Michael Leunig's words and pictures were first published in Australia in 1965. He was born in Melbourne and now lives on a farm in north-east Victoria. A New Penguin Leunig comprises pieces that have previously appeared in the Melbourne Age and the Sydney Morning Herald.
A special edition of a book that is destined to become a classic. Inside a beautiful linen-covered box with magnetic closure is a copy of the book The Essential Leunig, which comprises 400 definitive works spanning five decades. Also linen-bound, and with a cover unique to this special edition, each copy - one of a print run of 250 - is individually numbered and signed by the artist. The boxed set also includes a wood engraving printed on 250gsm art stock measuring 23cm x 23cm, with the actual image measuring 11cm x 8.5cm. The print has been created specially for this edition and is limited to 250 units numbered and signed by the artist. Neither the print nor the book in this edition will be reprinted, so these are truly collectors' items.
These letters are a small fragment of the vast correspondence known to have taken place between lone voyager Vasco Pyjama and his friend and mentor Mr Curly of Curly Flat. While domestic contentment and ease with the natural world are Mr Curly's major attributes, Vasco's restless nature has compelled him into a great voyage of discovery. In the company of his direction-finding duck, he has wandered far and wide, risking, finding, enjoying and observing much. Theirs is a language of unique personal protocol, as is often found in conversations between creative and intelligent minds in awe of life's complex grandeur, beauty and pathos.
Musings from a truly original thinker on eveything under the sun and many things over the moon. There are few aspects of existence to which Michael Leunig has not turned his renaissance mind, as a bemused and committed member of the human plight. From his cartoonist's sensibilities comes a peculiar journalism made of parable, memoir and soliloquy, on subjects ranging from the sublime to the subhuman. From the fragile ecosystem of the spirit to the brutalisation of the modern world. From the joy of primal epiphanies to the wretchedness of the violence we unwittingly commit against each other and our deeper selves each day. To hypocrisy and dispair in the political order. Military madness and the media. To violins, artists and newborn facials. The value of the mundane. Emotional mysteries and the night sky. Light and darkness in the national character. The wisdom of the innocent. The sadness of the brain-ridden. Humanity's redeeming pathos and our exquisite inseparabilitiy from the natural world. . . The lot. Even in the smallest, simplest things, Leunig finds the eternal key. And no matter how confronting the topic, he awakens and upholds the funny side. The uplifting side. The side you'd forgotten about - or didn't realise was there.
In this selection of poems covering the period 1972 to 2002. This beautifully elegant volume excludes the cartoon element, focusing on Leunig's brilliant texts, with all their absurdity, hilarity, poignancy and joyfulness. Michael Leunig pokes fun at human folly and pretentiousness, deplores the idiocy of war, and revels in the redeeming power of love.
A collection of cartoons about many strange and lovely things- kind words for dark days; simple poems concerning wonderful mysteries; reflections on sadness, joy, dismay, sanity, soup and beauty. Also- doubts, confessions, laments and tributes. Spirited depictions of dogs, ducks, teapots and trees, with various peculiar attempts to shine some light on dark and troubled times.
With its inspirational and insightful prayers and illustrations, When I Talk to You helps readers deepen their awareness of their soul, their inner voice, and God. While the demand for inspirational books is ever expanding, this book takes a refreshing and creative approach that's unlike any other. More about When I Talk to You When asked to pen a weekly cartoon for Melbourne's Sunday Age newspaper more than 15 years ago, Michael Leunig struggled with the idea of creating just another humor strip. He recognized the need to offset the anxiety and distress found in the news but was determined to take a decidedly different approach from his cartooning peers. The result was a cartoon that delivered a spiritual message with its inspirational words and straightforward, poignant drawings. Before long, it developed a huge, faithful following and turned Leunig into an Australian national treasure. Now, he is sharing his illuminating prayers and drawings worldwide in When I Talk to You, a collection of more than 80 of his poignant prayers and delightful drawings. The book looks at life in all its sadness, joy, and-at times-seeming absurdity, and offers people hope through the power of prayer. Leunig's encouraging words are part inspiration, part desperation-capturing one man's quest for love, the spirit, and a better world. It's a search that resonates with anyone who has ever grappled with life and its unpredictable ways.
Terrorism blows you up Nastiness grinds you down Stupidity wears you out The media sucks you in, drags you under Politics does you over Up, down, in, out, under, over! But ducks . . . Ducks just Let you be
Remember the wonderfully romantic book of love letters that Carrie reads aloud to Big in the recent blockbuster film, Sex and the City? Fans raced to buy copies of their own, only to find out that the beautiful book didn't actually exist. However, since all of the letters referenced in the film did exist, we decided to publish this gorgeous keepsake ourselves. Love Letters of Great Men follows hot on the heels of the film and collects together some of history's most romantic letters from the private papers of Beethoven, Mark Twain, Mozart, and Lord Byron. For some of these great men, love is "a delicious poison" (William Congreve); for others, "a nice soft wife on a sofa with good fire, & books & music" (Charles Darwin). Love can scorch like the heat of the sun (Henry VIII), or penetrate the depths of one's heart like a cooling rain (Flaubert). Every shade of love is here, from the exquisite eloquence of Oscar Wilde and the simple devotion of Robert Browning, to the wonderfully modern misery of the Roman Pliny the Younger, losing himself in work to forget how much he misses his beloved wife, Calpurnia. Taken together, these letters show that perhaps men haven't changed all that much over the last 2,000 years--passion, jealousy, hope and longing still rule their hearts and minds. In an age of e-mail and texted "i luv u"s, this timeless and unique collection reminds us that nothing can compare to the simple joy of sitting down to read a letter from the one you love.