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Finding Aid Index Request Information
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Manuscript Name | Papers of Lily Brett |
Manuscript Number | MSS 240 |
Last Updated | August 2021 |
Extent | 6.78 m (50 boxes) |
Location | Special Collections, UNSW Canberra |
Abstract | The papers document Brett's writings from 1979, including her poetry, short stories, novels, essays, newspaper columns, articles and reviews, together with several unpublished works, including a screenplay. |
This collection comprises journals, notebooks, correspondence, manuscript and typescript drafts, notes, research material, computer discs and photographs. The papers reflect the voice and presence of a dedicated and passionate post-Holocaust writer. A notable aspect of the collection is a series of notebooks, spanning nearly two decades, which richly detail Brett's personal life and literary career.
The papers offer detailed documentation of Brett's writings from 1979, including her poetry, short stories, novels, essays, newspaper columns, articles and reviews, as well as several unpublished works, including a screenplay. There are working papers for eleven of Brett's publications, including:
The Auschwitz poems (1986)
Poland and other poems (1987)
After the war (1990), Things could be worse (1990)
What God wants (1991), Unintended consequences (1992)
Just like that (1994), In her strapless dresses (1994)
Mud in my tears (1997)
In full view (1997)
Too many men (1999).
The correspondence series includes a large proportion of draft letters by Brett, and these contribute to an understanding of her personal relationships, and her abiding interests and concerns. Among the major correspondents are The Age, Angus and Robertson, Caroline Baum, Inara [Johnston?], Macmillan, Meanjin, Overland, Petrushka Owen, Christopher Pollnitz and Southerly.
1969-1999
Lily Brett was born in a displaced persons' camp in Germany. Her Jewish parents were survivors of the Lodz Ghetto and Auschwitz. Her family moved to Melbourne in 1948, and in 1961 Brett began her literary career writing for the Australian rock magazine Go-Set. The Auschwitz poems (1986) received great critical acclaim for its expression of the feelings and experiences of second-generation Holocaust survivors, a theme which is prevalent throughout her writing. Her terse, short poems elliptically recreate the experience of her parents' generation in a style whose minimalism accentuates the horrors of what is being depicted. Her stories are characterised by their adept movements between horror, excesses and the exaggerated behaviour of what is reductively known as Jewish humour.
Much of Brett's writing is autobiographical or semi-autobiographical. Brett also writes intimately about her experiences with sex, body image and food. Her frank writing about her interactions with her family, particularly her relationship with her mother, led to a public rift with her sister, the author and psychologist Doris Brett, who challenged the veracity of the account. In 1991 Brett moved to New York with her second husband, the Australian painter David Rankin. Her essay collections In full view (1997), New York (2001) and Between Mexico and Poland (2002) present her experiences as an expatriate.
Brett's publications include The Auschwitz poems (1986)
Poland and other poems (1987)
After the war (1990)
Things could be worse (1990)
What God wants (1991)
Unintended consequences (1992)
Just like that (1994)
In her strapless dresses (1994)
Mud in my tears (1997)
In full view (1997)
Collected stories (1999)
Too many men (1999)
New York (2001)
Between Mexico and Poland (2002)
You gotta have balls (2005)
Blistered days (2007). She has also contributed poetry, short stories and articles to Australian and overseas journals and newspapers.
Brett's awards include: Australian Literature Society Gold Medal, 2003: shortlisted for Between Mexico and Poland
Commonwealth Writers Prize, South-East Asia and South Pacific Region, Best Book from the Region Award, 2000: winner for Too many men
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards, Christina Stead Prize for Fiction, 1995: winner for Just like that
Warana Writers' Awards, Steele Rudd Award, 1992: winner for What God wants
Victorian Premier's Literary Awards, C.J. Dennis Award for Poetry, 1987: winner for The Auschwitz poems
Mattara Poetry Prize, 1986: winner for 'Poland'
References:
AustLit : The Resource for Australian Literature, March 2007.
Papers of Lily Brett, Special Collections, UNSW Canberra, Australian Defence Force Academy, MSS 240, Series [Number], Folder [Number].
This collection was acquired from Lily Brett and David Rankin in four instalments from 1991 to 1999.
