tulip2
Junior Member
Posts: 176
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Post by tulip2 on Dec 6, 2023 16:38:11 GMT -5
Australian grunge poet and author of Scoundrel Days: A Memoir (2017). His upbringing: ".. a recalcitrant boy who finds the sacred bond of familial trust broken by parents who, since their own birth, are members of a secretive fundamentalist evangelical Christian cult. Exacerbating this Amish like environment is his father's job as a police officer and his dad has an ever-watchful eye on those who transcend both God and Man's rules and regulations. The first part of the book deals with the hyperbolic bravado the author adopts to counter his social standing as weirdo and cop's son in an outback mining town in far north Queensland." Turns out it's the 2x2's. "Growing up godless in a "deranged, apocalyptic" cult, Frazer develops a disdain for authority, cemented by his run-ins with the ne'er-do-wells in his policeman father's cells, and also the "tramp preachers" who pass through town and who have a tendency to wander into the bathroom as he showers. "I tell Mum I feel pretty uncomfortable" he recalls. "She says workers have the right of way in our house, They speak for the Lord"." Interesting, the effect growing up in meetings has had on all us kids. Some go wild. Some become atheists. Some find God. Some stay good 2x2's to perpetuate Brentley's "secretive fundamentalist evangelical Christian cult" for the next generation of young kids. And some become poets! Scoundrel Days: A Memoir
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Post by fixit on Dec 6, 2023 23:08:28 GMT -5
Australian grunge poet and author of Scoundrel Days: A Memoir (2017). His upbringing: ".. a recalcitrant boy who finds the sacred bond of familial trust broken by parents who, since their own birth, are members of a secretive fundamentalist evangelical Christian cult. Exacerbating this Amish like environment is his father's job as a police officer and his dad has an ever-watchful eye on those who transcend both God and Man's rules and regulations. The first part of the book deals with the hyperbolic bravado the author adopts to counter his social standing as weirdo and cop's son in an outback mining town in far north Queensland." Turns out it's the 2x2's. "Growing up godless in a "deranged, apocalyptic" cult, Frazer develops a disdain for authority, cemented by his run-ins with the ne'er-do-wells in his policeman father's cells, and also the "tramp preachers" who pass through town and who have a tendency to wander into the bathroom as he showers. "I tell Mum I feel pretty uncomfortable" he recalls. "She says workers have the right of way in our house, They speak for the Lord"." Interesting, the effect growing up in meetings has had on all us kids. Some go wild. Some become atheists. Some find God. Some stay good 2x2's to perpetuate Brentley's "secretive fundamentalist evangelical Christian cult" for the next generation of young kids. And some become poets! Scoundrel Days: A MemoirIt's disgusting that he couldn't find any support...
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Post by SharonArnold on Dec 12, 2023 17:19:45 GMT -5
I am about 80% through reading this book. Very interesting and engaging, for the most part. Exceptionally well-written (IMO), not that I would know, seeing that any expertise I could claim is in quite different areas. I intend to re-read The Catcher in the Rye, which I have not read since I was an older teenager. Also, James Frey's A Million Little Pieces... I may have more to say when I am done. His treatment of CSA/sexual misconduct with the 2X2"s is remarkably incisive. Up until the Dean Bruer revelations, I would have thought he was exaggerating. But no longer. He, in fact, understates it, from what I am rapidly learning from different forums on the internet. English Prime is also a new concept to me, and I keep that in mind as I read. Both for its effect on the pace, and the communication of introspection (or lack thereof). The question I mostly have right now is: "Is his description of the church/ the two Bruce's from his (now) adult perspective, or was he able to see it that way then?" The most interesting non-2X2 piece of information, to me, was about his stint working at "The Floating Hotel". en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotel_Haegumgang I did not know such a thing existed, much less its recent history with Kim Jong-un. I haven't checked out any of his poetry yet. But I assume that there are some here who actually do know him and his family?
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Post by SharonArnold on Dec 13, 2023 18:03:09 GMT -5
I have now finished this book, and am well into a re-read of "The Catcher in the Rye".
