (fostered in part by the work of Bruce Bennett), followed by a corresponding downturn during the 1990s.
Having focussed on this emergence and decline, Henningsgaard turns his attention to Australia's positioning of itself in the global context in the early twenty-first century. He argues that: 'Until Australia resumes constantly fostering its regional diversity - or recognizes its already existing achievements in regional diversity - it will always be viewed (both from within and without) as secondary and inferior, as homogeneous'.