Women poets, Australian -- Archives.
Women authors, Australian -- 20th century -- Archives.
Novelists, Australian -- 20th century -- Archives.
This small series comprises correspondence between Brett and her friends, family, literary associates, agents and publishers. A large proportion of the series consists of Brett's own letters, particularly faxes from New York to Australia, regarding personal and literary matters and arrangements. These letters contribute to a strong understanding of Brett, her personal relationships, and her abiding interests and concerns. The major correspondents include The Age, Angus and Robertson, Caroline Baum, Inara [Johnston?], Macmillan, Meanjin, Overland, Petrushka Owen, Christopher Pollnitz and Southerly. Notes and drafts for many of Brett's letters are included in the notebooks in Series 3.
Folder 1
A, 1980-1997
Including Robert Adamson, The Age, Richard Walsh of Angus and Robertson, Anka [?], Jonathan Armytage, Arnold Bloch Leibler & Co., Rudi Krausmann of Aspect, Geoffrey Dutton of The Australian Literary Magazine, Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and Australian Transnational Consultants
Folder 2
B, 1980-1997
Including Rebecca Batties, Caroline Baum, Jan Mahyuddin and Sneja Gunew of Beyond the echo: multicultural women's writing (1987), B'nai B'rith Raoul Wallenberg Unit, Max Brett and The Bulletin
Folder 3
C, 1979-1997
Including Christine [?], Kathleen Clair, Suzy Coleman, Collins and Harriet Cooper
Folder 5
H-J, 1982-1997
Including Robert Harris, Richard Hatchett, Hickson Associates Literary Agents, Hill of Content Publishing, Holocaust Publications, Hunter District Water Board, JC [?], Joan [?] and Inara [Johnston?]
Folder 7
M, 1979-1998
Including Macmillan, Mary [?], McKee Gallery, Meanjin, The Media Market, Melbourne University Press, Georges Mora and Ms
Folder 11
P-S, 1980-1997
Including Patronato Pro Niños (Mexico), Phoenix Publications, Christopher Pollnitz, David Rankin, Jessica Rankin, Jacob Rosenberg, together with typescripts of his poems 'Yiddish shtetl', 'Ghetto love' and 'Ghetto lullaby', Schocken Books (NY), Scribe Books (NY), Scripsi, Southerly and Stein and Day (NY)
The 28 journals in this series contain candid and self-revealing entries relating to Brett's personal life. The journals are often closely related to the notebooks included in Series 3. A number of the journals are only partially filled with sometimes sporadic entries. This series is closed.
From 1979, Brett has maintained an almost continuous series of notebooks which richly detail her writing and personal life. This series contains 99 notebooks, which are generally arranged in chronological order. Several of the notebooks are undated. The notebooks contain 'daily life' lists, arrangements and appointments; records of conversations and phone calls; drafts of letters; daily work plans; research notes and writing ideas, notes and drafts. This series is closed.
Folder 6
Notebook with general notes, and poetry notes and drafts, c. 1980-1981; notebook with general notes and prose notes, c. early 1980s
Folder 7
Notebook with personal notes, draft correspondence, and poetry and prose notes and drafts, 4 May 1982-13 June 1984
Folder 9
Notebook with poetry and prose notes and drafts, including poems used in The Auschwitz poems (1986), 10 June 1984-13 July 1985
Folder 10
Notebook with poetry and prose notes and drafts, including poems used in The Auschwitz poems (1986), July-August 1985
Folder 11
Notebook with poetry notes and drafts, including poems used in The Auschwitz poems (1986), 14 July-14 December 1985
Folder 12
Notebook with general notes, and poetry notes and drafts, including poems used in Poland and other poems (1987), April 1986
Folder 13
Notebook with poetry and prose notes and drafts, including poems used in Poland and other poems (1987), 18 May-27 July 1986
Folder 14
Notebook with poetry and prose notes and drafts, including poems used in Poland and other poems (1987), 5 August-18 December 1986
Folder 15
Notebook with poetry notes and drafts, including poems used in Poland and other poems (1987), 24 February-17 June 1987
Folder 20
