Wordsville

I am an editor, journalist and book reviewer with a background in information management-librarianship.

So if you need help managing words in print or online publications, maybe you need me!

I have written for newspapers, magazines, professional journals and newsletters, websites and intranets.

My editorial experience includes all of the above and ranges from magazines through to book publishing. I am a former Deputy Editor of Good Reading magazine.

A qualified Information Manager-Librarian, I’ve also had a long career managing library communications, resources, teams and services at SBS (the Special Broadcasting Service - Australia’s multilingual, multicultural broadcaster) and at the University of Sydney’s Language Centre.

As a freelancer, I offer a range of services encompassing:

• writing
• editing
• information management (store, retrieve, disseminate, publish information)
• library consultancy
• project management.

Specific writing/publishing services include:

• interviewing
• writing (articles, reviews, corporate documents, web content, marketing material)
• subbing
• copy editing and copy fitting using InDesign
• structural editing
• proofreading
• author liaison/manuscript revision
• online content management and CMS updates for websites and intranets
• conducting research
• image research
• digital image management
• obtaining copyright clearances and permissions
• file management
• project management
• flatplan management.

Other experience includes having worked as an Internet Trainer, interviewing for radio and being interviewed on radio about books, coordinating book clubs.

Specific library-related services include:

• library management
• library design
• library services auditing
• file and database management
• building of specialist book collections
• creation of specialised reading lists
• archiving.

I’m always on the lookout for books to review and authors to interview! So if you are an author or a publisher, please contact me at: paula@paulagrunseit.com

As the author of the work, I own the © copyright  to the written content on this site. If you’d like to republish any of my work, please contact me.

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Kat Mayo runs Book Thingo, a blog focused on reading (mostly) romance books down under.

Who taught you to read and how old were you?

My family is big on literacy, and my mum read stories to me at every
chance. You know those vignettes of childhood you remember, when you were too young to form memories that last more than a few seconds?
A lot of mine involve books or reading or storytelling. I had to check
the details with my Mum, but apparently I started paraphrasing bedtime
stories before I was three. By the time I was four, I could read simple books on my own and was on the road to being a voracious reader. One of our regular mother-daughter outings was to the bookstore. Bookstores have always been a bit magical for me, even now.

Which books did you love as a child?

My parents bought me a set of books (A Book For Me To Read) by Ruth Ainsworth and Ronald Ridout, which were the first books I remember reading on my own. Those books were very well used in our house, and I only wish I still had them to pass on to my kids.

My first biggest literary obsession was Nancy Drew. In fact, I consider those books my first foray into romance—Ned Nickerson was like, the most perfect boyfriend evah! I still remember my first Nancy Drew: The Ringmaster’s Secret. I wish I’d kept it!

I also fell in love with Hugh Walters, who wrote YA science fiction.
I had hardback copies of his books, which my parents forced me to leave behind when we migrated to Australia. I regret losing those books—they’re out of print now. In my first couple of years in Australia I discovered Enid Blyton. I devoured her books, and when I first saw ginger beer at the shops it was a moment of awe. The other two books that had a huge impression on me as child were The Riddle of the Trumpalar by Judy Bernard-Waite, and The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster.

Aside from those, I loved anything with romance in it.
I read my first Mills & Boon—a chaste book I saved from my grandmother’s rubbish pile—when I was around 10, and turned to Sweet Dreams. My first Sweet Dreams was Never Say Goodbye by Janet Quin-Harkin, which had a hero who develops multiple sclerosis. That book made it to Australia, but it didn’t survive one of my bursts of room decluttering.

Which five authors (living or dead) would you like to have dinner with?

Krissy Kneen. I’ve just reread her memoir Affection and it speaks to me on such a profound level that I’d probably be thrilled just to watch her all through dinner.

Patricia A McKillip. We could dine on her words. Seriously.

Eloisa James. Not only is she a wonderful writer, I think she has a
wicked sense of humour and she’s a Shakespearean scholar. Plus she’s
living in Paris at the moment, so not only can she bring good dinner
conversation, she can bring pastries and wine.

Steve Dublanica (aka The Waiter). I love the depth of meaning he
imbues into his blog posts (and book) and his almost gentle commentary
on life and human foibles. I’m pretty sure he’d have excellent
anecdotes to share, not to mention tips on how to get the best
restaurant service throughout dinner.

