Multiple reading: text and theory

It was with great pleasure that I accepted an invitation to run a workshop at the recent NZATE Conference. The topic of my session was an overview of the use of literary theory in the teaching of English and that same focus directs this written version of my presentation. I approach this topic not as a theory guru or expert, but as a practitioner who has found that an understanding and application of theory has made me a better teacher. In particular, I believe that judicious use of theory enables me to communicate to students the diverse ways in which written and visual texts can be read, encouraging them to think for themselves in a fresh and original manner and to see points of connection between a range of texts. Combined with the essential critical tools of close reading and textual analysis and support, a knowledge of theory helps students to think critically and to shape informed, coherent arguments

Five imperial adventures in the Waikato

Some late nineteenth-century exponents of the 'Novel of Adventure', or imperial adventure-romance, regarded colonial New Zealand as an attractive canvas for their tales of masculine daring in an exotic, rugged environment.3 Five such authors set their narratives, in part or in full, in the Waikato of the 1860s, drawn to the backdrop of inter-racial conflict provided by the New Zealand Wars. While references to specific events and people associated with colonial Waikato do ground many of these texts in historical reality, it has to be said that, regardless of whether the authors write from experience, careful research, or flights of imaginative fantasy, the Waikato that is described in their narratives has been selected for its frontier possibilities rather than its distinctive geography

Instrument or object? The New Zealand piano on display

The piano is rather a unique display item in the museum or the historic house. Firstly, whether an upright or a grand, the piano is an imposing, substantial object that occupies significant space within a setting and immediately demands attention because of its proportions. This object has a history, a story to tell that, where the provenance of the piano is known, provides a direct, tangible link with the past. Secondly, the piano is an aesthetic object, finely crafted and giving pleasure to the eye through the grain of the wood, the sheen of the polish, the black and white chessboard of the keyboard, the intricacy of the carved legs or marquetry inlay, the elegance of its shape and design. Finally, it is a musical instrument designed to produce sound and thus has the potential to delight the ear as well as the eye. Indeed, sight and sound are not the only senses to be satisfied by the instrument. The musty perfume of old wood and the sharp tang of lacquer entice the nose, while the satin wood and cool ivory keys please the fingers. It is through touch, the interplay between the body and the instrument, with hands on the keys and feet on the pedals, that a piano is given voic

That 'austere anti-aesthetic angel': James K. Baxter and Puritanism

It is necessary to begin with an apology to James K. Baxter. In my previous musings on the Puritan legacy in New Zealand I have chastised Baxter, along with other writers and critics of his generation, for using Puritanism as a reductive catchphrase to summarise all that they most despise about New Zealand society (Moffat, 'Destruction'). The phrase that I have repeatedly used to epitomise Baxter's perceived antagonism is his description of Pu,itanism as an 'austere anti-aesthetic angel' (Complete Prose 2. 328). Returning to this phrase as I meditate at much greater length on Baxter's relationship with Puritanism, I realise that I am guilty of flattening and simplifying what is a much more complex engagement with Puritanism in his prose writing. Baxter's phrase contains both condemnation and implied praise. He was vehemently opposed to what he regarded as the Puritan suspicion of imagination and sexuality, and throughout his writing castigated all the social and religious forces that sought to curb and quell aestheticism and the natural, instinctual self. Yet, he also refers to Puritanism as 'austere', a quality that much of his writing and his own life choices suggest he regarded as admirable, particularly as it relates to a paring back and relinquishing of the unnecessary paraphernalia of capitalism and materialism. And what to make of 'angel'? Surely this is more than simply alliterative effect. It too undercuts the antagonism of 'anti-aesthetic' to suggest that in Baxter's eyes there is at least a trace of the divine about Puritanism and its legacy

The Pirates of Parihaka: Parody as a Response to Violence

This paper originates from my archival exploration of Gilbert and Sullivan, specifically Frank Rolleston's adaptation of Pirates of Penzance, a discovery pivotal for my chapter on Gilbert and Sullivan in colonial New Zealand. This led to a broader investigation into literary and musical responses to Parihaka, contemplating the appropriateness of capturing its essence. In 2019, reflecting on our national journey, I align with Ihimaera's perspective, acknowledging the justified anger at injustice but also embracing the optimism and hope—a new dawn after the dark night, symbolizing death, resurrection, and new life. The Maori proverb "Ko te poo e teiwi te kai hari te raa" encapsulates this sentiment, emphasizing that the night brings the day, and "Ko te mate te kai hari i te orange e au" asserts that death brings life