I have written opinion, features and reviews for The Age, Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian, Herald-Sun and BBC, among others. I'm also a regular columnist for the ABC and Canberra Times.
Some writings discuss 'big picture' philosophical ideas in daily life. Others are simply celebrations or clarifications - more literary or journalistic than philosophical. To search for a particular theme or issue, click on one of the 'popular topics' at the very bottom of the page.
The Sydney Morning Herald
'Hopefully, wonders will never cease' (5/5/13).
'Gardening is child's play' (10/4/13).
'The curious pleasure of cleaning up' (4/4/13).
'The fashion assassins' (8/1/13).
'Talk about food should skip the bulldust' (31/12/12).
'Play God: say yes to organ donation' (30/8/12).
'Cherishing the ANZAC spirit - as long as it's not going to cost' (25/4/12).
'We interrupt this program for an important message on relating' (17/4/12).
'Oh, he of little faith' (17/3/12).
'Caffeine less vital than the conviviality of a cuppa' (23/1/12).
'Listen up: this rapper's the Dylan of his day' (28/11/11).
'Not idle, but thinking big' (8/10/11).
'Holding thoughts to the minimum' (5/10/11).
'Exercise your mind and the body will follow' (13/7/11).
'Life's lessons found packed in a removalist's box' (21/5/11).
'Super-rich exceptions closer to being the rule' (2/4/11).
'Turn video games into more than child's play' (14/1/11).
'The crisis and the cure' (1/1/11)
'You don't need Jesus to enjoy Christmas' (20/12/10).
'Fighting can nurture the soul - just ask Plato' (27/11/10).
'A balanced life holds amazing rewards' (15/11/10).
'Father knows best: don't buy into this false festival' (4/9/10).
'Instructive lesson in class at the auctioneers' (18/8/10).
'Quiet now, your soul is healing' (17/7/10).
'A little smut goes a long way' (23/6/10).
'Taking a bite out of Apple's vision' (18/5/10).
'In moments like these, we need mentors' (26/4/10).
'Autumn glory lets us count our blessings' (2/4/10).
'Channel your rage, young man' (9/01/10).
'Should auld acquaintance and bad times be forgot?' (28/12/09).
'A bad review can be a learning experience (21/12/09).
'Identifying with the victims, not the killers' (11/11/09)
'Dreams don't come in installments' (18/8/09).
'Reality she wrote: Austen's top tips' (7/7/09).
'Channel the rage: teach boys to fight' (22/4/09).
The Age
'An encyclopaedia of Janeite love' (9/2/13).
'Why the ink's not yet dry' (5/1/13).
'The joy of exercise, or why life lived well means a body worked hard' (2/9/12).
'Why patience is a virtue' (4/8/12).
'Why karate kids are less likely to grow up to be violent men' (8/7/12).
'A little bit of hush' (5/5/12).
'Homeopathy is not a cure, it's water and consolation' (16/3/12).
'Narcotic for the mind: inhale deeply then delete at will' (4/3/12).
'Embracing spontaneity helps make holidays child's play' (23/1/12).
'Revelling without a cause can leave you low in spirit' (31/12/11).
'Weak and dimwitted humans in a world run by machines' (8/6/11).
'Getting to grips with unnatural urges' (30/4/11).
'Familiarity breeds content for old gallery's loyal patrons' (21/4/11).
'Spring's gentle nudge to leave winter's walls behind' (15/9/10).
'Too much screen time means our lives lack dimension' (28/7/10).
'Empty pockets and wonky careers can provide a richer life' (19/5/10).
'Forget the cheap shots, cage fighting is a virtuous sport' (12/4/10).
'An enriching, illuminating, bonding, godless Christmas' (23/12/09).
'The urge for single-sex fraternity will remain strong' (27/11/09).
'Celebrity adoptions expose our hypocrisy' (14/9/09).
'We don't need Dylan on satnav to be driven to distraction' (1/9/09).
'Your numbers may never come up, but dream on' (2/7/09).
'To remain relevant, that is the dilemma (19/5/09).
'Here's a thought - turn off the TV, tune into life' (24/11/08).
'Driven by distraction' (5/7/08).
The Australian
'The meaning of life? Here's the rundown' (27/4/13).
'Thanks to the memory of a father who failed' (21/1/12).
'The price of freedom' (7/9/11).
'Open the pod bay doors, HAL' (27/8/11).
'Ennui need not be dull' (19/3/11).
'Research the name of the game' (2/3/11).
'Philosophy as a contact sport' (8/12/10).
'Merry hell' (20/12/08).
The Herald-Sun
'Sweetest tastes of Easter are not found in chocolate eggs' (11/4/09).
