Chapter:
Brunswick East
What’s your story?
I’m a book loving, avidly reading, humbly writing, VHS collecting, metalhead from Tassie, who's called Melbourne second home for the last decade.
How long have you been with TGBC? First Book?
Just coming up on two years, my first meeting was February 2023 and my first book, The Outsiders.
How did you end up coming to TGBC?
I saw a flyer in the blokes pisser of my local, The Lomond Hotel, where the Brunswick East chapter meets. I'd just moved to the area the previous month and quickly become a regular at the Lomond. For some reason there's a book nook in the loo and strategically positioned above the displayed books was a flyer for the club. I'm not sure I'd have noticed the flyer it if it was placed somewhere else, but a book nook always gets my attention! Also, not sure it's the most hygienic thing having a book nook right next to a urinal, but that hasn't stopped me from picking up the odd book that has caught my interest.
What is your favourite TGBC book?
My favourite book was Shadowboxing. I live just up the road from the Fitzroy, Collingwood area, and found it a really interesting time capsule of that area during the 50s, 60s and 70s. I also liked the format, I've heard it described as connected short stories which I'm not usually a fan of, but found them much closer to chapters due to their chronological order and growth of characters. I've since read two other Tony Birch books, The White Girl and Ghost River.
Why are you a member of TGBC?
Initially I joined out of curiosity and as a new resident, to make friends in my area. I was quickly sold on the name and premise of the club, and the fact that the Lomond Hotel was only a two minute walk from my house, I really had no excuse not to check it out. I'm glad I decided to join and very grateful for the supportive friendships the club has given me and good habits that have been encouraged. I'm a better version of myself with the help of club. For example, I was not a registered blood donor before joining, and this week will be making my 25th donation.
What do you think a "Tough Guy" is?
A Tough Guy is staunch and sensitive, ambitious but practical, always accountable, and perhaps most importantly, reads a lot of books! We've heard a lot about toxic masculinity in recent years and this is an important conversation that must be had, but if I were to define positive masculinity, I could think of no better example than the TGBC.
What is your favourite library?
The State Library of Victoria is a marvellous building inside and out and is probably my favourite library to visit, especially with friends from interstate, but my local library wherever that happens to be, currently Brunswick and was previously Footscray, is my favourite by default. I regularly visit the library to work, write, borrow or socialize and love the sense of local community. Brunswick has the best graphic novel selection I've found so far, but I think Footscray had it beat with their DVD selection.
What book have we not read that you'd like to do at TGBC?
The Moneypenny Diaries by Kate Westbrook, a pseudonym for Samatha Weinberg. I found this book at my local op shop years ago and as a huge James Bond fan, picked it up. I assumed it would simply be a novel adjacent to the James Bond universe, told from the perspective of Moneypenny, but it's so much than that. The book takes the premise that the literary and film Bond was a caricature of a real-life spy and that the Kate Westbrook pseudonym is the niece of the real-life Moneypenny writing in present day (mid '00s at time of publication) after inheriting her aunt's journals. She's decided to publish the journals due to the real-world dissolution of the official secrets act. I'm not usually a fan of these sorts of stories that try to paint a real-world explanation for a fictional character, (John Pearson's James Bond biography was painfully bad) but this book does a fantastic job of not only making the Bond character believable, but also tying the story into significant world events of the era, complementing the Fleming canon and giving Moneypenny the character development she's always deserved. The book is divided into months, each month with a foreword by Westbrook providing context, followed by the journal entries of Moneypenny. There is a trilogy of books in The Moneypenny Diaries, but the first book can easily be read as a standalone.
What is something people wouldn't know about you if they judged you by your cover?
A tough question because I feel like how I present myself is a pretty accurate representation of the person I am, but perhaps it's how much of a doting cat dad I am to my ginger girl Rosie. She's a very spoilt girl and I love to pamper her!