Brooke Magnanti (aka Belle de Jour). Just think of the dinner
conversation: science, sex and the human condition. I find her utterly
fascinating.

Mind you, if I we were to have everyone together for dinner, I’d be in
such a state of fan-crazed anxiety I’d be useless all evening.

Name the last two books you have read and rate them out of 5 (5 is the best) You can add a few sentences to say why you liked or didn’t like them if you wish.

Excluding rereads, the last two books I read were:

Fast Women by Jennifer Crusie (4). Probably one of my favourite
Crusies. I love the way she layers the story, and her sense of humour,
as always, keeps the characters fun and the romance delicious.

Blaze of Memory by Nalini Singh (3). It has some lovely emotional scenes, and the world building is relatively solid, but some scenes can get a tad overwrought, and there are other books in this series that I liked better.

Where is your favourite place to read?

On the couch or in bed. I’m not a fussy reader. I can read almost anywhere.

You are being sent to a remote island for who knows how long – which three books are you going to take with you?

I’m not sure I could survive on three books. I’d take: Prince of Midnight by Laura Kinsale, Affection by Krissy Kneen, Addition by Toni Jordan.

How do you organise your personal library at home?

Haphazardly.

Print or e-book?

Print, but that’s because I can’t afford an e-book reader!
More seriously, I’d probably go e-book (if I could) with my disposable fiction which might be a cruel term to use, but I think that’s how a lot of fiction (at least those I read) is marketed. I don’t necessarily enjoy them less, but most of them I read today and will barely remember next week. On the other hand, I wish I could get my keeper books in hardback because I’d love to be able to hand them to my kids one day. I love the thought of books as heirlooms. For me, there’s something poignant and exciting and mystical about reading a pre-loved and well loved book.

Kat is on Twitter @BookThingo
and her blog is at http://bookthingo.com.au/

Penguin $32.95 pb ISBN 9780718154394

This book is a clear winner and should find a place in the hearts of many readers. Populated by strong, interesting and gifted women, the novel has an appealing, feisty heroine, strong feminist elements and is an irresistible mix of fast-paced, supernatural thriller and historical fiction. Combine all this with the right touches of humour and the possibility of romance and you have a recipe for success.

The story connects past and present as its setting alternates between the era of the Salem witch trials and contemporary times. You’ve probably encountered this time-switching device with dual plotlines before and you know that it can be annoying and frustrating. Howe manages it so masterfully that I was equally invested in both stories until the end. In fact, I didn’t want it to end at all.

The novel was originally published as The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane. Physick is an archaic word for healing or medicine and it is the quest for this rare book which takes centre stage in the novel.

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I would have loved to have been a student in her [Howe's] research and writing seminar on New England witchcraft where one of the assignments she set required participants to find two methods of un-bewitching a cow and present the pros and cons of each.

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Our heroine is Connie Goodwin, a Harvard graduate, preparing for her doctoral dissertation under the supervision of a predatory academic called Manning Chilton. Asked by her mother, Grace, to help out with family matters, she becomes caught up in the mystery and history of her past and her grandmother’s old house in which she finds an ancient key inside a seventeenth century bible. There is only one clue—the name Deliverance Dane on a piece of parchment.

Who was Deliverance Dane? Is Connie connected to her and what is the secret of the coveted book? Strange things begin to happen as these questions preoccupy Connie and lead her on a dangerous journey of discovery.

Howe is completing a PhD in American and New England Studies. I would have loved to have been a student in her research and writing seminar on New England witchcraft where one of the assignments she set required participants to find two methods of un-bewitching a cow and present the pros and cons of each.

For many generations, dating back to the 1620s, her family lived in the area around Salem, Massachusetts. She is a direct descendant of two accused Salem witches, one survived and one did not. She became interested in her family’s history while qualifying for her doctorate and her book asks us to consider what may be contained in our genetic inheritance. On one level, it is a moving tribute to her antecedents to whom she refers as ‘those vanished people’. In a fascinating Postscript entitled Real Witches, Real Life, she gives the reader a brief overview of the history of the Salem witch trials and the origins of the ‘cunning folk’ tradition (local wise people who sold their ‘occult’ services).

