Counterturn
Counterturn
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Counterturn brings life to art, and art to life. Join Nelson Rufatt and guests, as they talk music, literature, science, history, and all the pursuits of the humanist heart.
Available episodes
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May 23, 2023
17. Martin Amis
This episode is a short tribute to Martin Amis, who died of Oesophageal Cancer, only last Friday.
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Apr 25, 2023
16. Christianity and Humanism
A late Easter message. Christianity and Humanism are words usually claimed, and guarded by, opposing parties. This episode reflects on the moment when Christianity and Humanism met, and when Christianity transcended its religious story by becoming uniquely human. This first appeared as an article in Issue 4 (Christmas Issue) of 'The Parrish Paper', St. Peter's Eastern Hill. It was printed by the paper's editor, Philip Harvey.
The theme song 'Zaftik' was composed and performed by Nelson Rufatt.
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Apr 11, 2023
15. Dark Sods of the Moon | Jonathan Craig
Nelson and Jonathan continue their discussion of J. G. Ballard's novel 'Crash'. Pink Floyd get a mention, and Jonathan exposes for the whole world, one of Nelson's most closely guarded secrets. Now you're interested.
The music was composed and performed specially for these episodes by Jonathan Craig.
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Mar 28, 2023
14. Crash | Jonathan Craig
In 1973, J. G. Ballard published 'Crash', an orgy of a novel, which made an aesthetics of sex and violence. In what Ballard called an 'extreme metaphor', the car crash became the culmination of orgasm, celebrity worship, and nihilistic longing. Yes, well, quite. Who better to discuss this distasteful blemish on literature, than with writer and old friend, Jonathan Craig, with whom Nelson recorded the first episode of Counterturn, all those months ago.
The novel can be purchased here:
https://www.amazon.com.au/s?k=crash+ballard&crid=3MTVTFDJNAB47&sprefix=crash+ballar%2Caps%2C464&ref=nb_sb_noss_2
Jonathan Craig's aside on Princess Diana was based on this article:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-57189371
Music for synthesizers was composed by Jonathan Craig. The theme song 'Zaftik' was composed and performed by Nelson Rufatt.
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Dec 15, 2022
13. On Boredom (Season's Greetings)
Nelson discusses boredom, its causes and who they are. He reflects on the importance of furnishing your mind, and liking it.
The theme song 'Zaftik' was composed and performed by Nelson Rufatt.
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Nov 19, 2022
12. Odd Cast
Something slightly different.
The theme song 'Zaftik' was composed and performed by Nelson Rufatt.
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Nov 1, 2022
11. An Interview with Kate Burridge
This week, Nelson talks with Professor Kate Burridge. Prof Burridge has the Chair of Linguistics at Monash University. She has thoroughly researched changes in vocabulary and grammar, linguistic taboo, and the structure and history of English. She has written and edited more than twenty books on different aspects of language, has regular segments on ABC Radio and 3AW, and was a weekly pannelist on the ABC's television program 'Can We Help?'.
A selection of her books can be purchased here:
https://www.amazon.com/Books-Kate-Burridge/s?rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3AKate+Burridge
https://research.monash.edu/en/persons/kathryn-burridge
The theme song 'Zaftik' was composed and performed by Nelson Rufatt.
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Oct 18, 2022
10. Bellerophon and Bix Beiderbecke
In this episode, Nelson recites two of his poems — 'Bellerophon' and 'For Bix Beiderbecke', both of which were published in the June issue of Quadrant.
The phrases 'a sequence of desolate exuberance' and 'playful grief', are taken from Clive James's essay on Beiderbecke, in 'Cultural
Amnesia'.
Bix, playing the song 'I'm Coming Virginia':
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oW7YYt0F-K4
Louis Armstrong Remembers Bix Beiderbecke:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ng20NdShee4
The theme song 'Zaftik', and the poems quoted in this episode, were composed and written by Nelson Rufatt.
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Sep 20, 2022
9. Salman
Nelson speaks an impassioned essay about, for, in defence of, Salman Rushdie, his life, and his prose. And — it can never be argued for often enough — enlightenment, and freedom of expression. It is dedicated to Rushdie, and to his family. May he and they live long.
You can buy ‘The Satanic Verses’ here:
https://www.angusrobertson.com.au/books/the-satanic-verses-salman-rushdie/p/9780963270702?gclid=CjwKCAjwyaWZBhBGEiwACslQo22fy26-ZdDykLTR4maJcRj4-cwRBruKmwOd74DjqSDUj9eOUa6SixoCbuEQAvD_BwE
What Are the Satanic Verses
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlalmIjDhr8
The Robertson-Islam Interview:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2010-05-31/34730
This episode was produced by Johnathan Craig. The theme song is 'Zaftik' and was composed and performed by Nelson Rufatt.
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Sep 6, 2022
8. The Picture of The Picture of Dorian Gray
Nelson reflects on the Sydney Theatre Company's production of 'A Picture of Dorian Gray', which he saw at the Playhouse in Melbourne in early August. Authenticity, art, myth, and music, are pampered, prodded, and inverted in this episode.