Notebook with poetry and prose notes and drafts, including poems used in After the war (1990), 21 June 1987-6 April 1988
Folder 21
Notebook with poetry and prose notes and drafts, including poems used in After the war (1990), 24 April-14 August 1988
Folder 22
Notebook with poetry and prose notes and drafts, including poems used in After the war (1990), 13 December 1988-16 February 1989
Folder 23
Notebook with general notes, and poetry notes and drafts, including poems used in After the war (1990), c. 1988-1989
Folder 29
Notebook with poetry and prose notes and drafts, 16 February-7 March 1989, including poems used in After the war (1990), and notes regarding short stories submitted to various journals and newspapers, March-April 1989
Folder 30
Notebook with poetry and prose notes and drafts, inscribed 'Renia Bensky and After the war - both written in March 1989'
Folder 36-37
Notebooks (2) with general notes, and notes and drafts for What God wants (1991), c. 1990
Folder 39
Notebook with drafts and notes for Unintended consequences (1992), 18 December 1990-11 January 1991, including notes and drafts for 'Unclear medicine ' (published in 1994 as Just like that ), 21-25 January 1991
Folder 40
Notebook with poetry and prose notes and drafts for Unintended consequences (1992) and Just like that (1994), c. 1991
Folder 41
Notebook with poetry and prose notes and drafts, including poems for Unintended consequences (1992), 6 September-13 November 1991
Folder 42
Notebook with general notes, and poetry notes and drafts for Unintended consequences (1992), c. 1991
Folder 53
Notebook with poetry notes and drafts for In her strapless dresses (1994), Mud in my tears (1997) and others, 19 March 1992-18 March 1996
Folder 54
Notebook with poetry notes and drafts for Mud in my tears (1997) and others, 16 May 1994-18 March 1996
This series includes manuscript and typescript drafts of published and unpublished poems, together with correspondence, notes, reader's reports, page and galley proofs, reviews and posters. The papers document the development and publication of Brett's six volumes of poetry, comprising The Auschwitz poems (1986), Poland and other poems (1987), After the war (1990), Unintended consequences (1992), In her strapless dresses (1994) and Mud in my tears (1997). There are also drafts of early and unpublished poems. Correspondence relating to these works is included in Series 1. In addition, the notebooks in Series 3 include often extensive notes, ideas and drafts for many of Brett's poems.
4.1 Early and Miscellaneous Poems
Comprising manuscript and typescript drafts of early and unpublished poems dating from 1979. There are also drafts of miscellaneous poems, including poems later published in Poland and other poems (1987) and After the war (1990).
Folder 1
Manuscript and typescript drafts of early poems, 25 December 1979-19 May 1980
Comprising 'A crowd', 'A day with David', 'Alleyne Avenue', 'Along the way', 'And the rock blinked back', 'Anima', 'A perfect wife', 'A sad poem', 'The baby', 'The change', 'Back from Tom's', 'Bialik', 'Cheesecake', 'Church Street Parramatta', 'Dad and Dave', 'D and C', 'David', 'December with David', 'Dickens Street', 'Dilemma', 'Dr G', 'Drunk', 'Enough is enough', 'Enticing me inside,' 'Every year', 'Feeling fat', 'Feeling four', 'Feeling nice', 'Food', 'Friends', 'The games had started', 'Girlfriends', 'Glimpses', 'Golden haired man', 'Grade Three', 'Growing up', 'Gypsy', 'I'd like to go away', 'Inara', 'In bed', 'I've told them', 'Jammed apart', 'Jenny's legacy', 'The land off McPherson Street', 'The last lap', 'Letter to Peggy', 'Lily', 'Living without a testament', 'Lost friends', 'Love at thirty-three', 'The Lovett-Rankin circus', 'Me', 'Monday', 'My arrival', 'My breasts', 'My Gypo', 'Myself alive', 'Nicholson Street', 'Nigger', 'Nine', 'Not a nice poem', 'Old friends', 'On Bondi Bridge', 'Poem for Joanna', 'Poems for David', 'Professional friend', 'Rankin', 'Required roles', 'Rob', 'Rob and Lily', 'Robbie', 'Siblings', 'Sixteen', 'Somebody else's wife and mother', 'Sometimes', 'Sue', 'Telling my parents', 'Thursday morning', 'Together', 'The town house', 'Transparencies', 'Twice as alive and half dead', 'What am I doing', 'When I'm half asleep', 'The winner' and 'You and me'
