Henry talks with Paul Monk, the most versatile public intellectual writing in Australia these days. His current projects include a body of poetry under the working title Lyrical Epigrams and an epic drama about the foundation of the Emirate of Cordoba (Andalusia) in the 8th century. His authoritative op eds, reviews and topical essays on international affairs, his unique combination of experiences as a scholar, an intelligence analyst, a consultant and a widely travelled poet set him apart. That his first book (in 1990),was called Truth and Power is indicative of where his heart lies. His book on China - Thunder From the Silent Zone: Rethinking China (2005) was years ahead of its time in anticipating both the challenge China is now presenting to the world and the internal institutional challenges with which it is confronted itself. His 2009 book The West in a Nutshell: Foundations, Fragilities, Futures, covers a breathtaking range of topics, from climate history, to the difference between science, metaphysics and mythology, to opera, erotic poetry and 21st century strategic affairs. His first book of poems, with the striking title Sonnets to a Promiscuous Beauty: A Homage to the Western Canon, marked him out as an original and gifted poet as well as an analyst and essayist...
This conversation was originally broadcast on 3SER's 97.7FM Casey Radio in December 2021. It was produced by Rob Kelly.