This episode was produced by Johnathan Craig. The theme song is 'Zaftik' and was composed and performed by Nelson Rufatt.
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Jul 26, 2022
7. The Abolition of Intimacy
Intimacy is being abolished. Or so says Counterturn's host Nelson Rufatt, with his tongue in and around his cheek.
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Jun 29, 2022
6. The Isaac of This Art | Peter Cole
Nelson and Peter continue their discussion of poetry, and Jewishness. How do Jewish poetry and mysticism balance ironic scepticism with religious feeling? And what the hell's wrong with rhyme anyway?
This conversation took place between Nelson Rufatt, and poet, teacher, and translator of Hebrew and Arabic, Peter Cole. Cole's riveting books of poetry include 'Rift', 'Things On Which I've Stumbled', 'Hymns and Qualms', and 'The Invention of Influence'. He has written celebrated translations of medieval and Kabbalistic Hebrew poetry, as well as of works by Hebrew and Arabic-speaking poets such as Aharon Shabtai, Yoel Hoffman, and Taha Muhammad Ali. Among his many prizes are a MacArthur Fellowship, the PEN Award for Poetry in Translation, and an award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He teaches Comparative Religion at Yale University, and lives sometimes in Jerusalem, sometimes in New Haven, Connecticut.
His books can be purchased at http://ibiseditions.com/petercole/
The…
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Jun 16, 2022
5. The Hundreth Bloom's Day
On the 16th of June 1904, James Joyce was taken in hand by the straight-talking chambermaid who was to become his utterly devoted wife. This episode is not about that chambermaid. It was written at an angle to the little universe brought to life each year on Bloom's Day, the day of Joyce's meeting, and the day on which his hundred year old novel Ulysses is set. My little centenary essay is not a full literary tribute, but a snippet of thought concerning a fraction of what the novel might teach us about nationalism and cosmopolitanism. The exchange between Bloom and The Citizen, happens in Episode 12:
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/4300/4300-h/4300-h.htm#chap12
The theme song is 'Zaftik' and was composed and performed by Nelson Rufatt.
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Jun 14, 2022
4. An Endless Translation | Peter Cole
This episode is about poetry, and about Jewishness. How does Judaism manage so successfully to combine piety, love of the absurd, humour, secular rationalism, irony, disinterested inquiry, and mysticism? What is the secret of its unique paradoxes? And how about that poetry! This conversation took place between Nelson Rufatt, and poet, teacher, and translator of Hebrew and Arabic, Peter Cole. Cole's riveting books of poetry include 'Rift', 'Things On Which I've Stumbled', 'Hymns and Qualms', and his latest masterpiece 'The Invention of Influence'. He has written celebrated translations of medieval and Kabalistic Hebrew poetry, as well as of works by Hebrew and Arabic-speaking poets such as Aharon Shabtai, Yoel Hoffman, and Taha Muhammad Ali. Among his many prizes are a MacArthur Fellowship, the PEN Award for Poetry in Translation, and an award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He teaches Comparative Religion at Yale University, and lives sometimes in Jerusalem, sometimes in…
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May 31, 2022
3. The Space Between the Beats Part II | Alexander Inman-Hislop
Alexander Inman-Hislop is an extraordinary drummer who is discovering new things about music and the way we hear the world. In this episode we continue our discussion about culture and context. Alex talks about his discoveries on the drums, and speculates about the ideal music scene. The theme song is 'Zaftik' and was composed and performed by Nelson Rufatt.
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May 17, 2022
2. The Space Between the Beats | Alexander Inman-Hislop
Alexander Inman-Hislop is an extraordinary drummer who is discovering new things about music and the way we hear the world. We discuss the ways in which music maps on to nature, and whether sound can be appreciated without its cultural extras. The theme song is 'Zaftik' and was composed and performed by Nelson Rufatt.
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Mar 19, 2022
1. Humanism, and the Value of Science Fiction | Jonathan Craig
In this episode, Nelson talks to Jonathan Craig about Science Fiction, and whether it has literary value. Jonathan is a writer, policy advisor, accessibility consultant, and the former editor of Blind Citizen's News. He was an artistic advisor for Convergence: a speculative game about climate emergency.
The theme song is 'Zaftik' and was composed and performed by Nelson Rufatt.
Books and Other Pieces that were Mentioned
1)
“Ian McEwan: ‘Who’s going to write the algorithm for the little white lie?’”
By Tim Adams
The Guardian, April 2019
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/apr/14/ian-mcewan-interview-machines-like-me-artificial-intelligence
2)
Machines Like Me
By Ian McEwan
Jonathan Cape, 2019
3)
Orthodoxy
By G. K. Chesterton
First published by John Lane, The Bodley Head in 1908
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/130
4)
“The Bookmaking Habits of Select Species”
By Ken Liu
Printed in Lightspeed, August 2012
https://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/t…
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