Heather Taylor-Johnson

Imagine if six famous protagonists transcended chronological and geographical barriers to come together through a poetry group in Adelaide. Rhymes with Hyenas is an inventive narrative of emails and poetry that gives a female voice to characters originally written by men. They are Ursula from DH Lawrence's Women in Love, Caddy from Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury, Melanie from Coetzee's Disgrace, Delores from Nabokov's Lolita, Katherina from Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew, and Lilith from Hebrew mythology.In a poignant ode to literature and Adelaide, these women are whole, complex characters, sometimes up to their breasts in mothering, sometimes homesick for exiled lands. 'They are lecturers, dog owners, art makers and carers who deal with illness, infertility, addiction and abuse. Their stories, initially limited by the masterpieces that spawned them, continue on: they are not a closed book.In a vibrant commentary on literary patriarchy and the patriarchy beyond, this book considers the place of writing, critiquing, reading, performing and publishing poetry in a woman's space.

"Heather Taylor Johnson has a poet's understanding of the world: her exploration of the way in which our lives intertwine - for better or for worse - is nuanced and poignant." Hannah Kent, bestselling author of Burial Rights and The Good People Jean Harley - wife, mother, lover, dancer - is a shining light in the lives of those who know and love her. But when tragedy strikes, what becomes of the people she leaves behind? Her devoted husband, Stan, is now a single father to their young son, Orion. Her best friends, Neddy and Viv, find their relationship unravelling at the seams. And Charley, the ex-con who caused it all, struggles to reconcile his past crimes with his present mistakes. Life without Jean will take some getting used to, yet her indelible imprint remains. Jean Harley Was Here is a touching and original exploration of love, relationships, and the ways in which we need each other.