Latest Articles
The man behind X has been obliged to bow before a censorship regime we may soon see in Australia
Oct 10 2024
11 mins
To plumb the depths of our cultural crisis, we must examine our institutions, especially universities.
Oct 10 2024
11 mins
A chant you won't hear: 'What do we want? Nuclear! How much? Lots! When? Now!'
Oct 07 2024
4 mins
Damian Balassone: ‘Fonzie in a Cardigan’
Fonzie in a Cardigan
I wore a leather jacket once
and tried to play it cool.
The more I tried to be the man
the more I looked the fool.
I got myself a motorbike
and learned to utter “Ayyyy!”
but when I tried to woo the chicks
they ran the other way.
I greased my hair. I jumped a shark.
I tried to hone my craft,
but when I snapped my fingertips …
everybody laughed.
And though I felt this ridicule
was really bloody cruel
I knew I had to cultivate
a different kind of cool.
*
I’ve thrown my leather jacket out.
I’ve thrown my comb out too.
I’m Fonzie in a cardigan
and that will have to do.
Damian Balassone
Many will disagree, but World War III is too great a risk to run by involving ourselves in a distant border conflict
Sep 25 2024
5 mins
To claim Aborigines have the world's oldest continuous culture is to misunderstand the meaning of culture, which continuously changes over time and location. For a culture not to change over time would be a reproach and certainly not a cause for celebration, for it would indicate that there had been no capacity to adapt. Clearly this has not been the case
Aug 20 2024
23 mins
A friend and longtime supporter of Quadrant, Clive James sent us a poem in 2010, which we published in our December issue. Like the Taronga Park Aquarium he recalls in its 'mocked-up sandstone cave' it's not to be forgotten
Aug 16 2024
2 mins