As it happened, at the time I was reading Howe’s novel, the film version of The Crucible by Arthur Miller (based on the notorious Salem witch trials) was screening on TV and I’d recommend it as nice visual adjunct for getting in the mood of the times. I don’t know if Howe’s book has been optioned for a film but I could well imagine it translating very successfully to screen. Someone should snap up the rights!

I was spellbound by the stories Howe wove through her novel and I’d highly recommend it for anyone who likes a good thriller and is interested in the history of witchcraft. It’s a must-read for budding feminists who should be equipped with at least some knowledge about one of the worst periods of persecution of women in world history.

© Paula Grunseit 2010

Pulp Fiction Press RRP: $21.95 pb ISBN 9780975112922 (2008)

A thriller about vampires narrated by a librarian and set in Melbourne? I’m in!

Not only does Lissa the librarian have a painful family history to deal with but she’s just starting to get over having been dumped by her loser boyfriend. Maybe going out with a hot, new guy may help to ease the pain but unfortunately, people keep being gruesomely murdered wherever she’s out trying to have a good time. From the looks of things, a vampire may be responsible.

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“I may have an unnaturally close relationship with the Dewey decimal system
but I do like to dance.” (Lissa)

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Lissa’s going to have to find out more about vampires and their world so when she meets Gary, a nerdy but very likeable vampire detective, they join forces to investigate the crimes. “You can tell a lot about a person by what they have on their shelves”, says Lissa. Well, wouldn’t you like to know what’s in a vampire’s book/dvd collection?

When Lissa’s sister and mother get involved, life gets even more complicated and as her protagonists track the killers through Melbourne’s streets, Harris provides enticing snapshots of the city’s bookshops, cafés and nightlife. She also dips her hat to libraries and librarians. Here, Lissa enthuses about one of her favourites:

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“The State Library is my idea of a holy place. It’s grand, it’s beautiful and it’s full of books. … My Year Ten English teacher once got us to write stories about what we’d do if we were immortal. I wrote that I’d read every single book and journal housed in that library.”

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A light, entertaining, and humorous read, it’s refreshing to see a different take with a grrl librarian taking the lead because those boring, anachronistic stereotypes are sooo over. In fact, it’s time to put them to rest for good.

Harris is in the process of finishing the sequel to The Opposite of Life which is due for publication later this year or in early 2011. You can visit her website here.

© Paula Grunseit 2010

Allen & Unwin, $59.99 hb ISBN 9781741149975 (September 2009)

Featuring over 550 glorious colour photos, Wildlife of Australia is an engaging, accessible reference guide showcasing the full range of Australia’s wonderfully diverse biota. Don’t expect only ‘cute, furry and feathered’ because the ‘not-so-cuddly’ snakes, spiders and insects are also included, and rightly so.

The book comes to us from a talented writer/photographer team and a large, impressive group of experts from many fields including Biological and Life Sciences, Environmental Studies and Ecology.

Writer Louise Egerton, award-winning author of Know Your Birds, series editor of Green Guides and publisher of natural history books, has a degree in zoology and botany. She has a refreshingly ‘chatty’ style which informs and educates without being dry or boring.

Jiri Lochman is one of Australia’s most experienced wildlife photographers and has written several books including Wildflowers of Western Australia. He and his wife Marie, also a photographer and contributor to the book, run their own photographic agency and are recipients of the Australian Geographic Award for Excellence in Photography.

In his foreword, Professor Mike Archer, Dean of Science at the University of New South Wales and former Director of the Australian Museum, describes Wildlife of Australia, as much more than ‘a beautiful compendium of Australian animals’.

Firstly, due to the book’s inclusiveness, the reader will encounter the entire range of creatures belonging to Australia’s diverse ecosystem – many of them unique to this continent because of our geographical isolation, and all of them important if we are to save them from extinction.

Secondly, the animals are not described in a vacuum. They are described in terms of their interdependence, of their relationship with and to other animals and to their wider environment.

This holistic approach emphasises the precarious situation facing so many of our species threatened by the naturally occurring effects of climate change and the effects of human activities such as land management and farming.