A couple of 2X2-related ponderings:
1) He suggests circumcision is a 2X2 requirement. In the book, this what his Dad had to say "Circumcision demonstrates to Jesus that us fellers follow the path, we know the truth, we’ve heard the living gospel. We know the way home. He takes a large gulp of wine, waiting for me to reply. I don’t, so he continues: All the men Friends, and their sons, have undergone circumcision. I guess you could say as a pact. A pact with Jesus."
As a Canadian B&R, this view never reached my radar screen. To my knowledge, in Canada, the decision for Christians to circumsize a baby was based on the prevailing medical advice for the time. I thought it was clear that circumcision was not required in the New Testament?
2) The sexual behavior that he describes for girls/women in his book is likewise foreign to me. Now, I am an end-of-the-Boomer generation, and he is definitely Gen X. However, as generally the responsible party in raising children, hypergamy and territoriality tend to be pretty pronounced in women as a whole. I could see that damage from sexual abuse/drug and alcohol abuse/freedom granted by reliable birth control could impact this in some individuals. I listened to one interview where the interviewer tackled this issue with him in terms of the popular buzzword of "mysogyny" and he sort of had a prepared response. Hmmm. In my experience, women generally do not behave like this, much less so many women over such a period of time.
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tulip2
Junior Member
Posts: 176
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Post by tulip2 on Dec 14, 2023 6:02:45 GMT -5
I am about 80% through reading this book. Very interesting and engaging, for the most part. Exceptionally well-written (IMO), not that I would know, seeing that any expertise I could claim is in quite different areas. I intend to re-read The Catcher in the Rye, which I have not read since I was an older teenager. Also, James Frey's A Million Little Pieces... I may have more to say when I am done. His treatment of CSA/sexual misconduct with the 2X2"s is remarkably incisive. Up until the Dean Bruer revelations, I would have thought he was exaggerating. But no longer. He, in fact, understates it, from what I am rapidly learning from different forums on the internet. English Prime is also a new concept to me, and I keep that in mind as I read. Both for its effect on the pace, and the communication of introspection (or lack thereof). The question I mostly have right now is: "Is his description of the church/ the two Bruce's from his (now) adult perspective, or was he able to see it that way then?" The most interesting non-2X2 piece of information, to me, was about his stint working at "The Floating Hotel". en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotel_Haegumgang I did not know such a thing existed, much less its recent history with Kim Jong-un. I haven't checked out any of his poetry yet. But I assume that there are some here who actually do know him and his family? Thanks SharonArnold, how did you access a copy of Brentley's book? His upbringing in Far North Queensland sounds pretty hair raising from what you've passed on. Who are "the two Bruce's" and what is their claim to fame (or infamy)? According to Monty Python, Bruce is the generic name for all random Aussie males. I presume these "two Bruce's" are from FNQ - in which case anything's believable Have you gotten around to his poetry yet - wonder what you make of it? Talented guy, it seems
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Post by SharonArnold on Dec 14, 2023 19:04:10 GMT -5
Thanks SharonArnold, how did you access a copy of Brentley's book? His upbringing in Far North Queensland sounds pretty hair raising from what you've passed on. Who are "the two Bruce's" and what is their claim to fame (or infamy)? According to Monty Python, Bruce is the generic name for all random Aussie males. I presume these "two Bruce's" are from FNQ - in which case anything's believable Have you gotten around to his poetry yet - wonder what you make of it? Talented guy, it seems I bought the book on kindle, from Amazon (Canada). It is also available here from Apple Books. The two Bruces are Tramp Preachers who come to stay with his family. I think this was when he was in his early teens, after his family had moved to Townsville. He doesn't spend a great deal of time on them, but he does communicate a lot about them and the Church - simply, directly, devastatingly. Your Monty Python comment perhaps adds another layer to his description of the Bruces. I am sure that there is much I have missed, that would be meaningful to someone from Down Under. I have not yet looked up any of his poetry. But, yes, I do think he is talented. I really did enjoy reading his paper on English Prime: textjournal.scholasticahq.com/article/25313-beyond-is-creative-writing-with-english-primeA number of reviewers describe his book as "gritty", in the sense of being dark and edgy. Though I enjoyed it, and plan to read it again, I am not sure that I would generally recommend it to TMB readers because many may find it more offensive than informative.
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