Writers seem to me to be people who need to retire from social life and do a lot of thinking about what's happened - almost to calm themselves.

- Helen Garner

And always Melbourne, Melbourne, Melbourne, over and over the same photo in glaring greens and reds, of a tram, huffy, blunderous, manoeuvring itself…

- Helen Garner

That's one of the things I hope that the book can do, is to restore some dignity to Joe Cinque.

- Helen Garner

I'm full of restlessness. Not lonely, exactly - my head is racing with ideas. But it is that old treacherous feeling that real life is happening some…

- Helen Garner

Tentatively I stood a great lump of wood on the chopping block and bought the axe down on it. It flew into two perfect halves. Such was my elation th…

- Helen Garner

On Melbourne summer mornings the green trams go rolling in stately progress down tunnels thick with leaves: the bright air carries along the avenue t…

- Helen Garner

The rain began again. It fell heavily, easily, with no meaning or intention but the fulfilment of its own nature, which was to fall and fall.

- Helen Garner

I think some people wished I'd kept myself out of the book. But I kind of insist on it because I want the reader to share my engagement with the mate…

- Helen Garner

But there are some wounds that can never be healed.

- Helen Garner