There’s something voyeuristically thrilling about knowing what other people’s reading habits are. The Reader is a brief interview inspired by the Proust Questionnaire, which was itself inspired by a 19th century party game. We ask readers, writers, publishers and book-lovers everywhere (including our own staff) to answer eleven questions about the books they love, what they have been reading and their literary habits.
Sarah Jane Barnett is a writer, book reviewer, and tutor living in Wellington. Her first book of poetry, A Man Runs Into a Woman, was published in 2012 by Hue & Cry Press. She has completed the MA in Creative writing at the Institute of Modern Letters, and is working on her PHD in English at Massey University. You can see a list of her publications here.
What are you currently reading and how did you discover the book?
I am reading What Light Can Do: Essays on Art, Imagination, and the Natural World (Ecco Press) by American poet, Robert Hass. It’s a big, beautiful, hardback book. His poetry is the subject of my PhD and he just published this book, so I thought I should read it! His writing is incredibly easy to read. The next on my pile is Kate Camp’s most recent collection of poetry, Snow White’s Coffin (VUP) which I am reviewing and really looking forward to reading.
Who are your favourite writers and what do you love about them?
Well, obviously Robert Hass. You don’t spend three to four years looking at someone’s work without being a fan, or becoming one. His poetry is both personal and intellectual at the same time, which is hard to do. The other poets I especially admire are Bernadette Hall, Anne Kennedy, and James Galvin. I tend to have favourite books or poems instead of favourite writers, or, in terms of fiction, stories that have shown me a new way of looking at the world. For example, Saturday by Ian McEwan, The Road by Cormac McCarthy, or I Got his Blood on Me by Lawrence Patchett.
What books are on your bedside table?
I have a book of Scandinavian craft projects and a book from the library on traditional sashiko Japanese embroidery, which I’ve been teaching myself. I like to hand sew in my spare time. It’s low tech and meditative.
What is your favourite book to film adaptation?
Harry Potter and the Prison of Azkaban (2004). I try not to see film adaptations of books that I have read because I usually find them disappointing. For example, the adaptation of The Road completely missed the point of the book for me, which was that the man and boy represented all men and boys; all people. By putting the book on screen it individualised their relationship and took away the universality of the book. There were also many textual tricks that McCarthy used that could not be translated to screen. On the other hand, I felt safe that Harry Potter would translate well to screen, and I think it did.
What book have you re-read the most and why?
It’s a fantasy series of books call The Belgariad by David Eddings. They are cliché and not brilliantly written, but incredibly enjoyable to read. I started reading them when I was ten and still try to read one or two a year. They remind me of being a kid.
Who is your favourite literary character?
Easily Harry Potter. I am not sure if he counts as a ‘literary character’ but I think he is the most relatable character I’ve read. Most people feel that unsure about their place in the world, and wish they could be that brave.
What book have you always been meaning to read but still haven’t got around to?
The Rocky Shore by New Zealand poet Jenny Bornholdt. I’ve had it for ages, and I have heard her read from the book, which I really enjoyed. I’ve just never managed to read it!
Which three writers would you have over for supper?
Robert Hass, Ian McEwan, and Anton Chekov. We’d need a translator for Anton.
What would you cook them?
I don’t do any of the cooking in our house, so wouldn’t want to insult them with my terrible culinary skills. I’d get my husband to cook a South Indian curry.
How are your books shelved and organised at home?
Roughly. By colour. By poet. By serendipity!
What is your favourite literary quote?
“Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it.” – George Bernard Shaw.
I am not sure what George was referring to when he said this, but, for me, it reminds me how lucky I am to have the opportunities I do in my life—to be a writer, a mother, to live comfortably without fear or threat—when other women (and people) do not have such opportunities. I feel responsible to make the most of them.
Sarah blogs at the red room here.
You can purchase A Man Runs into a Woman in our online shop here.
To view an archive of previous interviews, follow this link.