Folder 2
Notes and manuscript and typescript drafts of miscellaneous poems
Comprising 'Leaving' and 'Your writing', 5 July 1980, 'Paris', 28 April 1984 and 'Gypsy gold', 30 April 1984; together with '1961', 'A find', 'A frame', 'Ankles', 'Apart', 'A shave', 'The Claremont', 'David', 'For David', 'For Nancy', 'Grim lips', 'I ache (for Joanna)', 'I feel loose', 'I have sadness', 'I visit you', 'I would like', 'The last train', 'Missing parts', 'Motherless', 'Moving', 'My dad', 'Okay', 'Old ladies (for Joanna)', [One way], 'Ooh (for Caroline)', 'Poem for Elaine', 'Poetry', 'Quiet surprise', 'Saturday', 'Sometimes', 'Things that matter', 'This is more important', 'Thoughtful', 'We left late', 'When I look at you - for Ramona', 'You', 'Your face' and 'Your feet'
Folder 3
Typescript drafts of 'General and new' poems and 'Analysis' poems, including poems published in Poland and other poems (1987) and After the war (1990)
'General and new' poems comprising 'After days', 'A move', 'A quiet refrain', 'Conversation with Anna', 'Dear David I', 'Dear David II', 'Dear David III', 'The high wire', 'I have thrown', 'I've learned', 'My side', 'On the first night', 'Poem for Anna Weis' and 'Wednesday night'; together with 'Analysis' poems, including 'A child', 'After what you've been through', 'Analysis break', 'A substitute', 'Day two driving to you', 'Driving to you', 'Four weeks', 'Getting home', 'Given up', 'I keep wondering', 'My stomach', 'My sweet witch', 'On my way', 'Relief', 'This break', 'Today', 'When the session ends', 'Where are you', 'Who is this' and 'You and me'
4.2 The Auschwitz poems (1986)
Comprising typescript drafts, page and galley proofs and other papers relating to Brett's first volume of poetry, published by Scribe in 1986.
4.3 Poland and other poems (1987)
Comprising notes, typescript drafts, posters and other papers relating to Brett's second volume of poems, published by Scribe in 1987.
Folder 1
Notes; typescript and typescript photocopy drafts of poems mostly published in Poland and other poems
Comprising the suites 'Kaddish for my mother', 'Two women', 'Poem for my mother', 'My mother is dying', 'Poland' and 'On the way to Lodz'
4.4 After the war (1990)
Comprising notes, typescript drafts, page proofs, a reader's report and reviews relating to Brett's third volume of poems, published by Melbourne University Press in 1990.
4.5 Unintended consequences (1992)
Comprising typescript drafts for Brett's fourth volume of poems, published by Paper Bark Press in 1992.
4.6 In her strapless dresses (1994)
Comprising notes and a reader's report for Brett's fifth volume of poems, published by Pan Macmillan in 1994.
4.7 Mud in my tears (1997)
Comprising typescript drafts and page proofs for Brett's sixth volume of poems, published by Pan Macmillan in 1997. A computer disc containing related draft material is included in Series 14.
Folder 1
Typescript and annotated typescript drafts of poems published in Mud in my tears, together with typescript drafts of other poems
Including 'After a few days', 'A stream', 'Buck's County', 'Don't cry for me', 'Dozing', 'Early morning', 'For the country', 'Geese', 'He is there', 'Home town', 'I eat', 'If I am not here', 'If I could have chosen', 'I have slipped away', 'I still cry', 'I wanted to cry', 'The mamba', 'My face and hands', 'Sex in the afternoon', 'Today is the ninth day', 'Wound up' and 'You have appeared'
The papers in this series document Brett's two short story collections, Things could be worse (1990) and What God wants (1991), which were later published together as Collected stories (1999). There are notes, manuscript and typescript drafts, galley proofs and reviews for the published short stories, which feature tales of Holocaust survivors and their families living in Melbourne. There are also manuscript and typescript drafts of several miscellaneous short stories, comprising 'Blue Heaven', 'Esther' and 'Leeba Blis'. Correspondence relating to publication of the short stories is included in Series 1. Notes, ideas and drafts for many of Brett's short stories are included in the notebooks in Series 3.
