Throughout life women are taught, directly or indirectly, that our anger is unacceptable. She’s frustrated, fed up, furious? Why does she have to be so overly emotional all the time? If only she’d calm down - it’s honestly quite unattractive. Maybe people would take her more seriously if she’d just put a smile on her face!
In a world which seeks to muzzle womanly rage, however, we have a point of solace - the written word. The page is the medium in which we can channel our grievances, in which our experiences cannot be trivialised. Once they’re set in ink, they’re tangible. Our stories, our lives, our realities, whatever paths they may take.
That’s why, this WORD Christchurch 2024, I’m particularly excited to see the simmering ire bubble to the surface in Rage on the page, a panel consisting of three brilliant writers - Louise Wallace, Airini Beautrais, and Talia Marshall - who will discuss their pieces in which they convey glorious anger.
Louise Wallace's short novel can be devoured in one sitting - certainly, I did exactly that - but it's one that sits with you long after you turn the final page. It follows Thea, a large-animal vet in a rural town. Juggling the demands of two young children, the continuous disregard she and another female employee receive at work, and her strained relationship with her husband, each slight wears down on Thea until, like the volcano that looms over them, she feels ready to erupt. Despite not being a mother myself, I could relate to Thea's disappointments and fears, the slow accumulation of an anger that, if nudged, could surface at any moment (to the shock and disdain of those around). It's a testament to Wallace's ability to draw you inside Thea's head. You experience all her complexities and conflicting thoughts, you see yourself reflected in her, you feel her rage in your veins alongside your own.
"Ash" is further beautified by Wallace's elegant prose; I was unsurprised to discover the author is a poet, and the novella is dotted with little poems itself, each so raw and real and perfectly capturing the essence of domestic stress (and the larger, more existential crises). A must-read for those who enjoy lush language.
Poet and short-story author Airini Beautrais' stunning new essay collection covers an eclectic range of topics, like "history, literature, Star Wars, sea hags, beauty products, tarot, swimwear, environmentalism and pole dancing", just to name a few. Overarching these subjects are greater discussions of feminism, patriarchy, and politics, and so "The Beautiful Afternoon" becomes transformative - taking that rage, examining all that comes with it, until it evolves into a steady resistance.
I thoroughly enjoyed Beautrais' short story collection "Bug Week", which was the 2021 recipient of the Jann Medlicott Acorn prize for fiction at the Ockham Book awards. If "Bug Week" is anything to go by, "The Beautiful Afternoon" is bound to be incredible. I haven't been able to get my hands on it at the library yet because it's just too popular (as is the case with many of our excellent WORD reads), but as a fan of non-fiction essays, I'm looking forward to sinking my teeth into it sometime soon.
The most recent release of the lot, Talia Marshall's debut "Whaea Blue" has been highly anticipated and very well-received. As our library hasn't yet received our copies as of the time of writing this blog, I could only turn to other sources to find out more about this work - and was surprised when I couldn't exactly figure out what type of book it was. The WORD programme and our library website categorised it as an essay collection; reviewers praised it as a memoir, while some called it a novel, an auto-fiction of sorts. As it turns out, this enigmatic book is all these things at once - and more. It is a living, breathing, transcendent piece of work, weaving together Marshall's lived experiences, her whakapapa, her Māori worldview, and the wāhine that guided her throughout her life.
WORD's "Rage on the page" event listing describes "Whaea Blue" as a "tribute to collective memory" which "moves through curses, pain, loss, abandonment and violence". I'm eagerly anticipating Marshall's discussion to hear how she explored rage in the text, particularly in relation to colonisation and her experiences as a Māori woman. By the time the WORD event comes round, hopefully I can pick up a copy!
Get your tickets!
Come and explore some rage on the page (and I suppose, off the page when the authors discuss it) on Friday 30th August, 4:30-5:30pm at The Piano, chaired by the fantastic Julie Hill. Make sure to get in quick to secure your seat!
More by the authors
This Is A Story About your Mother
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