Trent Dalton is a Brisbane journalist who over recent years has written two hugely successful novels : Boy Swallows Universe and All Our Shimmering Skies, with the former having been transformed into a stage production.
At the end of 2020 Dalton inherited a 1970’s sky-blue Olivetti Studio 44 typewriter from a mate’s mother. Dalton vowed to write something “filled with love and depth and truth and frankness and heart.” He didn’t want to write anything cynical and glib because “the market for cynical and glib has been flooded”. Hallelujah to that, Mr Dalton..
So Dalton packed up his Olivetti Studio 44 typewriter, a fold up table from BCF ( a Boating, Camping and Fishing specialist store) and two camping chairs and set up a station in the heart of Brisbane’s shopping and business precinct for two weeks requesting personal love stories from passing foot traffic. The result is Love Stories, a deeply moving collection of stories about love and hate and everything else in between.
I loved this book because it is uplifting and offers hope. The stories are often “messy”, but are authentic and shared with joy. It is one of those books that can be dipped into as required. And yes, it is a reminder that love in all its various forms is stronger than Covid. Grateful for the nudge Mr Dalton…….
Interestingly, this book has promoted a kind of new literary game. The author “believes in love”-
My turn :
I believe in the luck of the Irish – four leaf clovers, leprechauns and fairies at the bottom of the garden. I believe every time a child says that they “don’t believe in fairies” somewhere, someplace, a fairy drops down dead. I believe Puff the Magic Dragon was real but think the existence of unicorns is taking it too far.
Your turn. Have a go in the comments…….
Brizzy Mays Books and Bruschetta 
I’m of the mind that true love is a chemical addiction that brings two hearts and minds together in a communion of thought and caring and kindness that results in a conscious decision to travel life’s road together. It turns you from self-centered to other-centered and that alone makes the world a better place….
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I’m with you : if we were all other-centred think how much better off our world would be 🙂
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I believe the best luck is always ‘serendipity’ and unexplained when preparation/hard work meets opportunity.
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“When preparation meets opportunity”. I like that, Cupcake.
You take care of yourself and the old boy and watch out for those falling iguanas 🙂
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And I just put this book on my need to read list!!
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I needed this read as a reminder of all the good amongst the COVID quagmire. It is so lovely to come across a book that makes you smile:)
Have a beaut day, Muri.
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Oh, but I like unicorns, May.
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I used to love the Irish Drovers singing The Unicorn Song (“we have green alligators “etc) but in recent years they have become marketing tools, and seem to always be depicted as rather soapy creatures.
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I used to have The Unicorn Song on a 45 album when I was a kid. Still know the chorus off by heart. (And the Canadian in me needs to politely point out that it’s the Irish Rovers, not Drovers, while wincing slightly because it seems kinda rude to do so.)
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No need to wince, my Canadian friend. You are correct. The Irish Drovers were an Australian band who used to sing celtic songs, and were more than likely a copy of the Irish Rovers. ( Who in their right might would travel Down Under for a few bob earned in smoke filled clubs and pubs?) I still have my Rovers vinyl and used to sing my kids the song Bye Bye Bi-plane 🙂
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Wow, I didn’t know that is how that book was born what a great way to create!
I believe that if you offer the best of yourself to the world the world will always give you what you need, just sometimes it might not seem that way at the time. I believe we should be kind and humble and giving, how can things be good in the world if we don’t create it. I believe that nature gives solace when we need it and inspires when we feel empty. I believe in the spirits that inhabit wilder spaces, (they may be fairies).
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Love it !
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(1) I believe that all lives are worth living and that all living things are intrinsically valuable, and equally worthy of our respect and protection regardless of their origins, lifestyle or behaviours.
(2) I believe that our ability to write and to read represents the greatest of all human achievements. Books are pretty amazing too!
(3) I believe that anyone who thinks politicians are the answer doesn’t really understand the question!
(4) I believe that the only thing in our universe that is permanent is change, and humankind’s attempts to resist or deny the inevitability of change is a source of untold misery. If a particular change causes us unhappiness (many do!) we must move on, while taking comfort in the fact that it too will inevitably be subject to change. All things must pass.
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Straight to the Top Of The Class, Platypus Man!
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I’ll get back to you on this one, May. I read and adored the book (and Mr Dalton) but right now it’s all a bit overwhelming. I guess I do believe in human nature and how it never basically changes because we all love someone or something in our lifetime.
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Gretchen, I am liking Mr Dalton more and more. I lost my heart with this one.
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These are beautiful responses to your post. I believe in them.
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Yes, it is wonderful when readers share their thoughts. It is a really interesting concept for a book – and it worked!
Thanks for dropping by:)
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I was going to say that I believe I’ll read this book on my vacation. But it seems it’s not available in Canada yet, so I’m going to change that to I believe I’ll have to be patient.
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Thank you for making me laugh. Enjoy your vacation 🙂
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