5.1 Things could be worse (1990)
Comprising notes, manuscript and typescript drafts, galley proofs and reviews of short stories for Things could be worse, first published by Meanjin and Melbourne University Press in 1990.
Folder 1-3
Manuscript, annotated typescript and typescript photocopy drafts of short stories
Including 'It was after the war', 'An illness', 'A drive', 'Mrs Bow' (retitled 'A family portrait'), 'Renia Bensky' (retitled 'What do you know about friends'), 'I wonder why she looks so happy', 'Every death', 'The holiday', 'The children', ' Luba' (retitled 'A mixed marriage'), 'Miriam '(retitled 'You will be going back to your roots'), 'Ruth Blatt' (retitled 'Chopin's piano'), 'Malka' (retitled 'I heard you got another husband'), 'If you live long enough', 'Things could be worse' and 'Technical trouble'
5.2 What God wants (1991)
Comprising notes, manuscript drafts and typescript drafts of short stories for What God wants, first published by University of Queensland Press in 1991.
Folder 1-2
Notes, and manuscript and annotated typescript drafts of short stories
Including 'Love' (retitled 'Not a simple matter'), 'Not one drop of juice', 'Dora Lipshitz' (retitled 'A lunatic proposition'), 'Half-there', 'Esther Schenkler' (retitled 'Locker 1012'), 'A glimpse of stocking', 'A departure' (retitled 'A hormonal imbalance'), 'The alpha-jerk field', 'Moving meals', 'All kinds of things', 'I'm fine' (retitled 'On different fronts'), 'Wombat Lodge', 'We are all brothers and sisters' and 'Is everything all right?' (retitled W'hat God wants')
5.3 Miscellaneous Short Stories
Comprising manuscript and typescript drafts of three miscellaneous short stories, 'Blue Heaven', 'Esther' and 'Leeba Blis'.
Folder 1
'Blue Heaven' manuscript draft, 3 p., typescript draft, 3 p., typescript draft, 2 p., annotated typescript draft, 3 p.; 'Esther' annotated typescript draft, various paging, annotated typescript draft, 10 p., typescript draft, 10 p.; 'Leeba Blis' annotated typescript drafts (3), various paging, typescript draft, 9 p.
The papers in this series include notes, newspaper clippings and other research material, manuscript and typescript drafts, letters, a reader's report and a poster relating to Brett's first novel Just like that (1994). There is also a review of her second novel, Too many men (1999).
6.1 Just like that (1994)
Including notes, newspaper clippings, research material, manuscript and typescript drafts, letters, a reader's report and a poster relating to the novel, which was published by Pan Macmillan in 1994. The novel's central character, second-generation Holocaust survivor Esther Zepler, is an obituary writer living in New York. The novel was translated into German by Anne Lösch in 1998, and published as Einfach so by Deuticke Verlag. Correspondence regarding publication of Just like that is included in Series 1. Notes and drafts for the novel are included in the notebooks in Series 3, and a computer disc containing a draft fragment is included in Series 14.
Folder 1-8
Newspaper clippings and other research material, including obituaries and articles on Bucky Balls, suicide, anti-Semitism and other issues
Folder 14-17
Notes and research material, including notes from interviews with Sonia [?], Eli [?] and Chris [Beckinsale?]; letter to Win and Mimi Nathanson, c. 1991
Folder 22-23
Notes, including typescript notes; 'Unclear medicine' typescript draft, 10 p.; facsimile from Phillip Frazer, 1991
Folder 24
Notes, including final typescript notes; 'Unclear medicine' annotated typescript draft, 10 p. and typescript draft, 12 p.
Folder 26
Notes, including notes regarding The enigma of suicide (1992) by George Howe Colt; annotated typescript draft of Chapter 1, 12 p.; annotated typescript draft of Chapter 2, 38 p.
Folder 27
Notes; annotated typescript draft of Chapter 2, 38 p.; 'Anniversaries and addresses' typescript draft extract, 8 p., and annotated typescript draft extract, 8 p.
