Matthew Lamb: Frank Moorhouse. Strange Paths

In this episode of Biographers in Conversation, Matthew Lamb chats with Gabriella about the choices he made while writing Strange Paths, the biography of Frank Moorhouse, a celebrated Australian novelist, screenwriter and journalist. 

Here’s what you’ll discover in this episode: 

• Why Matthew chose to write Frank Moorhouse’s biography in two volumes.


• Why Matthew refers to Strange Paths as a cultural biography.


• The meaning of the book’s title, Strange Paths.


• How Matthew distinguished between the legends, myths and facts of Moorhouse’s life. 


• How Matthew navigated the complexities of writing about someone he knew and who was alive during most of the project.


• Matthew’s research strategy and how he narrowed the biographical scope given the tidal wave of primary research material he accessed.


• How Matthew portrayed the historical, political and social context of the times and how he believes they influenced Moorhouse and his writing. 


• The ethical choices Matthew faced about revealing secrets.


• How Matthew navigated the complexities of portraying sensitive information.

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