You said :) -' But in the spirit of sharing, shouldn’t we all be a bit more vulnerable, a bit less certain and open to learning another side to our stories?'
Exactly Jane I believe it's the only way to closing Any Gap
What was the first version of the story you thought was true? How did you come to find out the truth? I think that would make an interesting story in itself. I write about how I discover things and what changes from what I thought was true.
This post really struck a chord with me. I have only just discovered your work, and this piece was the first to leap out at me. Your reflections on memory, shame, and truth-telling—especially the line about moving from inherited pride to inherited shame—mirror so much of what I’ve been grappling with in my own writing.
Like you, I have been influenced by David Marr’s Killing for Country, and it helped me confront parts of my family history that I once would have preferred to leave unexamined. Your mention of the silences in family stories—the gaps, the things not passed down—also resonated deeply. In my case, I came to family history not with old boxes of photographs and documents, but with fragments, contradictions, and omissions. It has made the work slower, but also more meaningful.
I’ve recently published a piece that explores these same questions—how we reckon with the harder truths of the past, how we write about ancestors who were both survivors and complicit in systems of violence. I would be honoured if you felt like having a look:
Lost Voices, Unearthed Stories – The Past Is Not Always Proud of Itself
I’ve just subscribed to your Substack and look forward to reading more of your writing. Thank you for your honesty and clarity—it was a real gift to find this today.
Hi Jane...an idea... Mccaillef's SBS Origin Odyssey...you could perhaps ask the needed questions on a series two show...and have some smiley fun at the same time...🎃
...on a more serious note...totally understand where ur coming from... the abadonment can happen on all sides of the love game...😔
Wow, @Jane Hutcheon. Whelp. Let's start with "Did you die in peace?" That puts it out there and sets the tone. You're absolutely right. You have to ask the questions and contextualize, in order to understand, and repair.
I feel well aware of my white privileged and the white privileged of my forebears. Not quite willing to cast as villains but accept I need to view history critically. It is a challenge to get the balance right and not be anachronistic when thinking about the past.
Hi a very similar story to my husband’s family. My brother in law wrote a novel about their great great grandfather migrating from China to work in the cane fields in Queensland. He went on to marry a Scottish woman.
You said :) -' But in the spirit of sharing, shouldn’t we all be a bit more vulnerable, a bit less certain and open to learning another side to our stories?'
Exactly Jane I believe it's the only way to closing Any Gap
What was the first version of the story you thought was true? How did you come to find out the truth? I think that would make an interesting story in itself. I write about how I discover things and what changes from what I thought was true.
Reading the piece again, thanks to Peter Anthony’s note, I am reminded of Puccini’s opera Madame Butterfly. Very sad.
Jane,
This post really struck a chord with me. I have only just discovered your work, and this piece was the first to leap out at me. Your reflections on memory, shame, and truth-telling—especially the line about moving from inherited pride to inherited shame—mirror so much of what I’ve been grappling with in my own writing.
Like you, I have been influenced by David Marr’s Killing for Country, and it helped me confront parts of my family history that I once would have preferred to leave unexamined. Your mention of the silences in family stories—the gaps, the things not passed down—also resonated deeply. In my case, I came to family history not with old boxes of photographs and documents, but with fragments, contradictions, and omissions. It has made the work slower, but also more meaningful.
I’ve recently published a piece that explores these same questions—how we reckon with the harder truths of the past, how we write about ancestors who were both survivors and complicit in systems of violence. I would be honoured if you felt like having a look:
Lost Voices, Unearthed Stories – The Past Is Not Always Proud of Itself
I’ve just subscribed to your Substack and look forward to reading more of your writing. Thank you for your honesty and clarity—it was a real gift to find this today.
Peter
Lost Voices, Unearthed Stories
Btw...love David Marr's work...and beaut he has Philip Adam's LNL ol spot🎙🎬🗞📰🐾🐱😎
Hi Jane...an idea... Mccaillef's SBS Origin Odyssey...you could perhaps ask the needed questions on a series two show...and have some smiley fun at the same time...🎃
...on a more serious note...totally understand where ur coming from... the abadonment can happen on all sides of the love game...😔
Beaut story.
D❣⚘
🙏🏾🐱🙏🏾🐱🙏🏾🐾😎
Wow, @Jane Hutcheon. Whelp. Let's start with "Did you die in peace?" That puts it out there and sets the tone. You're absolutely right. You have to ask the questions and contextualize, in order to understand, and repair.
I feel well aware of my white privileged and the white privileged of my forebears. Not quite willing to cast as villains but accept I need to view history critically. It is a challenge to get the balance right and not be anachronistic when thinking about the past.
Hi a very similar story to my husband’s family. My brother in law wrote a novel about their great great grandfather migrating from China to work in the cane fields in Queensland. He went on to marry a Scottish woman.