'Seasonal magic of creating happiness' (25/12/09).
'iPod down, stand up for a lady' (17/11/09).
'Lives driven to distraction' (22/9/08).
The Canberra Times
'In short, what we need is more wit' (23/4/13).
'Chard remains' (31/1/13).
'Intensity of friendships reveals a reflection of our true selves' (4/1/13).
'Desire is never just a walk in the park' (27/12/12).
'Deep thoughts on nature's way' (12/12/12).
'Laughter: antidote to a crazy world' (21/11/12).
'Politics: the good, the bad and ugly' (13/11/12).
'Turnips for work; chestnuts for play' (3/10/12).
'Shining a light on real values' (28/10/12).
'Intellectual ambition rarely appears on the box' (24/10/12).
'Every good boy deserves to...become better' (9/10/12).
'Satire the perfect way to test huffiness of today' (6/10/12).
'For sale: traditional values. Well used. Still loved' (3/10/12).
'More than promises broken when politicians recant' (28/9/12).
'Glamour can't disguise the fact that sex is still about power' (12/9/12).
'Malicious web trolls are petty, broken human beings' (8/9/12).
'Much in human nature that is dim, blind and cruel' (3/9/12).
'Throwing the book at literary prejudice' (27/8/12).
'Political lessons to learn from the United States' (13/8/12).
'Limiting exposure to the commercial cacophony' (6/8/12).
'The politics of bashing those down on their luck' (27/7/12).
'More than mere child's play' (16/7/12).
'Too easy for Google stuff to fill our vacant minds' (13/7/12).
'Papers need to lift debate standards' (9/7/12).
'To tax is to share, not to punish' (19/6/12).
'A healthy civilisation needs writers -- and readers' (7/6/12).
'Good, the bad, and the ugly: the blog's here to stay' (24/5/12).
'Never mind the quality, feel the art's price' (14/5/12).
'Gossip is easy and addictive, but also unhealthy' (3/5/12).
'We are dehumanised by automatic work processes' (24/4/12).
'Why grandmothers are key to familial wellbeing' (16/4/12).
'Savouring the magic of the local bookshop' (2/4/12).
'Fun between the covers with long-dead strangers' (9/3/12).
'Stop submerging status in the subservience of "sir"' (1/3/12).
'Honour? Thanks but no thanks' (13/2/12).
'Navigating the conditions of unconditional love' (31/1/12).
'Impossible vanity of caring for everything at once' (16/1/12).
'Norse lessons from across the rainbow bridge' (11/1/12).
'As copyright ends, we can take the literary plunge' (6/1/12).
'Nurturing a healthy lifestyle is food for thought' (3/1/12).
'It's time to let the fizz out of these sickening drinks' (16/12/11).
'Children's stories need a moral side' (12/12/11).
'At times, pedants are just revolting' (29/11/11).
'Practical, proud paths of civility' (24/10/11).
'Not easy to be an older parent, but it's not selfish' (10/10/11).
'Memory lane is a learning curve' (3/10/11).
'The work/life divide: time to think about getting it right' (26/9/11).
'Why Australia is one of the least corrupt nations' (29/8/11).
'Violence runs deep within young men' (13/8/11).
'Fountain of the imagination and joy in the hand' (8/8/11).
'Tastes that narrate our lives' (26/7/11).
'Smokers: 'liberated', but not free' (22/7/11).
'Cinema puts us all on the same stage' (11/7/11).
'On-the-spot fines for swearing fans the fire' (6/6/11).
'Very witty Wilde, but what about this weather?' (26/5/11).
'Counting the cost of credit card debt' (18/5/11).
'Don't write off female front-line warriors just yet' (20/4/11).
'Desperately seeking nothing of real importance' (10/4/11).
'A time to plant, and a time to harvest' (7/4/11).
'Families are slaves to an age of debt' (11/3/11).
'Penning books for the young no life sentence' (25/2/11).
'Gossip adds to woes in office' (14/2/11)
'It's a juggle, but parents can love in the struggle' (7/2/11).
'Internet a tool for tyranny as well as democracy' (4/2/11).
'Courage keeps society a civil one' (31/1/11).
'Along with our grapes, we're maturing nicely' (24/1/11).
'Kicking away the crutches of luxury' (18/1/11).
'Time to put down the pen and join the human race' (27/12/10).
'These feet are made just for walking' (20/12/10).
'The big four are well overdrawn on humanity' (10/11/10).
'Why backflips by politicians are steeped in such negativity' (18/10/10).
'Playing outside has many benefits' (13/10/10).
ABC
'We shouldn't ask the dying to keep living' (13/5/13).
'Biographical daydream' (4/1/12).