Folder 31
Notepads (3) with notes and drafts for Chapter 4; 'Three poems for David, 1992' typescript drafts (2)
Folder 38
Manuscript draft photocopy of Chapter 6, 89 p., begun 2 June 1993; photocopied notes, 6 p.
6.2 Too many men (1999)
Including a review of Brett's second novel, which was published by Pan Macmillan in 1999. The novel explores the life of Ruth Rothwax, and her journey from New York to Poland with her father, Holocaust survivor Edek Rothwax. There are also copies of newspaper clippings regarding Beyond lament (ed. Marguerite Striar, 1998), an anthology featuring a selection of Brett's poems.
This series comprises notes, manuscript and typescript drafts and reviews regarding Brett's collection of essays, In full view, published by Pan Macmillan in 1997. The nine essays cover such themes as food, sex, love, life in New York, family relationships, ageing and death. Notes and drafts for the anthology are included in the notebooks in Series 3.
This series comprises notes and manuscript and typescript drafts relating to Brett's unpublished screenplay 'The late bloomer'.
Brett wrote a series of columns for the Sunday Age newspaper, from August 1989 to May 1990. This series includes notes, manuscript and typescript drafts and photocopied newspaper clippings regarding the columns, which cover such topics as food, city living and work. Related correspondence is included in Series 1, and notes and drafts for the columns are included in the notebooks in Series 3.
Folder 2-4
Notes, manuscript drafts, typescript drafts and photocopied clippings of columns, August 1989-May 1990
Including 'Accoutrements for the job', 'Assessing our value', 'Batman's cholesterol', 'City life', 'Changes', 'Diet', 'Do we work hard enough?', 'Dress', 'Exercise', 'Experts', 'Food', 'Friends,' 'The future', 'Language', 'Melbourne', 'Misery', 'The modern world', 'Momentous moments', 'Old rock and rollers', 'Our service industries', 'New York', 'Parents', 'Postures and positions', 'Radicals', 'The retreat into attitudes', 'Routines', 'Signs of our times', 'Straight talk', 'Sun', 'The telephone', 'Tolerating the intolerable', 'The villages of Melbourne', 'Whatever happened to love?', 'What is history?', 'What's in a name?', 'When are we old enough?' and 'Why do we drink so much?'
Brett began her writing career as a journalist for Go-Set magazine in 1961. Since then she has written numerous articles, reviews and profiles for Australian and overseas newspapers and magazines, including The Age, The Australian Jewish News, Die Zeit, The National Times, Pol and Vogue Living. This series includes a selection of Brett's articles, 1979-1990, reviews for The Age, c. 1987-1989, and other unpublished prose writings and projects. Related notes and drafts are included in the notebooks in Series 3.
10.1 Articles, 1979-c. 1990
Comprising notes, manuscript drafts, typescript drafts and clippings of articles by Brett, including articles on writers Jennifer Rankin and Naomi Rosh White. A photograph of Jennifer Rankin is included in Series 13.
Folder 1
'Jennifer Rankin' typescript draft and newspaper clipping of published article, The National Times, October 1979
Folder 2
'Our house' manuscript draft and typescript draft, 3 p.; 'Interview with Dr Naomi Rosh White' typescript, 2 p., and photocopy of related article in The Australian Jewish News, 1988, together with 'From death to life - Naomi Rosh White' annotated typescript drafts (3) regarding White's work From darkness to light: surviving the Holocaust (1988); typescript draft and notes regarding a photographic exhibition 'Jewish life in Australia today'; miscellaneous notes, including notes regarding a proposed novel 'The questions'
10.2 Reviews and Critical Responses, c. 1987-1989
Comprising manuscript and typescript drafts of reviews and critical responses by Brett for The Age, c. 1987-1989.
Folder 1
Manuscript and typescript reviews and critical responses for The Age, c. 1987-1989
Including The babe is wise (1987) edited by Lyn Harwood, Bruce Pascoe and Paula White; 'Choosing life', by Mark Baker, The Australian Jewish News; The drowned and the saved (1988) by Primo Levi; Kindergarten (1988) by Elzbieta Ettinger; Maus [nd] by Art Spiegelman; Twilight (1988) by Elie Wiesel; Two (1985) by Ron Elisha; and Utz (1989) by Bruce Chatwin; together with research material and 'Guidelines for Age reviewers', 1 p.
