Story About Feeling

by Bill Neidjie, Bill Neidje

From a master storyteller, this book links personal discovery to a sense of nature. It restores us to a wisdom that is at once powerful and fresh. Includes reproductions of bark paintings and artworks.

Genres: Nonfiction, Philosophy

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Eugenie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave this 5 stars - it is written in the simplest of language and I found it quite difficult to decipher, but the reader who persist will be rewarded, as they discover golden nuggets of truth and wisdom. This was written from the heart of Bill Neidjie - a man lamenting the plundering of the ancestral lands and depletion of the Aboriginal culture. As I read, I experienced with the writer, his dismay - yet no anger or bitterness was detected, just anxiety and concern for future generations of Aborigines.

[arjuna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Transcripts of creation/Dreaming stories as told by Neidje in conversation with Keith Taylor; selectively edited, illustrated by examples of NT Aboriginal art from various sources. Told in simple language, not "tidied up" in any way, with little or no concession to conventions of English speech or grammar.

Absolutely beautiful - retains the cadence of candid speech, with an earnestness and urgency of tone that reinforces the fact that this is a man speaking in wholehearted belief - these are stories with humour, beauty and purpose, gently instructing all those fool or brave enough to take this land of ours as home in how to care for it, and ourselves - it is nothing if not a gentle reminder that respect for all life - man, animal, tree, plant, water, earth - is imperative, and that any distinction we make between these things is fundamentally spurious.

Highly recommended.

[Suzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is absolutely beautiful. Once you own it you never want to lose it.

[M]

Creation stories told by aboriginal storyteller Bill Neidje in a playful, „oral” language. Something to be read out loud, perhaps multiple times.

Creation stories told by aboriginal storyteller Bill Neidje in a playful, „oral” language. Something to be read out loud, perhaps multiple times.

„"When you sleep, you think...
they want you work there, money and friendly.
Yes, you friendly but you think this, this story.
You hang on same thing like I'm doing.
I can go, run around but I still got im in my back, in my front because heart.

This ground, tree, water, anything...for us.
Body in your body.
You cover, you sleep, you sleep with earth.
Earth for us, lily, any sort of a thing, plum.
This Toyota not for us but we learning something.
But e don't want to forget.
I don't forget."

"What's wrong with Toyota?"

I said...
"Well something wrong!"

I had a argue little bit but I hang on my culture.”

[Earthing · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing collection of stories directly from an Elder in his own words.