Beginning with the origins of Gondwana (the Australian landmass), the introduction takes us up to where we are today providing a comprehensive yet manageable, historical overview. Sections on Mammals, Birds, Reptiles, Frogs, Freshwater Fishes and Invertebrates follow and breakout boxes feature useful and interesting facts and information. Other inclusions are a map of Australia, an index, glossary, list of scientific names and a section listing websites, and books of interest as well as wildlife parks and zoos.

Archer’s foreword concludes, “That is why this book will be a valued addition to every household where tomorrow’s Australians are growing up today. They need to know and care about what is in this book or that is the only place where it is going to survive.”

Highly recommended as an essential family reference guide and as an excellent addition to any library reference collection.

© Paula Grunseit 2009

Images © Jiri Lochman Transparencies

This review was first published by Onya magazine.

Charlotte Wood is the editor of Brothers & Sisters, a collection of short stories and non-fiction about siblings by 12 of Australia’s finest writers. She is also the author of novels The Children, The Submerged Cathedral and Pieces of a Girl. Her books have been short listed for several prizes including the Australian Book Industry Awards, the Miles Franklin Literary Award and the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize. She lives in Sydney with her husband and is working on her fourth novel. 

Who taught you to read and how old were you?

I guess my parents and older sister helped along with my kindergarten teacher; I think I was five. I remember the moment of learning to read incredibly vividly. I was kneeling on the living room floor about three feet from the heater and a foot from the kitchen door, wearing woollen stockings and a little pleated skirt, staring and staring at the book on the floor in front of me. What I remember most was the desperate will to read, to understand.

And when I finally made it out, the word was ‘the’. It was one of the most powerful moments of my life — it was like staring at one of those Magic Eye pictures with the hidden image, and then suddenly seeing it. I recognised right away the sheer magnitude of the moment, and I knew in my little five year old heart that my world had changed forever, and that this was it — this moment of comprehension, after all the waiting and straining, was now finally opening the world to me. I still get shivers thinking about it.

Which books did you love as a child?

I loved the usual suspects: The Famous Five, The Secret Seven, but when I was quite small my father read The Magic Pudding to me every night for what seemed like forever. Adored it. Then when I could read more by myself, I was a huge fan of the Mary Plain books that nobody seems to have heard of. Mary was a precocious and quite badly behaved bear who lived in the Bear Pits in Berne, Switzerland, and had a kind of (platonic!) sugar daddy who came and took her out for trips and adventures.  The Mary Plain books were written by Gwynedd Rae and illustrated by Irene Williamson. Later, Nancy Drew was my heroine; so cool, with her flaming Titian hair and her sports car …

Which five authors (living or dead) would you like to have dinner with?

Patrick White, Richard Ford, Alice Munro, William Maxwell and Dorothy Porter. I suspect Alice and William would be in the kitchen while Patrick has the sulks and Richard and Dorothy flirt like crazy …

Name the last two books you have read and rate them out of 5 (5 is the best).

Latecomers by Anita Brookner 4/5

I’m a latecomer to Brookner so this was an apt beginning. A moving 50-year portrait of the friendship between Hartmann and Fibich, two Jewish Londoners who meet at a boys’ home after escaping Nazi Germany as children.  Some readers are frustrated by its interiority, but to me it’s a perfect example of how and why a novel is not a film. A redemptive portrait of two very different men and their attempts to transcend tragedy.

A Gate at the Stairs byLorrie Moore 2/5

I am a big fan of Lorrie Moore’s short stories, especially her collection Birds of America, so was quite thrilled at news of her new novel. Sad to say it hasn’t lived up to expectation; Moore just can’t resist the classy gag and wordplay at every opportunity, which gets tiresome, despite the fantastic premise and some beautiful pure moments of sincerity.

Where is your favourite place to read?

On the couch, with a glass of wine (at night, obviously … a cup of tea at other times!)

You are being sent to a remote island for who knows how long – which three books are you going to take with you?

Hmm, might have to get an e-reader. Impossible to say, but William Maxwell would be there, and Patrick White.

How do you organise your personal library at home?

In sections for fiction, non-fiction, anthologies/poetry, writing books; and then (loosely) alphabetically within sections.

Print or e-book?

Print, forever. And paperback rather than hardback. But I am intrigued by e-readers and may have to check one out soon …

Charlotte Wood blogs about cooking and food in literature at www.howtoshuckanoyster.com and has a website at www.charlottewood.com.au