PERHAPS A GIFT VOUCHER FOR MUM?: MOTHER'S DAY
ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK ----- The magic of simply wandering around a bookstore worked once again. The book's title (and a bold jacket) caught my eye. The title is taken from The Lemonheads hit-song and while the book is not about them or their music, it is about Ray - in this case, Ray Seidler, a doctor who was active around King's Cross as an advocate for better support and management for addiction-sufferers. Ray was also the nephew of architect Harry Seidler. Ray took his own life in 2013.
In an effort to understand this traumatic event, Ray's eldest son, Jonathan Seidler - music journo and copywriter - writes about the shock and the impact on himself, the family, his mother and the community. It's a lively style of writing (the Seidlers being a rambunctious bunch) presenting a picture of modern family life in the Jewish community of Sydney's Eastern Suburbs enclave. Mental health, mania and depression are examined through the lens of young manhood and the music that anchored the young Jonathan (a passion I share). Craig Kirchner
Jonathan Seidler is a writer, creative and culture critic. His work has been published frequently in The Guardian, Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian, Monocle and GQ. Jonathan co-founded long-running music website One A Day, launched two nationally syndicated fiction series for Broadsheet and recently commissioned, edited and published an Unyoked anthology of nature writing. As a creative director, Jonathan produced nationally recognised pro bono campaigns for Keep Sydney Open, One Wave and the Equality Campaign. He is a regular guest on ABC Radio National's Download This Show, discussing media, culture and technology. He once played drums in bands, now mostly in his garage.
ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK ----- The magic of simply wandering around a bookstore worked once again. The book's title (and a bold jacket) caught my eye. The title is taken from The Lemonheads hit-song and while the book is not about them or their music, it is about Ray - in this case, Ray Seidler, a doctor who was active around King's Cross as an advocate for better support and management for addiction-sufferers. Ray was also the nephew of architect Harry Seidler. Ray took his own life in 2013.
In an effort to understand this traumatic event, Ray's eldest son, Jonathan Seidler - music journo and copywriter - writes about the shock and the impact on himself, the family, his mother and the community. It's a lively style of writing (the Seidlers being a rambunctious bunch) presenting a picture of modern family life in the Jewish community of Sydney's Eastern Suburbs enclave. Mental health, mania and depression are examined through the lens of young manhood and the music that anchored the young Jonathan (a passion I share). Craig Kirchner
