Shelf Life of Zora Cross, The

- Blurb -

'A rare gem. This is biography at its best: boldly conceived andbrilliantly written. In spare, haunting prose Cathy Perkins rescues Zora Crossfrom oblivion, re-establishing her as one of Australia's most remarkableliterary figures. We see Zora's life through the stories of her relationshipswith others. The person that emerge - possessed by an irrepressible hunger towrite and to be published - is impossible to pin down. In Perkins's hands, ZoraCross dances vividly before our eyes.' - Mark McKennaAustralian poet and journalist Zora Cross caused a sensation in1917 with her book Songsof Love and Life. Here was a young woman who looked like a Sundayschool teacher, celebrating sexual passion in a provocative series of sonnets.She was hailed as a genius, and many expected her to endure as a household namealongside Shakespeare and Rossetti. While Cross's fame didn't last, she keptwriting through financial hardship, personal tragedies and two world wars,producing an impressive body of work. Her verse, prose and correspondencewith the likes of Ethel Turner, George Robertson (of Angus & Robertson) andMary Gilmore place Zora Cross among the key personalities of Australia'sliterary world in the early twentieth century. The Shelf Life of Zora Cross reveals thelife of a neglected writer and intriguing person.`I must confess I had never heard of Zora Cross, but thismeticulously researched biography captures the spirited actress turned eroticpoet with fresh insight, revealing a woman who not only defied convention towrite with uninhibited passion but also had a horserace named after her! Thepages teem with vividly drawn portraits of the luminaries of Australianliterature, in all their flawed and messy humanity. Perkins brings Cross out ofthe shadows into the light she deserves. Here is yet another free-thinkingwoman for a new generation to add to the feminist pantheon.' - Caroline Baum`This finely written biography fills a significant gap in thehistory of Australian women writers. Zora Cross is hardly a household namethese days, but a century ago at the peak of her fame she very likely was,since Songs of Love and Life was thatrare thing: a popular poetic sensation. The Shelf Life of Zora Cross nowspells out her life story.' - PeterKirkpatrick