Hal Porter (1911–1984)

Hal Porter was born in Victoria, Australia , "missing Edwardian babyhood by nine months." The eldest of 6 children, from a family of modest means. He relates his journey from baby to man with a self absorbed honesty. "I crawl. The Titanic sinks. I stand. The Archduke is assassinated at Sarajevo, and I walk at last into my own memories.."
Memories of early school days, of early sexual experiences, of the fragility of life.
Although not the style of book I would normally like, I could certainly show more appreciate the quality and honesty of the writing show less

Magnificent prose, and a remarkable glimpse into an early C20th childhood and adolescence/

See my Sensational Snippets at https://anzlitlovers.com/2023/01/12/sensational-snippets-the-watcher-on-the-cast...

I am shocked at the “pederast” “pederasty” Hal Porter recorded in his own words . It was stuck in a long list of faults he acknowledged as his own. Macquarie …” pederasty “ - “homosexual relations, esp. those between a male adult and a boy.”
One writer and reviewer Mary Lord, records such a relationship between Hol Porter and her son. See Wikipedia.
He respected the second Adelaide headmaster who sent his own son over to him in the school Tower rooms at a time of emotional show more crisis for the mature son.
So the respected headmaster by doing so probably acknowledged his son’s mature homosexuality 18? 19?and Hal Porter’s mature sexuality. 40?
So I would not record this mature relationship at this stage as pederasty.
“Rex” was a “knowing” man, with his son’s best interests at heart.
The son’s death in Japan at the tail end of the WWII was recorded as “an accident” records Porter.
He journeyed to put a bunch of flowers on the man’s grave.
I haven’t read anything else by Hal Porter. show less

One of Australia's truly great short story writers.