'The garden in the library: Cicero and the stuff of life' (21/12/12).
'Gods can teach us--just don't worship them' (7/12/12).
'A myth understanding' (23/11/12).
'Private faith v public faith' (9/11/12).
'Critical thinking critical to teaching' (26/10/12).
'An adoring family does not a feminist politician make' (9/10/12).
'The "herd" instinct' (5/10/12).
'The fictional universe of the spiritual illuminati' (24/9/12).
'The fight for common sense' (21/9/12).
'Princesses and superheroes: the consequences of gender roles' (7/9/12).
'Coffee with David Hume' (23/8/12).
'Everyone picks on the fat kid' (10/8/12).
'Our alien and desiccated home' (30/7/12).
'Is God interesting?' (27/7/12).
'Surviving the suburban purgatory of the school run' (13/7/12).
'Christ's love is bad medicine' (29/6/12).
'The Mayans and the end of thought' (15/6/12).
'A letter from a god' (1/6/12).
'Darwin's modest discovery of evolution' (18/5/12).
'If God is dead or dying, why criticise religion?' (4/5/12).
'The Bible just isn't funny' (27/4/12).
'Prayer is delusional but its power can be real' (20/4/12).
'Believers share their dubious apologetics with Trekkers' (13/4/12).
'Infinite debt of a Christian faith' (6/4/12)
'Art without god' (30/3/12).
'Universe's magnificence without the narcissistic supernaturalism' (23/3/12).
'Waiting for God: an ultimate power' (16/3/12).
'Liberating a popular literary invention: the Lord' (9/3/12).
'Why worry about theology?' (1/3/12).
'Sympathy for the devil' (24/2/12).
'Religion and politics: dangers of policy based on faith' (17/2/12).
'Atheism and growing up' (10/2/12).
'The Ultimate Fighter, priest-style: piety and religious vice' (2/2/12).
'Friends in high places' (27/1/12).
'Astrology: an odd mix of humility and arrogance' (19/1/12).
'The symbolism and rage of victimhood' (12/1/12).
'Do scientists have faith?' (3/1/12).
'The symbols of Christmas' (26/12/11).
'Hitchens and infuriating faith' (22/12/11).
'Martial arts and the mind' (16/12/11).
'Out with the caricatures!' (9/12/11).
'Politics and loyalty: to the party or the person?' (2/12/11).
'What was Socrates the radical philosopher doing in Bolt's blog?' (25/11/11).
'For better, for worse, for satin, for cufflinks' (18/11/11).
'The world is not enough for supernaturalists' (10/11/11).
'Paranormal success is a psychic's only power' (3/11/11).
'Atheists, creationists and the pitfalls of public debate' (27/10/11).
'God, man, and the Obedient Wives Club' (20/10/11).
'Book of Jobs: electronic Eden not paradise for everyone' (11/10/11).
'Communication: it's always better when we're together' (22/9/11).
'A boy's world through rose-coloured glasses' (11/4/11).
'Can a job really be worse than unemploymnt?' (1/4/11).
'The paper's place in a digital world' (13/1/11).
'The marvels of what is' (17/12/10.
'Feminism: a struggle shared' (3/12/10).
'Stop and think: it's World Philosophy Day' (18/11/10).
'Editors: strange, misunderstood, essential' (15/11/10).
'Digitally surfing the flushable sea' (20/10/10)
'The wisdom of illness' (1/10/10).
'Why write?' (10/9/10).
'Guiltlessly myopic electioneering' (17/8/10).
'Mentally sexy dads' (30/7/10).
'A rhythmic, sweaty meditation' (18/6/10).
'Not just for geeks' (11/6/10).
'Skinny vs healthy debate' (6/4/10).
'A time for reflection' (7/12/09).
'When will the shallowness end?' (2/11/09).
'Write on' (12/10/09).
'Light bulb moment' (4/9/09).
'The shape of love' (9/7/09).
'Plant for the future, not the past' (17/3/09).
'Junk ethics' (16/9/08).
The West Australian
'The gift of literary moonshine' (5/3/12).
BBC (UK)
'The distraction society' (7/5/10).
New York Daily News (US)
'Legalizing mixed martial arts in New York' (16/1/11).
Indianapolis Star (US)
'Boxing is liberating for men -- and now for women' (14/4/11).
Griffith Review
'Tragic intimacy' (35, 2012).
Meanjin
'On fiction and philosophy' (67 4, 2008).
'The langorous siesta: on summer reading' (66 4, 67 1, 2007/8).
'A Sparta for our times' (66 2, 2007).
'Faith without God' (65 4, 2006).
'Facing Nietzsche's demon' (64 3, 2005).
