Boyer Lectures 2011

by Geraldine Brooks

For theBoyer Lecture 2011, best-selling author and journalist Geraldine Brooks tackles the topic of The Idea of Home. Drawing on her personal experience from being an adolescent pen pal to being a foreign correspondent in some of the world's most dangerous countries to being a writer of several award winning books including the Pulitzer Prize winner, March, Brooks reflects on what it means to be both a global citizen and a novelist at home in an increasingly fractured world. The individual lectures are: Our Only Home, A Home on Bland Street, A Writer at Home and At Home in the World

Genres: Nonfiction, War

60 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Australian-born Geraldine Brooks is an author and journalist who grew up in the Western suburbs of Sydney, and attended Bethlehem College Ashfield and the University of Sydney. She worked as a reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald for three years as a feature writer with a special interest in environmental issues.

In 1982 she won the Greg Shackleton Australian News Correspondents scholarship to the journalism master’s program at Columbia University in New York City. Later she worked for The Wall Street Journal, where she covered crises in the the Middle East, Africa, and the Balkans.

She was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in fiction in 2006 for her novel March. Her first novel, Year of Wonders, is an international bestseller, and People of the Book is a New York Times bestseller translated into 20 languages. She is also the author of the nonfiction works Nine Parts of Desire and Foreign Correspondence.

Brooks married author Tony Horwitz in Tourette-sur-Loup, France, in 1984. They had two sons– Nathaniel and Bizuayehu–and two dogs. They used to divide their time between their homes in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, and Sydney, Australia.

Reviews

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Idea of Home is a set of four essays given by Geraldine Brooks in 2011 for the annual Boyer Lectures. The first essay, “Our Only Home”, concerns our planet home and touches on the environmental responsibility we all have and our chance as Australians to set a standard for the world. The second essay, “A Home On Bland Street”, concerns our country and our hometown and touches on the costs and benefits of education. The third essay, “At Home In The World”, concerns our individual place in the wide world and touches on Brooks’s reporting career as a female in the Middle East. The fourth essay, “A Home In Fiction”, examines the place of fiction in the world and touches on Brooks’s career as a novelist. Brooks examines various concepts of home: a place of origin, a source of inspiration, a native habitat, a destination or goal. Brooks is both succinct and passionate: this is an interesting and inspiring read.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/14337689

[Camille Barr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I borrowed this book from the library last year and enjoyed it so much I have again borrowed it. I found it to have a depth of understanding that is worth revisiting. Brooks eloquently ties her personal experiences of home to the wider notion of what home represents within a society and the how it shapes the world we experience. What resonates most profoundly is home is earth for all of us, it is the base from which the idea of home is built on. And the footprints we leave on it today will shape what it becomes in the future.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a huge Geraldine Brooks fan, especially her novels Caleb's Crossing and her Pulitzer Prizewinner March. I read March back in 2006 or 2007 when the news was full of stories about the US led coalition advancing into Iraq. The anti war sentiment contained in that book was as apt for those times, as Mr March's experiences in the American Civil War - - so I was interested to discover this Boyer lecture. Here Brooks considers ranging definitions of home, her politics coming through loud and clear, midst the stories of her domestic life and dramatic work as a foreign correspondent. Her commitment to the stories of women and non main players in wartime is inspirational. However I think the greatest strength in this lecture lies in the idea of Brooks being utterly 'at home' in fiction. The final chapter, where she discusses what this means in terms of truth, history and even fear makes this lecture well worth a few hours of your consideration.

[Rachel Post]

I always enjoy Brook's perspective on life and the world - and in this series of lectures "home." A few specific points stood out to me: the importance of memorising poetry, as no one can take them away from you. The language of mathematics. The importance of working at your craft - to build a wall, no matter how ugly. Rabbi Nachman's words "if you believe it is possible to destroy, then you believe it's possible to repair." And that "it's fun to sleep with foreigners, but be warned - this can change your life." I wish she could provide a post-Trump update on these themes 11 years later.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Geraldine Brooks gave these four lectures in Australia in 2011, reflecting on our earth, her roots in Australia, her work as a journalist in the Middle East for nine years, and how it all comes together for her in writing fiction. Having read three of her novels and a sort-of-memoir of hers, it was good to hear how she thinks of her life and how it informs her writing of fiction.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent - reflections on the complexities of 'home' both in Australia and on a global scale

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brooks, no slouch as a war correspondent or novelist, proves every bit as good in essay form.

[Zaira · Rating 5 out of 5]

So well articulated & insightful!!

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful read. Would provide great discussions topics for Year 12s or adult book clubs.

[Larissa Conolly · Rating 5 out of 5]

essays

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not what I expected, and not overly interesting. But her writing is so smooth that it pulls you along.

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have MP3 versions of each of the Boyer Lectures that Geraldine Brooks delivered in 2011 - I listen to them regularly. Each lecture focuses on a different interpretation of "home" and Geraldine has cleverly used disparate definitions of the word to bring together ideas about environmental sustainability, Australia's role on the world stage, international conflict, her life as a war correspondent and as a writer of historical fiction - inspiring!

[Jenny Esots · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many threads that begin and end within the rich vein of the topic of Home.
Childhood memories and aspirations.
Cultural understandings.
The binding of nations under the wonderful image of a white flag of doves.
What I do love about Geraldine Brooks writing is the imagery.
The gift of giving the reader pictures to respond to.
Worth reading again and again - a keeper.

[Honor Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brooks is becoming one of my favorite authors. I enjoy the diversity of her books and insightful story telling. The Idea of Home is a reflection of her own life experiences as a foreign correspondent, young girl growing up in a small community in Australia and becoming a writer. Looking forward to another great read from her.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really enjoyed, particularly last chapter.

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have not really read this, but listened to Geraldine Brooks original presentation of the material on audio.

[Honor Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brooks once again delivers in this lecture series. As always, thoughtful, insightful and wonderfully written.

[Karen McCulloch · Rating 5 out of 5]

A true gem, and a must read for any fan of Brook's novels.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent short read!

[Kelly Callaghan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing, as I was expecting more about 'home' and its meaning.