Bushman and bookworm: Letters of Joseph Furphy

by Joseph Furphy

This collection of 250 letters, written by Joseph Furphy over the last 30 years of his life, who once described himself as 'half-bushman and half-bookworm'. Through these letters the reader can trace the life of the bullocky-cum-foundry worker who, against the odds, wrote a national classic. They reveal this unusual man in the most important relationships of his with his mother who outlived him; with Kate Baker, the schoolteacher twenty years his junior, who loved him and believed in his genius; with William Cathels, the fellow-blacksmith and autodidact to whose learning he always deferred; with A. G. Stephens, the imperious critic, who recognized the worth of Such is Life and supervised its publication; and, most interesting of all, with Miles Franklin, the young author of My Brilliant Career towards whom he was deeply attracted. Readers familiar with Such is Life will find that their understanding and enjoyment of that idiosyncratic book will be extended and deepened by a reading of these letters. Readers unfamiliar with Such is Life will find these letters a fascinating introduction to a remarkable man and his writing.

295 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Born to a farming family in colonial Victoria, Joseph Furphy spent his working life as a grazier, engine driver, and bullock-team leader. An avid reader and writer (he memorised passages of Shakespeare from the age of seven, as it was the only book in the house other than the Bible), Furphy composed short stories which were intermittently published in newspapers such as The Bulletin. Much of his work was published under the pseudonym "Tom Collins", and he is still sometimes misidentified as such today.

In 1897, Furphy completed his manuscript for a novel, "Such is Life", which was sent to the Bulletin's editor, A.G. Stephens. Stephens recommended changes and cuts, including two entire chapters. The novel was published in 1903 and, although its sales were limited, "Such is Life" quickly came to exemplify a new school of Australian literature, one that operated in resistance to the standard colonial and traditional writing of the time. The book has been described as occupying a similar place in the Australian scene of the turn-of-the-century as "Tristram Shandy" or "Ulysses" in their respective countries.

In 1905, Furphy moved to Western Australia where his sons were living and working. The two excised chapters from his novel were extended and formed two further works: "Rigby's Romance" (serialised in 1905 but not published in book form until 1921), and "The Buln-Buln and the Brolga" (published posthumously). Furphy died in 1912.

"Such is Life" gradually developed a reputation as an Australian classic. Miles Franklin and Kate Baker published a biography of Furphy in 1944, and the author's Western Australian home eventualyl became the headquarters of the state branch of the Fellowship of Australian Writers. In 1992, a Furphy Literary Award was established by his descendants and, in 2003, a statue was raised in his home town.

The Australian word "furphy" is used to mean a tall story. Although such stories pepper his works, and are the most obvious trait of Furphy's writing, the word seems to have been somewhat coincidental. Research suggest that the word originated around the same time as a result of a popular type of water carts - which were produced by a firm owned by, of all people, Furphy's brother.