Shannon Burns' Childhood is a story of disconnection, neglect, violence and poverty

By Brigid Magner, Senior Lecturer in Literary Studies, RMIT University

Shannon Burns’ memoir Childhood begins with an epigraph from Leo Tolstoy’s book of the same name:

The happy unrecoverable days of childhood! How could I not love, not cherish its memories? They have lifted up and refreshed my soul and served as the source of its finest pleasures.

The South Australian suburban childhood explored in this memoir is far from idyllic. Burns’ early life was one of disconnection, neglect, violence and poverty.

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~	38 years after Chernobyl disaster, 12% of Belarus's territory is still contaminated

~	The French identify as Europeans – and yet are also notoriously Eurosceptic

~	For Europe to emulate Silicon Valley’s tech success, it should change its startup funding model

~	Does obesity really increase your risk of dementia?

~	Türkiye: Unlawful ban on May Day celebrations in Istanbul must be lifted

~	Australia just made a billion-dollar bet on building the world’s first ‘useful’ quantum computer in Brisbane. Will it pay off?

~	What are heart rate zones, and how can you incorporate them into your exercise routine?

~	Germany Falling Short in Curbing Anti-Muslim Racism

~	Does the AFL ban on skinfold testing avoid fat shaming – or has footy ‘gone soft’?

~	Long before politicians called to ‘stop the boats’, First Nations people welcomed arrivals from Indonesia