10.3 Other Prose Writings and Projects, 1979-1988
Comprising papers relating to biographical writings, a proposed book of interviews with children of Holocaust survivors, and other non-fiction projects relating to motherhood, marriage and family relationships after divorce. There are also transcripts of interviews with poet Robert Adamson, and artists Charles Blackman and Albert Tucker. Two photographs of a couple interviewed for the 'Happy marriage' project are included in Series 13.
Folder 1
'A solution' annotated typescript, 2 p.; '[Until I was six years old]' typescript, 1 p.; 'A packet of Panadol and a packet of jelly beans' annotated typescript, 25 p.
Folder 2
'The meaning and demeaning of motherhood' manuscript draft, 22 p., typescript draft, 59 p., manuscript and typescript draft, 51 p., 1979; together with notes and research material, including transcripts of interviews with Marianne Beaulieu, Judith Colquhoun, Elaine Kermode, Penny Ramsey, Lyn Richards and Sandra Zurbo
Folder 3
Notes and research material regarding 'Happy marriage', c. 1979, including transcripts of interviews with Norman Claussen and Eileen Claussen, Peter Couchman and Trish Couchman, Mal Dobbin and Claire Dobbin, Warwick Horton, Corinne Kerby and Oscar Whitbread
Folder 4-5
Notes and research material regarding 'Children and divorce', 1979, including transcripts of interviews with Susan Crockett, Bill Garner, Ruth Maddison, Laurie Maloney, Mario Marchesani, David Mushin, Dan Slattery and Joy Slattery, Glen Staunton and Michael Wilks
Folder 9
Notes and transcripts of interviews with Albert Tucker, 2 March 1983 and 25 May 1983, together with transcript of interview with Charles Blackman, 28 April 1983, and manuscript draft of related article by Brett, c. early 1980s
Following a profile of Australian psychologist Dr Ainslie Meares, published in Pol magazine, c. 1979, Brett was commissioned by Angus and Robertson to write a biography of Meares. The work was never published. This series includes a typescript copy of the original article on Meares, together with notes, research index and transcripts of interviews with Meares, and his family members, friends, colleagues, employees and patients.
Folder 1
'Dr Ainslie Meares' typescript, 30 p., marked 'Original article as published in Pol', c. 1979, together with transcripts of early interviews with Ainslie Meares, Professor McCarthy, Mr Crock and Professor Kuhne
Folder 5
Transcripts and notes from interviews with Norma Craig [nd]; Lyndsey Davis [nd]; Alex Sinclair, 1 October 1980; Dorothy Gepp Sinclair, 6 October 1980; Sylvia Meares Black, 8 October 1980; Russell Meares, 11 November 1980; A.W. Stewart, 13 November 1980
Folder 6
Transcripts and notes from interviews with Garda Meares Langley, 14 November 1980; Norman Wettenhall, 14 November 1980; Russell Meares, 8 December 1980; Joan Wettenhall, 13 December 1980; Mrs Andrews, 15 December 1980; Mona Forrest, 6 February 1981; Sylvia Meares Black, 3 March 1981
Folder 7
Transcripts and notes from interviews with Bernard Keays, 25 March 1981; Vere Langley, 1, 14 and 22 April 1981; Sir Thomas Webb, 13 May 1981; Reg Hooper, 19 May 1981; Wendy Mayhew, 29 May 1981; Dorothy Gepp Sinclair, 22 June 1981
Folder 8
Transcripts and notes from interviews with Michael Currie, 21 July 1981; Sir Sidney Sunderland, 29 July 1981; Diana Tatchell, 28 September 1981; Russell Howard, 8 October 1981
This small series of biographical material relating to Brett includes interview and seminar transcripts.
This small series includes a photograph of Jennifer Rankin from a 1979 article by Brett. There are also two photographs relating to an unpublished article on 'Happy marriage'. Papers relating to these writings are included in Series 10.